Three defeats in a row, without your own goal – it doesn’t work for Union. The fact that Max Kruse (33/Wolfsburg) is missing cannot be denied.
Not even for Christian Beeck (50). The ex-Union manager: “Union benefited a lot from his madness. If a player with such creativity and callousness is no longer there, the element of surprise is missing in the game.”
Beeck explains: “Max could do a lot of things instinctively, that’s the difference to the players who are here now. They can’t do that in this quality. You can transport the ball forward and call up various predefined routes. Becker, Voglsammer, Behrens, Awoniyi and Michel are good players but not outstanding creative players. No one plays the deadly pass that no one is expecting right now.”
Did Union underestimate Kruse’s departure? Beeck: “Yes, it feels that way. The three games show that something is missing. However, I rather think that you didn’t expect this intensity, that he could be missing like that.”
What to do? Beeck says: “They lead the way, they march, they are dynamic. Union played well in Bielefeld. It’s the killer instinct, the callousness that’s missing at the front. They do everything they can. It’s just that there’s no one playing above average right now.”