Hi community!
The German coach does not hesitate when it comes to benching his stars.
It was the 70th minute of the match at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund. Flick ordered three substitutions in one go. And the surprise came when the three players substituted were Lewandowski, Raphinha and Dani Olmo. It was a cause for surprise because at that moment the match, far from being decided, reflected a worrying 1-1 draw on the scoreboard. Flick took the risk. And he did not hesitate when it came to sitting out three of his best players this season.
The German does not marry anyone. He has applied meritocracy to the letter from day one and that gives him great strength and credibility in the face of the group. With Flick, those who are in the best form play and he does not let himself be carried away by stripes. The three changes he made against Borussia corroborate this, but also many of his decisions that he has been taking throughout the season.
One of the first examples is in goal. Flick was very clear that after Ter Stegen's injury, his bet was on Iรฑaki Peรฑa. It is true that in collusion with Deco they decided to sign Szczesny, but not to take the place of the youth player, but so that he would have a replacement if he was injured or his performance dropped. Few believed him. Everything was said. That after two games it would be the Pole who would be between the sticks or that they would share the competitions. Nothing at all. The coach stood firm in his decision and was not influenced by the prestige that Szczesny had gained over the years in an excellent career.
If there have not been many options for meritocracy in the defence due to so many injuries, although he will now have to start to speak out with the return of Araujo, in the centre of the field the coach has also given many proofs of said meritocracy. He bet on Marc Casadรณ from the first day and that confidence remains intact. And it remains because the performance of the lad has been excellent.
The return of two very important players like Gavi and De Jong has not changed the coach's criteria. Many would have been carried away by the stripes of these two players and Casadรณ would have had to go to the bench. Not at all. Since the first two returned after their injury, Marc has been a starter in all the games (13) except for one due to suspension. Gavi and De Jong only started twice in the starting eleven.
These decisions give the coach great strength in the face of the group. Like when he sat Koundรฉ down in Vitoria because he had arrived late to a training session during the week. Even though the Frenchman was being a vital player for the coach, he did not hesitate to comply with the internal regulations. And the group took good note.
See You soon! ๐
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