Since the appointment of Lucien Favre as manager at Borussia Monchengladbach, the club has been on a steady rise up the Bundesliga, away from the steep precipice that encompasses relegation. Favre’s style has centered around a packed, disciplined defence utilising almost all of the players, and attacking through fast, countering movements.
The main downfall to this strategy, however, has been the lack of a true forward to complement the attack – someone to ruthlessly finish a sweeping move up the pitch. Favre’s side had the lowest goals scored total out of the top four sides last season in the Bundesliga, with their midfielders and wide players among their top scorers alongside striker Raffael.
Max Kruse, who contributed 11 goals in the Bundesliga departed this summer for competitors VFL Wolfsburg, leaving Favre to force his hand in the transfer window. The coach has since brought in Swiss compatriot Josip Drmic from Bayer Leverkusen, with the youngster having only spent a year there following another one-year spell at Nurnberg the previous season.
Often rated as one of the most promising talents in the league, Drmic struggled to impose himself on Bayer’s first team in 2014-14, often playing second-fiddle to veteran forward Stefan Kiessling. The Swiss striker will be keen to further his playing time and development, having drawn wide acclaim for his performances when given the chance.
But the question of any striker new to a club will be ‘does he fit?’ and if so, where? Playing for Bayer, Drmic was part of a pressing system, albeit one much more aggressive than that utilised by Favre at Monchengladbach. His ability to pressure the ball carrier, as the most advanced ‘defender’ in the system, will be a useful asset to the side, as will his pace in doing so. Quick on the burst, Drmic can play a role similar to that of Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez in Liverpool’s 2014-15 season, applying pressure to the opposition, and aiming to force the ball out-wide.
The Foals tactic of forcing teams to the width allows them to narrow their focus, rather than spread themselves out vulnerably by allowing the ball carrier to sit in the middle of the pitch. As the ball is forced wide, Drmic’s role is then to become the point of a triangle, forcing the player in possession to then pass back, a move which does not present any danger to Borussia.
One part of Drmic’s play that has let him down across his two Bundesliga seasons though, has been his passing accuracy. During his 2013-14 campaign with FC Nurnberg, Drmic attained an average accuracy of just 67% across the season, while he was only marginally better in 2014-15 with Bayer, his 71% accuracy failing to really set the world on fire. In a system that requires quick, accurate connections to build the attack, Drmic’s stats act as a stumbling block for his integration into the team.
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However, rather than a mental or physical attribute that is learned over a long time, passing is a skill that can be practiced easily, and refined continuously throughout preseason and during training. If Drmic can improve this area of his game leading into, and during this season, then he can be the natural finisher that The Foals need at the end of their attacks.
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