Niko Kovač on Borussia Dortmund progress and importance of Serhou Guirassy
Niko Kovač guided Borussia Dortmund to 22 points from their final eight Bundesliga games last season to secure their UEFA Champions League berth. The Croatian coach has reinvented BVB into a team that are notoriously difficult to break down and is now looking for Serhou Guirassy to fire them forward.
At the start of this season, the goals were flowing, with 12 in their first six games helping Dortmund to an unbeaten start to their Bundesliga campaign (W4, D2) before their Matchday 7 defeat against Bayern Munich.
Their attack has fairly dried up since, with four goals in as many games, but Kovač has backed Guirassy, last season’s top scorer, to again power his team's attack after a run of one goal in his last six games.
“We’re missing his goals at the moment, but he’ll get back to that,” Kovač told Kicker. “I’m glad to have him and I’ll stick with him. He’s not just a great striker, but above all, a wonderful person.”
Watch: Guirassy's Bundesliga goals
While Dortmund are struggling to find the net, their defence remains almost impenetrable with six clean sheets from their opening 10 Bundesliga games.
“We’ve achieved consistency and stability, scored a lot of goals and conceded relatively few, even if things have somewhat shifted in those areas recently,” added Kovač.
“Overall, the team is developing well and moving in the right direction.”
Watch: Kovač's Dortmund flip tactical switch
The 54-year-old picked up six wins in his first 14 games in charge of Dortmund, but noted last season's UEFA Champions League quarter-final second-leg as a turning point in their fortunes.
“The victory in Barcelona in the second-leg of the Champions League quarter-final was immensely important because we realised that we can hold our own against the top teams, especially at home,” he added.
Since that 3-1 win against Barcelona at the Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund have suffered just two defeats in their last 21 games across all competitions.
With Daniel Svensson and Yan Couto turning temporary moves into permanent ones, Aarón Anselmino joining on loan and the signings of Carney Chukwuemeka, Jobe Bellingham and Fabio Silva, Dortmund strengthened considerably in the summer.
Injuries have hindered the progress of some of those additions, and Kovač has backed his new arrivals to start coming good as they continue to settle into life at the club.
“It’s normal that new players need some patience, even if we paid a lot of money for them. I’m happy with our new players, but I also know they still need time,” said the Croatian former Bayern, Eintracht Frankfurt and Wolfsburg boss.
Watch: Get to know Fábio Silva
“We must not forget, these lads are coming into a different environment, a different culture, with a different language and different demands than at their previous clubs.
"We have to allow them time to adjust. I’m glad that they’re here and that they’re increasing the competition. Anyone who signs here knows what to expect.”
Dortmund have lost just one of their opening 10 Bundesliga games of the season, placing them seven points behind Bayern, while they are in the DFB Cup Round of 16 and have lost just once in the Champions League.
It leaves Kovač's side well placed to compete for honours across all three fronts this term, especially if they start combining their rock-solid defence with a red-hot attack.
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