New Borussia Dortmund signing Jobe Bellingham’s maiden goal for his new Bundesliga club certainly generated plenty of positive buzz. BVB head coach Niko Kovac nevertheless had some critiques to offer up as well. Kovac was captured by cameras on the sidelines shouting instructions at the English teenager during yesterday’s match.
“You may have heard me a few times,” Kovac noted at the post match press conference. “Jobe has been slack at times when the opponent has the ball. He ran out of position and didn’t stay steady as he should have. I tried to instruct him again and again.”
Kovac did wish to emphasize that he wasn’t angry with his new signing. In just his second BVB appearance, the 19-year-old couldn’t be expected to adhere completely to Kovac’s tactical instructions.
“He hasn’t been able to catch up on what we’ve been working on for four months [since Kovac was installed as Dortmund’s trainer],” Kovac went on to day. “It’s not enough time for him to be functional. He’s doing well, but there’s a lot missing.”
Kovac concluded the discussion on Bellingham on an upbeat note. The interplay between the Englishman and his half-countryman Felix Nmecha was definitely something anyone watching the match took note of. Kovac drew attention to it as well.
“Those two are the future of the club,” Kovac said of Bellingham and Nmecha. “[Jobe] does have a good physical presence and sense of situations.“
GGFN | Peter Weis
