Great Start

What a start to the Season! Sure, we were in a position to win every match but being unlucky is just part of the game - you also can't ask players to be perfect 100% of the time. So, realistically I don't think we could have gotten off to a better start than we have. More than half of our defense was injured to start the season and the players we signed to add depth were signed the week of the opening match. Even with that we have not lost a match and have had some really entertaining matches. After the first match I was wondering what Kovac accomplished with a full off-season with the team but it turns out, quite a lot.

Superb Management

Kovac was dealt a very difficult hand to start the season - Schlotterbeck, Ryerson, Süle, Can and Duranville were injured and Anselmino, Fabio Silva and Chukwuemeka, were just heading to the club. However, Kovac and his team showed they had prepped for that and made the most out of the squad they had. Players played out of position but they looked prepared (minus Ryerson being the farthest man up the pitch as a CB on his first possession back from injury) and he's pairing experience with fresh talent like Sabitzer/Groß with Jobe/Nmecha. The players are also everywhere(in a good way)! The Juve game specifically was like watching a herd of yellow Zebras out there, I was tired just watching Beier continually close out the ball. Having players playing this hard with the limited depth we have would be a concern but Kovac is subbing often and resting players for entire games, showing player safety and the long term success for the club are top on his mind. He's had to come up with some creative solutions to accomplish this and any doubts I had after the first game are long gone.

Superb Players

As I said above, the players are playing with such an intensity that you can feel the pride in the club. A coach can ask for that but ultimately it's up to the players and they are on point. It isn't lost on the fans either. Anselmino's first game is a fantastic example of hustle and he got a standing ovation from the crowd when he was subbed off. Beier as well is a standout in this area but really it's every player from Kobel and Anton to Adeyemi and Guirassy. Great energy. With the intensity also comes an increase in discipline. They aren't giving the ball away too often( other than the Juve game ) or trying to do too much with the ball. I think we can be doing more with the ball, especially in the final third but consistency first and then I'll worry about that.

Some of the players are also just showing out - Couto made the most of his minutes and has found a nice rhythm in the squad, even grabbing a couple of much needed goals; Brandt proved with little minutes that he's still got it; Adeyemi is drawing teams out with his speed as always(The end to end play specifically with Kobel was fantastic) but he's also crossing the ball very well and dribbling past people in tight areas; Sabitzer is holding down the mid field; Groß hasn't played much this season but he nearly single handedly turned the Leipzig game around for us; Svensson is defending, scoring, saving goals, assisting, he just needs to learn how to celebrate a goal; Anton stepped up big with Schlotterbeck out; Bensebaini nearly broke the net with his penalty; Guirassy is redirecting balls with cat-like reflexes into the goal; The talent is showing up!

The Next 6

It's hard to look past the next game alone. Saturday can't come soon enough! But over the next 6 games I think we can really start to judge the expectations for the squad. All of the players should be healthy by then and have had time to settle into the squad. The main thing I'd like to see is more goals. It doesn't look like we need them but I think we are capable of scoring more than we are. Yes, Guirassy is in a 2-3 game slump - if you can even call a stretch that small a slump( some in the media seem to think so ) - but also we just need stronger buildup play and better performance in the final 3rd. It's better than last year but if we can have 2 or 3 more goal scoring opportunities a match we'd be very hard to beat.

The Next Game

It's Bayern next and I am actually excited. I think they are in better form than us but we have beaten them in much worse shape. We have a squad that can really go toe to toe with them at their best and anything can happen in these matches, so let's see!