Three days after the 0-6 defeat against RB Leipzig, there was no positive reaction from FC Augsburg. On the contrary: the 0-1 defeat against second division side VfL Bochum marks a new low under coach Sandro Wagner.
On Tuesday evening in Augsburg, neutral observers were reminded a little of Günter Netzer, Gerhard Delling, Waldemar Hartmann and the legendary outburst of anger by then DFB team manager Rudi Völler after a 0-0 draw in Iceland in September 2003. Back then, it was all about low points and even lower low points, and the dreary present situation at FCA raises the question of what was actually worse: the 6-0 defeat to Leipzig or now the 1-0 cup exit against Bochum?
Bochum deserved to win
The answer is: Bochum. Taken in isolation, a 6-0 defeat against a team like Leipzig with fast, highly talented players can happen. It went wrong, but let’s move on. What should give all decision-makers at FCA pause for thought is the reaction three days later. There was no reaction at all, and there was no difference between the Bundesliga team and the 17th-placed team in the second division on the pitch. On the contrary: Bochum deserved to win. Once again, Sandro Wagner’s team conceded a cheap goal after a counterattack, around ten seconds after Phillip Tietz had missed one of Augsburg’s few chances at the other end. Worse still, after half-time and trailing, the game drifted along until the last ten minutes, when a free kick by Alexis Claude-Maurice, who had come on too late, sparked a comeback. And yet Bochum should have made it 2-0 and decided the game earlier.
Wagner’s mistake with Jakic
One could give the trainee coach and his team the benefit of the doubt that the game came at an inopportune time – between the debacle against Leipzig and the clash with BVB on Friday. Wagner had to make personnel changes, but it didn’t pay off. In addition, he has considered it a good idea for weeks to play the stiff-hipped Kristijan Jakic as the right-sided member of the back three. The opponents also think this is a good idea, regularly exploiting it to score goals. In any case, Jakic was overwhelmed by the speedy Gerrit Holtmann, a mismatch in modern terms.
The only convincing performance came from substitute goalkeeper Nediljko Labrovic, who seized his opportunity and kept the defeat within limits. There are concerns about Chrislain Matsima, who had to be substituted shortly before the end with a thigh injury. A diagnosis was pending on Wednesday morning. It is questionable whether FCA’s most stable center back will be available on Friday evening.
Wagner’s statements on Tuesday already sounded very much like words of encouragement. He said he believed in the players and the team, that he had seen positive things, and that he himself was not unsettled. This needs to be demonstrated on the pitch and in the table. In the long run, only results count in this business. Sporting director Benni Weber was asked whether there was a contingency plan – involving Wagner – should the team lose against BVB and a week later at VfB Stuttgart. “I find an emergency plan difficult because Friday’s game could change a lot again. The goal is to get back on track. So no emergency plan, but we should have a plan for Dortmund,” he replied. It will be interesting to see whether Wagner chooses a different, pragmatic approach against the fourth-placed team or remains true to his line and his way.
