Dealing with the narratives
In discussions amongst fans, a term that has established itself in Germany is "Schönwetterspieler," which directly translates to "nice-weather-player." What they're implying is that Brandt is a player who only plays well when met with little resistance. He rises and falls with the atmosphere within his team. He's not the type of competitor to carry his teammates to a win on a cold, rainy night away from home, for example.
As a result, for the first time in his career, Brandt's role as a starting-caliber player is being questioned. This comes after the high praise from his coach, Niko Kovač, who compared him with the likes of Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala. A take that is aging worse with every game.
There is no doubt that Brandt is still a skilled player. In his sixth season with Dortmund, the German international has provided more than enough highlights throughout the years to prove his ability. He should be entering his physical prime, but he also could be missing the consistency in his game required to be a pivotal player at a club like Borussia Dortmund, which consistently wants to challenge for titles.