The Borussia Dortmund Benchwarmer’s Playbook

Felix Nmecha came to Borussia Dortmund last summer at a high price point - 30 million euros. So far, he’s done little to demonstrate he was worth that transfer fee. Nmecha had two goals last season, against Newcastle (but that was the only time I can think of him having a strong performance) and late in the season against Augsburg.

He can be sloppy on the ball, slow in progression and one can only hope he’s improved over the summer. Being such an expensive transfer, it’s doubtful Nmecha would secure a transfer away for any reasonable sum. For now, Dortmund is stuck with him and I don’t think he deserves many minutes, but having been purchased at such a high fee, Sahin may be more likely to give Felix opportunities, if for no other reason than creating a market to offload the player. I might not be a fan of Nmecha, but I do want him to succeed in Black and Yellow.

Alex Meyer is definitely going to be sitting on the bench this season, but that’s okay. He’s happy at Borussia Dortmund, signed a new contract, and I rate him as the strongest back-up goalkeeper in the Bundesliga. Gregor Kobel is becoming a BVB icon, but he’s not invulnerable to injury. Meyer is an incredibly reliable keeper and he’ll fill in just fine if Kobel cannot play. 

So what do you think of the Borussia Dortmund benchwarmers? How much influence will they have on results this season? Time will tell; we could see some surprises.