Sink or Swim: Who will thrive and who might struggle under Niko Kovač

Wildcards

Gio Reyne: Reyna is a bit of an enigma when it comes to his form and how he succeeds. While he’s been injury-prone, Gio has always impressed when he’s played for the Men’s National Team, but he’s been wildly inconsistent in Dortmund. Reyna will be underwhelmed when he starts, then find a winning goal or world-class assist from the bench. Yet he’s another player who has been plagued by attitude problems throughout his brief career. Can Niko Kovač get the best out of the young American? It’s hard to say.

Niklas Süle: There’s no doubt we need Süle right now, but his injuries and high salary make him a difficult player to justify holding onto. But Niklas Süle has produced world-class defensive performances for both club and country and very well could return to his top form once he returns from injury. Whether Niko Kovač can inspire his best is another question altogether. Given Süle’s fitness improvement last summer and his standing relationship with Kovac from his time in Bayern, I’m inclined to believe he will get on well under Kovač again. Still, if he can’t, then he’ll be a benchwarmer for Waldemar Anton. Likewise, if he can't maintain fitness, that may raise another concern as summer approaches.

Watzke/Sammer/Kehl/Ricken- Niko Kovač has not always gotten along with the leaders of the clubs he’s worked at. (See Bayern Munich) Kovač is walking into a club where the hierarchy has become known for infighting despite the close relationship many of them share. They all have deep ties to Borussia Dortmund, but Niko Kovač is an outsider. While Lars Rickon has admitted the need for such a personality right now, it’s difficult to predict how nepotism might play into board approval. Likewise, Watzke and company could embrace the new personality and work symbiotically as Kovač looks to revive his managerial career.