Erling Braut Haaland’s move to Borussia Dortmund thankfully saves us from what was likely to be the most tedious story of the winter transfer window. There’s plenty to read and consume on why the Norwegian chose BVB over United and Juve. To me it seems obvious that Haaland has made the most pragmatic and sensible choice.
I am now interested in how he fits into Dortmund’s system and Lucien Favre’s tactical framework. The conventional wisdom is that Dortmund are such a good attacking team that they will always score goals. Dig a little deeper into their results however, and there have been a lot of games in the Favre era that have been decisive because his men have missed chance after chance. Their last game before the winter break was a perfect illustration. After dominating Hoffenheim for 80 minutes but scoring only once, BVB contrived to lose 2-1 in the last ten minutes of the game.
Favre has always preferred a false nine instead of a conventional striker. It’s one of the reasons why, even when he’s fit, Paco Alcacer hasn’t started many games despite his fantastic goals to minutes ratio. Irrespective of this signing, Favre is unlikely to shift away from his preferred 4-2-3-1. If Haaland is to be a regular starter, Favre is going to have to compromise on Marco Reus playing as the false nine, instead moving the captain to the hole. Considering the fact that Jadon Sancho is an undroppable, how Favre deals with Julian Brandt, Thorgan Hazard and Mario Gotze fighting for one position is anyone’s guess. It would be safe to assume that there will be at least one attacker outgoing in January to alleviate the increased competition in the final third.
If Haaland maintains his exceptional scoring rate amidst the higher standards of the Bundesliga, then any tactical adjustments would be worth it for Dortmund. It doesn’t however negate the fact that this a very young player making a huge leap at a club that isn’t without its own set of high expectations. It may be prudent to expect a period of adjustment. Haaland’s signing is undoubtedly an exciting moment for the club. It will however still need good management to make it a success for both, individual and club.