Dortmund Fans Must Be Patient with Ciro Immobile

Ciro Immobile has some heavy expectations on his shoulders. The Italian international was bought by Borussia Dortmund from Torino to replace the departing Robert Lewandowski. However, through two appearances, Immobile hasn't scored.

The 24-year-old had a positive debut in the German Super Cup triumph over Bayern Munich despite finishing the match goalless, but he followed that up with an abysmal showing in the Bundesliga opener versus Bayer Leverkusen.

In his defence, the squad as a whole were lacking on all fronts. Leverkusen were pressing the Dortmund players to force a loss of possession, and it worked.

That explains why Immobile had just two shots, per WhoScored.com. His strike partner, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, had just one attempt and only two more touches.

Immobile scored a terrific individual goal against the Netherlands in Italy's 2-0 win on Thursday. His run, composure, first touch and finish were excellent, which is what Dortmund fans have yet to see in a competitive match.

BVB supporters shouldn't be worried, though. Immobile failed to score in his first five Serie A appearances last season, per ESPN FC. He went on to win the Capocannoniere title as the league's top scorer.

Immobile proved that he can be a lethal goalscorer in the Bundesliga with his performance for Italy during the international break. It's just a matter of when it will arrive.

Manager Jurgen Klopp talked to Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport (h/t Football Italia) about his new signing:

"

Let me immediately say that I am not worried. The start hasn’t been easy, but that is not Ciro’s fault.

He’s been training hard, but the problem is that we’ve only really had 10 days of training as a complete squad because of the World Cup.

That is hard for everyone, but especially for a forward who doesn’t yet understand how the midfielders and full-backs pass the ball.

But I can guarantee you that there will be no problem. I was the one who chose Immobile from a long list of options.

And I am certain that I made the right decision.

"

Marco Vasini/Associated Press

Immobile is a professional athlete who is expected to quickly settle into a new country, league and team, but that's not the case. He is still a regular person who needs to get used to his new living arrangement. It takes time to learn the language and to get accustomed to the surroundings.

That coupled with the delayed return date from the World Cup has affected Immobile. It has nothing to do with his talent, or else Klopp wouldn't have signed the Italian for a shade above £15 million.

Immobile is 24, but he didn't break out until last season, so Klopp and the rest of the Dortmund coaching staff have to be patient with regard to his off-the-ball movement. The former Juventus product didn't blossom in the top flight until a year ago, so the tactical naivete is still present.

David Ramos/Getty Images

It might take a bit of time for Dortmund to jell now that Nuri Sahin is out for the next two months following knee surgery, per Karolos Grohmann of the Daily Mail. On the bright side, Shinji Kagawa's return should give Immobile some more quality service.

That's another reason why Dortmund fans shouldn't panic. They have a potentially fantastic striker in their squad. Once Immobile gets a run of games, learns the tactics and forms an understanding with his teammates, there will be no stopping him.