Borussia Dortmund's 12 Days of Christmas
Christmas is a time to sit back, relax and enjoy a special time of the year with the ones you love. For Borussia Dortmund, the festive holiday and the winter break that comes with it will be exactly that—respite from a truly horrendous season so far.
But fortunately for Jurgen Klopp and his band of not-so-merry men, this stage in the calendar brings with it a new year and an opportunity to start afresh.
Dortmund can reinvent themselves between now and the end of January and take on this challenging Bundesliga campaign with a fresh perspective.
Here are how Dortmund's 12 days of Christmas would go.
Day One: Three Points in January
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First things first: All Klopp wants for Christmas is to start the new round of fixtures at the end of January with a win over Bayer Leverkusen.
On January 31, Dortmund will travel to the BayArena with high hopes of causing some trouble against Roger Schmidt's team, which has shot straight up to third place this season. The Factory Squad will undoubtedly be favourites for the tie, but you can never be too sure in this league.
If they win there, Dortmund's momentum may come flushing back.
Day Two: A Henrikh Mkhitaryan Goal (or Two)
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Henrikh Mkhitaryan hasn't scored a single goal in the Bundesliga this season. Mkhitaryan, the attacking midfielder, false No. 9 and sometimes inside forward, hasn't managed to convert a single chance in the German top division in 12 games for Dortmund.
And boy, has the Armenian international had some outstanding opportunities. So many that you can almost tell that once he gets that first one in, more will come flooding in too. You just need one goal, Henrikh (or maybe two).
Day Three: A Composed Matthias Ginter
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Perhaps one of the most troubling surprises to Dortmund's season so far has been the abhorrent nature of Matthias Ginter's form since arriving at his new club.
Arriving from Freiburg as a future German star, following a number of seasons single-handedly defending his team's goal, Ginter has taken to the Westfalenstadion like Bambi to ice.
Let's get the kid some new boots, a bit more confidence and back on track to becoming the central defender he has always promised to be.
Day Four: A New Defensive Midfielder
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There may yet be hope for players such as Mkhitaryan and Matthias Ginter, but when it comes to Dortmund's defensive-midfield area, we fear it may be time for a complete overhaul in personnel.
Sven Bender has done a reasonable job, despite a patchy run of form over the course of 2014 due to his nasty injury over the summer months, but the real culprit here is former captain Sebastian Kehl.
The 34-year-old has, admittedly, only done what was asked of him in covering for the injured Ilkay Gundogan and Nuri Sahin, yet his age and slower tempo have caused all sorts of problems at the back for Dortmund over the past two months.
Let's hope Santa brings Dortmund a brand new defensive midfielder in the January transfer window.
Day Five: The Old Dortmund Defence
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Dortmund are a mess all over the pitch this season, but no spot in the team looks more alien to its usual self than the defensive line.
We've touched on Ginter's form since arriving at the club this summer, yet where Klopp should be just as worried is with the deteriorating form of his two star full-backs, Marcel Schmelzer and Lukasz Piszczek, as well as his new captain, Mats Hummels.
There's only so much the manager can do if his old, reliable stars are beginning to falter from one week to the next.
Day Six: A Smile on Klopp's Face
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This is a very minor point in the long list of things that Dortmund so desperately need this Christmas, but it would be a welcome change to see Klopp, the face of this fascinating club, smile and laugh once again.
With Dortmund's turn in form and lack of victories in the Bundesliga, Klopp's energy, passion and general tone have also disappeared into the abyss.
German and European football miss one of their most charismatic coaches and would love to see the manager back to his best on the touchline.
Day Seven: 15 Points in February
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We've already spoken about the manner in which Klopp would love to kick off the second half of the season with a smash-and-grab win against Leverkusen at the end of January, but how wonderful it would be if Dortmund could then go the next five games in February without dropping a single point?
Tough fixtures such as home ties against Augsburg and Schalke await, but so too do manageable away trips to potential three-pointers such as Stuttgart and Freiburg.
February could be a special month for Dortmund if they approach it properly.
Day Eight: A Confident Ciro Immobile
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Dortmund may have a proven goalscorer in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and a talented, experienced Bundesliga striker in Adrian Ramos, yet Klopp is fully aware that the future of his front line rests on the shoulders of one man: Ciro Immobile.
The young Italian starlet has burst onto the scene at Dortmund from time to time this season and shown exactly what he is capable of. Quick, outstanding with his first touch, excellent in build-up play and ultimately a wonderful finisher of the ball, Immobile has all the talent to succeed at the Bundesliga side.
All the young striker lacks is confidence, which will—in turn—lead to goals and more points for Klopp's side.
Day Nine: A Fully Fit Ilkay Gundogan
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If one man has truly made an effort to turn this team's fortunes around this season and almost succeeded in doing it, then it is Ilkay Gundogan.
The German international has arrived late to the party, following a 16-month injury that has kept him out of action for much of this season, but he has wasted little time in reclaiming his spot in the centre of Klopp's side.
If one thing holds back the exceptionally talented player, it's his fitness and overall pace and strength on the ball. The desire and talent are all still there, but Gundogan just doesn't look like his best at the moment.
Should he recover that pace, acceleration and fitness to dominate a game for 90 minutes over the winter break, then it could be a real game changer for Dortmund's season.
Day 10: Second Place in May
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It may seem like utter madness to consider such a thought as Dortmund currently sit joint bottom of the Bundesliga table, yet the black and yellows are in fact only 19 points from second place.
A fourth-spot finish and the hope of Champions League football may be a more realistic proposition, but the manner in which teams fall and rise in this league would leave very few surprised faces should Klopp's side end up finishing second in May.
Day 11: A New Marco Reus Contract
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Among all the immediate problems that trouble this club on a day-to-day basis, the one looming fear that haunts most Dortmund fans in their sleep is the prospect of Marco Reus leaving the club next summer.
Much has been made of the forward's contract situation and the possibility of buyout clause, should another club come knocking on Klopp's door, so a new contract for Reus will be one of Dortmund's highest priorities.
Forget the league form, forget the shaky defence and forget the abject performances: Dortmund's priority between now and May is keeping this player at the club.
Day 12: The Champions League
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Last—but certainly not least—we have what could be the ultimate prize on offer for Dortmund this season: the Champions League trophy.
As laughable as it may sound, Klopp's men have looked exceptional in European competition this season, despite constantly falling over in the domestic league. Arsenal, Galatasaray and Anderlecht have all fallen to the German side, and we suspect a few more will follow suit between now and May.
The first knockout round awaits Dortmund with a tricky tie against Serie A opponents Juventus. However, should they overcome their Italian counterparts in March, there's nothing to say they can't beat any team in Europe on their day.
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