Dortmund's pre-season review
The pre-season for German football sides has officially finished as of today, next week they will all feature in the first round of the illustrious DFB-Pokal trophy, the first round is unlike any other major domestic cup competition first round.
By the time the major players are in the FA Cup for example, most lower league sides bar the Championship have already been dispatched.
In Germany however, you see teams with the stature of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, travelling to sides who aren't even professional football clubs and while the games are often nearly double digit wins for the Bundesliga side, it provides the minnows with a day out they will quite literally never forget.
Borussia Dortmund, have enjoyed what can only be described as a successful pre-season.
With new players, joining throughout the duration, they all seemed to bed in perfectly with each other, with the likes of Paul Pogba instantly gaining a mutual ability with Neves and Weigl.
Bean was also able to rotate his side, to extreme lengths, meaning he got a true handle on his squad, as well as getting them all fit for the coming season.
Highlights
Sam Johnstone was a very surprising highlight for Bean and his side, it is obvious to anyone with a footballing brain, that Johnstone is not going to fight Rulli for the starting spot, but what the former Manchester United player showed this pre-season, will be a positive for all fans.
Some fans, were worried that he did not have the ability to play in the Bundesliga, so if Rulli was to get injured or suspended, they would struggle to keep clean sheets. However, Johnstone played some great 45 minutes spells throughout the pre-season, showing off his aerial prowess, his shot stopping ability and his command of his area.
A big highlight was how quickly Neves and Pogba have intergrated into the sides, with midfielders and strikers, there is always a chance that they don't fit the style of play of their fellow players as quickly as you might want. However these two major signings, are not one of those players, as they have appeared to settle into the team almost as if they were part of this side for many years.
Of course the biggest highlight of pre-season is the penalty shoot out win over Wolfsburg, in the German Super Cup, meaning that Bean and his side get their hands on yet more silverware. It will also mean a bit to them personally as Wolfsburg knocked them out of the DFB-Pokal semi-finals last season, in a hard fought 1-0 win. So Bean got some form revenge over Wolfsburg.
My personal summary
It was great to win the Super Cup, especially against Wolfsburg t gain some little slither of revenge. But what I am most pleased at his how the new signings have integrated themselves, but also, how every single first team player has come back fully fit, not needing any extended breaks.
It meant our pre-season could go unhindered as well as letting me rotate my squad as much as I wanted.
Next up with have a minnow in the German Cup 1st round and then the UEFA Super Cup, but of course due to the stature difference, expect an update on the Super Cup and not the first round of the cup!
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