BERLIN, Nov. 19 -- Borussia Dortmund's Dutch coach Peter Bosz has to fight for his job in two crucial games this week. According to several media reports the 53-year-old needs to deliver satisfactory results against Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur this Tuesday evening and in the derby against national rival Schalke 04 next Saturday to secure his job.
After only one point gained out of the last five Bundesliga games and the Blacks and Yellows expected to exit the Champions League as early as after the group stage the club leaders' patience seems to come to an end. CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke and sports director Michael Zorc consider giving the former Ajax Amsterdam coach the sack the Berlin-based tabloid Bild and the Essen-based newspaper Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung report.
Other German media assume Bosz has time to create a turnaround until the near winter-break.
The club at present is going through a tough stress-test after the 1-2 defeat against VfB Stuttgart last Friday. The Berlin-based newspaper Die Welt says it is uncertain how much more pressure the side can bear.
While Borussia is in danger to miss the next round of the current Champions League campaign, the club is facing a much bigger problem.
If missing qualification for the 2018/2019 Champions League campaign, the club would not only lose millions of euros but his attractiveness to superior talents. Losing contact with the league's top three is said to be a red line.
"We don't have a coaching problem," defender Marcel Schmelzer commented. "It is our players, who are to blame. We are responsible for the problems," Dortmund captain emphasized. The 29-year-old demanded a good result against Tottenham as "a victory would change things to a positive direction."
2017 World Champion Mario Goetze is demanding more effectiveness in front of the goal and man-to-man duels.
While players back their coach in official statements, former German international Matthias Sammer is convinced a vital problem is "the teams' lack of robustness." An underdog team such as Stuttgart managed to down a team of superior quality and interrupt their forwarding game.
So far Bosz could not deliver appropriate answers. His team is struggling with his tactical system. Easy mistakes come along with problems of the defense as a simple long ball is enough to crush Borussia's back-row. Bosz complains "how easy opponents can score a goal."
But Bosz's current difficulties are not only caused by his ambitious attempt to implement a risky new tactical system but from hangovers from the past.
The troubles around star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are to some extent unpleasant leftovers from his predecessor Thomas Tuchel. Tuchel and the club leaders created favors for the Gabon rooted 28-year-old to keep him in a good mood.
Hit by a crisis (476 minutes without a goal), Aubameyang insists on enjoying his favors such as trips and parties in Italy and France. On the other hand, the striker doesn't bother too much about being late for training, which is affecting the team's balance.
Recently revealed complains of his teammates about "Auba's" extras and Bosz' attempt to restrict his best scorers freedom cause a critical team-atmosphere.
Bosz' latest attempt to gain back authority failed as the team lost to league newcomer Stuttgart while Aubameyang was suspended due to his recent escapades.
Despite the latest turbulences teammates and coach are aware Aubameyang needs to be part of the attempt to overcome the crisis. According to reports, the striker is back to team-training and willing to make up for his latest misbehaviors.