The Bundesliga flops of the season

While the Bundesliga has given us plenty of star performers this season, who have dazzled with their skills, goals, assists and defensive strength, there have also been more than a few players, who have had an absolute stinker this season. Here we bring you the Bundesliga flops XI for the 2022-23 season.

1. Fabian Müller (VfB Stuttgart)

The Stuttgart keeper started the season as the number one, but after one too many mistakes (four that led to goals) he lost his place to Fabian Bredlow. When you are involved in a relegation struggle, having a keeper at the back, who can save you points (Manuel Riemann at Bochum for example) is a huge plus, but that wasn’t the case with Müller. Big errors against VfL Wolfsburg and RB Leipzig amongst others was the final straw and he looks set to leave the club in the summer (along with Bredlow).

2. David Raum (RB Leipzig)

After becoming somewhat of a crossing/ assist king at Hoffenheim and breaking into the German national team, RB Leipzig thought they were upgrading when swapping Angelino for David Raum in the summer. That hasn’t exactly been the case with an underwhelming debut season at the Red Bull Arena. Thirteen assists last season in Sinsheim have been reduced to two at Leipzig.

3. Agustin Rogel (Hertha Berlin)

The Uruguayan centre back arrived with much hope that he could help shore up the Hertha Berlin back line, but he has endured a terrible time in the Bundesliga with the Alte Dame conceding 67 goals this season and heading for the trapdoor in the 2.Bundesliga. His partner Filip Uremovic was also a contender for this position, but Rogel just pipped him to the unwanted honour.

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4. Marvin Friedrich (Borussia Mönchengladbach)

When Marvin Friedrich voiced his dissatisfaction publicly about his lack of game time at Borussia Mönchengladbach, he probably wasn’t expecting coach Daniel Farke to be so blunt and honest with his response. He was basically told he wasn’t playing because he wasn’t as good at the other options. Ouch!

“We have to look at the facts,” Farke said, “We have conceded 19 goals in ten games with Friedrich in the starting line-up. In the games without him, we let in significantly less. You’re always going to field the guys you feel will keep things tight at the back and guarantee points.”

A parting of the ways between the 27-year-old defender and the Foals is expected this summer.

5. Thomas Meunier (Borussia Dortmund)

When you hardly remember a player is still at a club, that’s when you know they’re not having the greatest of seasons. Belgian fullback Meunier was a regular in the first ten games this season, but then a series of injuries and in-form players ahead of him have cost him. He’s had a groin strain, a fractured cheekbone, torn muscle fibre, and back trouble this season and while others have stepped in to fill the void, he really hasn’t been missed as BVB challenge for the title.

6. Thomas Delaney (Hoffenheim)

The one-time Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla defensive midfielder just hasn’t had the impact that was hoped for at Hoffenheim since arriving on loan from La Liga. He has struggled for starts in a struggling TSG side and it is highly unlikely that the move will continue beyond this season with Hoffenheim not seeing much of a reason to buy the midfielder outright.

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7. Ivan Sunjic (Hertha Berlin)

It’s been a story of failures at Hertha Berlin this season but Croatian midfielder Ivan Sunjic is up there with the best of them. He returned from his loan spell in the English Championship with Birmingham City and struggled to break into the Hertha midfield. He’s made just twelve starts this season and was recently thrown out the squad by new trainer Pal Dardai after a training ground bust-up, which saw the coach telling him to ‘piss off’.

8. Bartol Franjic (VfL Wolfsburg)

Wolfsburg paid Dinamo Zagreb €7.5 million for midfielder Franjic last summer, but they haven’t seen a return on their investment with the Croatian struggling to find a role in Niko Kovac’s squad. With a successful line-up established and the poor start of the season put behind them, Franjic has become the forgotten man with just three starts this season amongst his five appearances.

9. Florian Niederlechner (Hertha Berlin)

It was a toss-up between Niederlechner and Wilfried Kanga for the number nine role, but the two goals scored by Kanga worked in his favour. Out of favour at Augsburg, despite scoring four in the Hinrunde, Niederlechner moved to the capital in January and has not had any impact whatsoever (a solitary goal against Stuttgart aside). Maybe we’ll sub Niederlechner off at half-time for Kanga?

10. Anthony Modeste (Borussia Dortmund)

It’s safe to say that if Sebastien Haller hadn’t been diagnosed with testicular cancer then BVB would not have made the last-minute, desperate move to sign Modeste from Köln. In terms of the striker’s bank balance, the move has been a success with a reported €6 million salary for the season. On the pitch however, the striker has cut a forlorn figure with BVB not playing to his strengths and him not able to adapt to the team. A brief moment in the sun against Bayern at the Signal Iduna Park was a rare moment to savour in a hugely disappointing season.

11. Lucas Alario (Eintracht Frankfurt)

The fact that Randal Kolo Muani hit the ground running at Eintracht Frankfurt has really not helped Lucas Alario, but then the striker hasn’t exactly helped his own cause when given game time by Oliver Glasner. The move from Bayer Leverkusen was supposed to offer a new start, but it very much looks like he will be looking for another new start somewhere else with his time at the Deutsche Bank Park underwhelming to say the least.

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(Dis)honourable mentions:

The pool of players to choose from for this Flops XI was surprising large with a number of players missing out, but deserving a place on the bench at least. Alexander Schwolow in the Schalke goal lost his place to Ralf Fährmann only for injury to thrust him back into the team. Schalke teammates Jere Uronen, and Sebastian Polter could have joined him, while Max Kruse at Wolfsburg also should be getting a shout.

The Bayern Munich pair of Sadio Mané and Ryan Gravenberch were considered, but although a flop at Bayern, deemed better that their competition here. Consider also Sargis Adamyan at Köln, Bochum’s Jordi Osei-Tutu, Angelo Fulgini (Mainz), and Leverkusen loanee Callum Hudon-Odoi lucky to not feature.

About Mathew Burt 1058 Articles
Former writer at Goal.com and JustFootball, I've been doing my thing for Bundesliga Fanatic since 2015. A long-suffering Werder Bremen fan and disciple of the Germanic holy trinity...Bier. Wurst und Fußball

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