Rose outlines demands for new signing Pongracic: "I expect him to play up to his potential."
Dortmund trainer Marco Rose knows full well what sort of potential his newly-acquired center-halve possesses.
When it comes to Marin Pongracic's prospects for a place in the starting XI, however, the BVB trainer sets a high bar.
When it comes to Marin Pongracic's prospects for a place in the starting XI, however, the BVB trainer sets a high bar.
| Marin Pongracic. | Photo: Borussia Dortmund |
The gaffer who coached the defender for RB Salzburg remained level-headed about the impressive performance just one day removed from his loan transfer from Wolfsburg. The 23-year-old immediately hit the BVB training pitch immediately after posing for his obligatory media introduction. He was ready to play the very next day.
"I know him. What we saw today didn't surprise me," Rose said afterwards, "I expect him to play up to his potential."
Rose took care to emphasize that Pongracic's slide out of the Wolfsburg XI didn't reflect a true dip in form. The Croat's former coach chalked it up to "corona and injuries."
"He hasn't been able to really assert himself there," Rose noted.
In the charity match, Rose's constellation fluctuated between a back-three and back-four, the man Wolfsburg paid €10 million for in the January 2020 transfer window functioned exclusively as a defensive center back.
In terms of where this places the new arrival on the Dortmund depth-chart, one would assume that (if healthy) Mats Hummels and Emré Can would be the preferred choices.
Rose did suggest that Pongracic could fill in for Manuel Akanji as part of the squad rotations during the upcoming Champions' League weeks.
"We will soon have many games and Manu [Akanji] might need a break at some point," he said.
"Above all, we're now well stocked at that position," Rose remarked in a later interview, "We were looking for [help at] that position. I know what he's capable of and he'll need to show that now at Borussia. We will help him in that regard, but I will also demand it."
