Borussia Dortmund’s Mario Gotze has admitted to fans that he has fallen short of the expectations set by himself and the fans, yet the German believes that since his return to the Signal Iduna Park, he has received a continuous backlash from critics.
The German started his career at Dortmund in 2009 where he appeared 83 times for the club and scored 22 times. Gotze was also a part of Dortmund’s title-winning squad in the 2010/11 and 2011/12 seasons, as well as the 2011/12 DFB-Pokal Cup winning side.
However, a move to rivals Bayern Munich saw the Dortmund star go from hero to villain very quickly amongst Die Schwarzgelben fans. Although he did return to Dortmund last summer, the 24-year-old has only scored twice in fifteen appearances.
Already halfway through the Bundesliga season, the World Cup winner has promised to improve his performances.
As reported by FourFourTwo, Gotze said: “Statistically speaking, there’s room for improvement.
“In terms of being ready to compete, I’m on the right path. I’ve only played 15 games and scored two goals, but there will be more – more goals and more assists. I have higher expectations of myself.
“Looking only at what I’ve achieved in a sporting sense is only looking at one side of the coin. I’ve played a lot of games and won a lot of trophies, and I’m still a young player. I’m proud and thankful that I’ve been able to experience what I have. If someone has a problem with me as a person, he should explain to me why.
“The picture people have of me is an old one. I can’t always come on in a game and score a goal like in the World Cup final. Today’s football means running, intensity and hard work. I couldn’t care less about the glamour factor of my new position.
“If I can score more goals and make more assists playing this role, then we’re heading in the right direction. I’m taking on different roles now, not just going forward and scoring goals.
“Five people might have five different opinions on ‘the old Mario Gotze’. I want to get away from the cliche of being a 19-year-old who plays football like he’s playing in the park. I’ve matured in the last few years.”
With Dortmund struggling for league form this season, Thomas Tuchel’s side currently sits sixth after dropping games; many thought they would win. However, Gotze is positive that his team can turn their fortunes around going into the second half of the season.
“We have a really good team with a lot of quality. If we’re able to play with more consistency in the second half of the season, then there’s a lot we can achieve. We’re still alive in the DFB-Pokal and the Champions League, although we’d have wanted a few more points in the league.”
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