Top 10 young Bundesliga talents 2013-14 : Mid-season report

10. Marco Rojas ( ? 6 )
Age: 22 | Club: Stuttgart | Nationality: New Zealander | Position: Winger | Bundesliga Appearances: 0

When Rojas initially moved to Germany from the A-League, he generated a lot of excitement and interest. The Kiwi forward had set the A-League on fire, and people were keen to see if he could replicate his performances in the Bundesliga. These expectations have not been met to say the least.

Rojas’ time at Stuttgart has been hampered heavily by injury. Initially, he came to the club and suffered a metatarsal fracture which kept him on the sidelines until October. He suffered another injury in October and just hasn’t made in into the clubs line up since his recovery in November. Even internationally, he has suffered, as his New Zealand team were knocked out brutally by Mexico in the World Cup qualifiers. He himself couldn’t make much of an impact during these two games as well, starting only the second leg.

Rojas will have to work hard in training on his fitness and his game play to impress his manager and get an opportunity to impress for Stuttgart.

9. Amin Younes ( ? 10 )
Age: 20 | Club: Monchengladbach | Nationality: German | Position: Midfielder | Bundesliga Appearances: 7

The footballer of Lebanese descent who currently plays for Monchengladbach was expected to do well this season, and is a player who is very highly regarded across the Bundesliga. This season though, Favre hasn’t really given him the chances that we thought he might get. His injuries have also played a part in hampering his chances of breaking into the first team.

The player has made only 7 appearances till date, all of which have been off the bench. Due to the lack of playing time, Younes hasn’t been able to make an impact, notching up only 1 assist this season. This came in the match at Hoffenheim, where his side lost 2-1. Younes made a good impact as he came off the bench to provide the assist in the 75th minute. He will surely want to improve on his sum total of 106 minutes in the Bundesliga.

Perhaps Lucien Favre needs to be a little more flexible with the 20 year old, and try him out in the middle as well, rather than restrict him to the left.

8. Leon Goretzka ( ? 3 )
Age: 18 | Club: Schalke | Nationality: German | Position: Midfielder | Bundesliga Appearances: 8

The tall Schalke midfielder that was signed from Bochum in the summer was expected to make an impact at the Veltins arena, but so far, he has been unable to make much of an impression.

Of his 8 Bundesliga appearances, only 1 has been a start. He has been interrupted due to illnesses like tonsillitis and flu. Apart from this, he has also been used in several different positions across the park, appearing in the middle, and in wide areas as well. For example, he played as an attacking midfielder against HSV in the first game of the season, but was employed as a defensive midfielder a couple of weeks later in his first start against Hannover. In the last game before the winter break, against Nurenberg, he played in a wide left role. This is good for the youngster, as it will help him to get accustomed to the demands of different positions.

It seems as if Goretzka is still being groomed for the first team by Jens Keller. This is perfectly understandable as the German is still very young at 18, and it is probably best to integrate this fantastic talent into the fold slowly and steadily.

7. Andre Hoffman ( ? 7 )
Age: 20 | Club: Hannover | Nationality: German | Position: Midfielder | Bundesliga Appearances: 11

The 20 year old former Duisburg player initially had quite an impact on the Hannover side, and helped them into mid table in his debut season. This season, he hasn’t seen all the action he would like to. This has partly been down to injuries he’s suffered (knee troubles).

The youngster has made 6 starts and 5 substitute appearances this season, playing in a variety of different positions. Ex-coach Slomka used him in defence, midfield and as a defensive midfielder too on occasions. The midfielder makes over 1 interception a game, which is a decent average. He has a dark side to his game as well, which is that he tends to concede free kicks (1.5 per match) and this can get him into trouble, though he hasn’t faced suspension so far this season. His passing has also been satisfactory, at a rate of 85%.

Hoffman will be hoping that he can get more playing time and more opportunities under the new coach. He too will want to make more of a contribution to the side defensively in the chances he does get to cement a spot in the side.

6. Moritz Leitner ( ? 2 )
Age: 21 | Club: Stuttgart (on loan from Dortmund) | Nationality: German | Position:Attacking Mid. | Bundesliga Appearances: 11

Stuttgart find themselves in a disappointing 10th place in the Bundesliga during Christmas. Of course, they have a game in hand against Bayern Munich, but that doesn’t really look very promising. None of their players have really been outstanding, and Moritz Leitner is very much part of that group.

Leitner cannot complain about a lack of chances. He’s made 11 appearances, starting 9 times. He was interrupted when he missed a month due to an injury, but even then, he hasn’t really managed to impress. As an attacking midfielder, he seems to do the right things. His pass completion is 80%, and he makes around 2.5 dribbles a game. Both of these stats are very good, but he makes very few key passes per game, which shows a lack of incision. This is damning for an attacking midfielder, and he will want to improve on the solitary assist he’s managed so far.

Leitner will need to work hard and try to get more for his team going forward, and provide service to the likes of Ibisevic and help Stuttgart climb the table.