Should Salim Musah get to start for Werder Bremen? | OneFootball

Despite a tough loss at home to RB Leipzig this past Saturday, Werder Bremen history was potentially made at the Weserstadion. That is because Salim Musah, the club’s young phenom at striker, scored his first goal for the senior team. 

Down two in the final minutes, the Green-Whites forward was slipped through in-behind by Jovan Milošević. He drove forward, took a few touches, and slotted home from close range to give his side some hope. It was a tidy finish, which was needed since he had missed a few earlier chances. 

While nothing came off it, the goal was a wonderful moment for Musah, and it might be the start of something special.

A new dynamic

There are some supporters who want to see the academy product get a chance in the starting lineup, and it’s for good reason. 

Bremen has struggled in the final third all season, especially when it comes to getting goals from their leading men. Victor Boniface never got onto the scoresheet due to injury issues, while youngster Keke Topp only has one goal. Justin Njinmah and Marco Grull have filled in with little success, and loanee Jovan Milosevic scored a few and then picked up a tough injury.

It’s not like the team has an undisputed number 9 at the moment. Milosevic should finally be close to full fitness this weekend, so he’s got the inside track. However, it’s unclear how long he can go, and from what point. Musah, meanwhile, is fit and raring to go.

He also brings something different to the table. Most of the Werder personnel are technical players, who like to have the ball at their feet and pass it around. While Musah has that ability if need be, but he’s much more of an aerial presence. 

The German stands tall at 6’6”. That’s remarkable, and a unique attribute in the Bundesliga.

That changes things quickly. Teams have found success against Die Werderaner by cutting off passing lanes and clogging the middle. That forces the build-up to go wide, and when all else fails, crosses to be whipped in. There’s not really a set target, though, and center midfielder Jens Stage ends up being the most dangerous man in the box thanks to his late runs.

If Musah is up there, though, then teams can’t defend the same way. If Bremen are allowed to send in cross after cross after cross, and they can hit them right at the big man, the chances of something good happening skyrocket. He can head towards goal himself, flick it onto a teammate, or simply make it tougher for the defender to clean it away, leading to a mad scramble. 

Sure, manager Daniel Thioune can always resort to this late on like most teams do, but it’d be fun to see the tactic from the start, especially if the opposition are expecting something different. 

Youth revolution

Getting Musah acclimated into the first-time would be another nice feather in the cap for the club.

They’ve always tried to promote their academy or the younger players they have, and while it’s not always been the case, that ethos is really on show at the moment. In goal is Mio Backhaus, who only turns 22-year-old in a week. He’s been stellar since become the number one, and he’s saved the team on a number of occasions.

The current gem of the bunch is Karim Coulibaly. Forced to fill in due to injuries at the beginning of the year, the 18-year-old immediately grew into the role, developing into a solid and reliable center back on and off the ball. Europe’s elite are already interested in him, and while fellow 18-year-old Patrice Čović hasn’t broken out quite as much, he did score his first Bundesliga goal a few games ago.

Musah could be next up. He’s shown he can score at the youth level and in the lower leagues, and the forward has also represented Germany with the U20’s. There’s talent there, and if talent is given a chance then they could really blossom. 

Having him blossom would also be another big benefit for the club. With the aforementioned issues at striker, Werder are likely going to need to find a new one in the summer. That means spending big on a proven name, or buying a less experienced option who might not turn out. If Musah can showcase himself well, he could prove to ownership that they don’t need to find a new leading man, they already have one.

Werder will never know if they never try, and they’ve got a great opportunity to try out Musah this weekend.