Record-breaking man on the sidelines

Hasenhüttl and the “Wolves”: winners and losers

Ralph Hasenhüttl is currently trying his hand at being a "wolf tamer".(Bild: APA/dpa/Swen Pförtner)

With the arrival of Ralph Hasenhüttl at VFL Wolfsburg, the cards have been reshuffled for the players. Some "Wolves" can benefit from this, above all an old confidant of the coach. The club's record transfer, on the other hand, seems to be facing difficult times. 

Ridle Baku's Bundesliga career began with a heavy defeat for his current coach. On his debut for Mainz 05 in 2018, Baku triumphed against the Leipzig side coached by Hasenhüttel. Shortly afterwards, the Austrian's time as RB coach was over. 

Now the two have crossed paths again and this time they are pulling in the same direction. After two games, the full-back is the most noticeable beneficiary of Hasenhüttl's appointment. The 56-year-old cheers on his protégé and talks to him a lot. Baku has paid him back with good performances so far. The 26-year-old seems to be unleashed. Still controversial under Niko Kovac and without a secure VFL future, the tide seems to have turned for him.

Pervan and Wimmer on the up
Captain Maximilian Arnold also put in a good performance. The 29-year-old seems to have found a good connection with the new manager. The two Austrians Pavao Pervan and Patrick Wimmer are also likely to benefit from the new coach.

Lovro Mayer(Bild: APA/AFP/Ronny Hartmann)

On the other hand, things look bad for the "Wolves'" record transfer. Lovro Majer came for 25 million euros and initially impressed with strong performances. Then, like almost the entire team, he fell into a performance slump. Under Hasenhüttl, the Croatian has only been substituted twice so far. The 26-year-old's style of play does not really suit the Austrian's new system of play. There could also be stormy times ahead for Sebastiaan Bornauw.