And there's unrest

Lijnders’ favorites have so far failed to deliver

Bajcetic (left) and Clark (right) have played far too little so far.(Bild: 2024 FC Red Bull Salzburg)

One of the reasons for the current crisis at runners-up Red Bull Salzburg is the poor performance of the summer transfers. In particular, the highly praised favorites of coach Pep Lijnders from Liverpool have been disappointing and have also brought unrest to the team.

Salzburg brought some big-name players to the city of Mozart in the summer. First and foremost the Champions League-tested Janis Blaswich and the Liverpool talents Stefan Bajcetic and Bobby Clark. They were joined by Takumu Kawamura, Joan Gadou and Edmund Baidoo. The first trio in particular was expected to make an immediate impact. 

There has already been much discussion about goalkeeper Blaswich, but what about the Liverpool duo? Bajcetic and Clark - who cost almost twelve million euros - enjoyed a lot of advance praise and were regarded as transfer coups. "We've got two of the biggest talents at this club," enthused coach Pep Lijnders. So far, however, both have failed to deliver. 

Bobby Clark cost almost twelve million euros.(Bild: GEPA)

Stefan Bajcetic came on loan from the Reds.(Bild: Andreas Tröster)

Because they are considered favorites of the Dutchman, there was a certain amount of unrest in the team. Bajcetic and Clark made their debuts at the start of the Premier League in Prague (0:3). The accusation that the coach favored the two remains in the air. Even though Lijnders was probably in charge of the two new signings, the responsibility lies with sporting director Bernhard Seonbuchner. And if you look at the output of all the purchases he has made so far as boss of the Bulls, it is striking that not a single new signing has really hit the mark.

Team boss angry with the Bulls
Another topic: Bosnia team boss Sergej Barbarez is angry with the Bulls. The reason? Amar Dedic was not allowed to travel to the international matches due to muscular problems. Barbarez misses "open communication" and emphasized that Dedic "will only not be with us in the future if our doctors confirm any injuries."

Lack of understanding in Salzburg
Salzburg reacted to these statements with incomprehension. "Everyone saw that Amar was substituted against Sturm with muscle problems. An MRI examination on Monday confirmed the injury. If he had been fit, he would have been able to travel to the games like 15 other of our players," emphasized a club spokesperson.