The transfer merry-go-round cranked into action during January, and Michy Batshuayi was a somewhat unexpected participant. The young Belgian striker’s loan move to Borussia Dortmund helped to facilitate the transfers of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Olivier Giroud, who arrived from Arsenal to take his place at Stamford Bridge. All parties seemed relatively happy with the outcome.
Batshuayi had an immediate impact in the Bundesliga, scoring two goals and setting up another on his debut, a 3-2 win over FC Cologne. He lashed home his first 35 minutes in, and calmly slid in a second after the break. With the scores level, he played in Andre Schurrle for the game’s winning goal. It was an impressive debut from someone who’d often looked unconvincing at Chelsea.
The role that confidence plays in football can’t be overstated. The mental side of the game is so important yet subject to relatively little scrutiny. Considering how much top level footballers are paid, it’s often assumed that they should just be able to perform regardless of what’s going on around them. Somehow, normal doubts and uncertainties are felt not to apply.
This obviously isn’t the case. It’s a very public job, particularly at the top level, with players’ performances analysed in excruciating detail. The mental demands of playing well in front of an expectant crowd are enormous, and amplified by those watching at home on TV. This is particularly true for strikers. Missed chances can prey on the mind. The pressure to deliver in front of goal can be debilitating.
Opportunities were few and far between for Batshuayi at Chelsea, making it even more important to seize the moment when they did arrive. His minutes-per-goal ratio was comparable to some of the Premier League’s best, but he was never able to establish a rhythm. Consecutive starts eluded him, regardless of Alvaro Morata’s struggles.
All that’s changed now. Batshuayi hasn’t missed a single second of action since moving to Dortmund and his confidence has soared as a result. He’s a man transformed. Last night he got another brace against Atalanta in the Europa League, taking his total to five goals in three games. All he needed was a bit of belief and a manager prepared to make him feel special.
Antonio Conte certainly wasn’t the one to do that. He’s never seemed to fully trust Batshuayi, even choosing to field Eden Hazard as a false nine instead on occasions when Morata was unavailable. Everybody, even professional footballers competing at elite clubs, wants to feel valued and needed. Egos can be fragile in such a competitive and status-driven world.
A big money signing whose manager didn’t rate him, Batshuayi was drained of confidence. Playing with fear rather than hope, he was inhibited, and even less likely to change Conte’s mind. A break elsewhere was precisely what he needed. Peter Stoger has given Batshuayi a leading role, with some wonderfully creative players behind him to supply chances, and he's making the most of it. Dortmund are already keen to make the move permanent.
