Beautiful play and the eternal lack of consistency are increasingly leading to disagreements within the team at Borussia Dortmund.

Mats Hummels felt like he was caught in a time warp, he had finally had enough. He had warned against “heel, toe, one, two, three” – and then a sloppy heel by Karim Adeyemi, of all people, led to Borussia Dortmund conceding the decisive goal at Union Berlin. “It would be nicer if it didn’t fit,” the BVB veteran grumbled sourly after the 0:2 (0:2): “But it does.”

Neither Hummels nor the equally pissed-off Niklas Süle spoke the name of their teammate. The addressee was as clear as can be anyway – and he got a roundhouse blow from the veteran against the youth of today. By now, at the latest, things were rumbling in the dressing room.

“Sometimes the simple twenty-metre back pass is the best solution,” Hummels said. “Even if he doesn’t get on social media afterwards.” That sunk in. For years, he said, the club has been haunted by not knowing “when to nick”, i.e. trick around, “and when not to nick”. That’s how Borussia caught the 2:0 “a bit the BVB way”: First individual mistakes like Gregor Kobel’s slip before the 1:0, then futile effort.

Hummels’ charge was a fitting state description. Dortmund possess a few of outstanding cage wizards: All the rarer are pillars that carry and also stand when the pressure becomes unbearable. “When we are praised week after week for what potential we have up front, we can expect to play with more consistency and conviction,” Süle said. Again, the defence criticised the offence.

BVB coach Edin Terzic, after all, had seen everything that makes a top team. Consistency, “a lot of maturity, a cohesive style of play”. He paid a “huge compliment” – to the opponent. Dortmund themselves, analysed Süle, had “made life difficult for themselves again”.

What was unspoken about Terzic’s statements was more exciting than his sentences themselves. “Union has earned this position over the years.” And BVB? “They don’t leave their teammates alone.” And BVB? “They run the ball super.” And BVB? That is seven points behind the promoted team of 2019 after ten games. There is no effect of the late equaliser against Bayern Munich (2:2), which was celebrated in abundance.

Süle called for “a hard-hitting analysis” ahead of the cup match at Hannover 96 on Wednesday (18.00/Sky). But how often has there (allegedly) been one in recent years? Furthermore, BVB can outplay any opponent at home on a great day. However, they can also lose to any league opponent at any time.

The eternal lack of consistency is apparently now leading to declining expectations. “The overall situation is funnily enough somehow OK,” Hummels said, almost perplexed. “It doesn’t feel good, but also not as bad as the statistics should say. “