Third division side Rot-Weiss Essen travel to Erzgebirge Aue on the next matchday. The RWE coach spoke in advance about the development of Torben Müsel.
On 30 January 2023, Rot-Weiss Essen announced the signing of offensive player Torben Müsel. The 23-year-old transferred to Hafenstraße from Borussia Mönchengladbach’s U23, where he scored five goals in ten games in the Regionalliga West first round.
Only six days after the transfer, Müsel was in the starting eleven for the third league derby against MSV Duisburg and made a promising debut in the 1-1 draw.
In the next games, too, he always played from the start – both in the following four league duels and in the Niederrheinpokal quarter-final in Wuppertal (1:0). In these games, however, he was unable to match his performance in the MSV derby.
His record: six appearances, no goal, no assist. The 23-year-old has played both on the ten and in the forward line, but also on both wings.
Technically, Müsel is well trained, but so far he lacks dynamism in his forward play and does not seem to be properly integrated into Essen’s offensive play. That’s why it’s surprising that the native of Rhineland-Palatinate has so far always started from the beginning.
At the press conference before the upcoming away match at table neighbours Erzgebirge Aue (11 March, 2 p.m.), head coach Christoph Dabrowski explained why he relies on Müsel and how he sees his development at RWE so far:
I rate the development very positively. He is an absolute enrichment for our team and our game. It’s clear that he’s not yet at the maximum of his ability when he’s only been there a few weeks. He has to get used to his surroundings, his new colleagues and also to Hafenstraße.
Christoph Dabrowski.
“I see the development as very positive. He is an absolute enrichment for our team and our game. It’s clear that he’s not yet at the maximum of his capabilities when he’s only been there for a few weeks. He has to get used to his surroundings, his new colleagues and also to Hafenstraße. I also think he performed very well in Wuppertal. You didn’t see the clear offensive actions, but he works well against the ball and is very ball-secure. There he already had a high reliability – also in a fighting game.”
Nevertheless, the former Bundesliga professional still sees room for improvement in the newcomer: “I would like to see more determination and conviction in the actions towards the opponent’s half in order to get into finishing situations. He has initiated a lot of offensive actions, but in the end you also need your team-mates to offer good running routes or to set him free. The conviction is there that he can resolve situations with his qualities. That’s why he always started. “
