Stuttgart boss on Undav’s form crisis: “Hasn’t put himself in a position to start”

Fabian Wohlgemuth has admitted that Deniz Undav is not performing at a level that warrants a start.

Deniz Undav started on the bench for the second game in a row as VfB Stuttgart lost 1-0 to Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.

Speaking to Bild, director of sport Fabian Wohlgemuth explained that the striker is currently not performing well enough to start.

“He hasn’t put himself in a position to start in training in recent days,” Wohlgemuth said.

Undav, signed from Brighton & Hove Albion for a fee close to €27 million last summer, is going through a barren spell in front of goal and hasn’t scored since January. But Wohlgemuth remains hopeful that the striker will bounce back.

“Deniz is far too honest with himself and his performance and too ambitious to completely ignore his current situation,” he said.

“Of course, a striker is primarily defined by goals and assists. We’re happy to have Deniz in the team and we know he’s not riding a wave at the moment. However, we are absolutely convinced that he will soon return to his usual level of performance.”