This is still nothing!

The signing of Ao Tanaka (23/loaned from Kawasaki Frontale) should have been the transfer of Fortuna King last summer. The plan: to create a structure in the midfield with the Japanese international. He was supposed to be the man in control – but while Tanaka has been doing exactly that for his country, he hasn’t been successful at all at the club yet.

Champion in Japan, in Fortuna at a perpetual bottom – when does Tanaka finally catch fire in Düsseldorf?

The numbers are shocking: 13 games, no goal sharing, only 14 shots on goal and 8 assists, only 45.1 percent won duels. In addition, the Tanaka, which is already hard at work, is one of the slower fortunes with a top speed of 31.67 km/h.

Christian Breuser (37) expressed his admiration for the start of the season: “Tanaka is safe on the ball and has a lot of movement forward. We can look forward to a great player.” At least Japanese national coach Hajime Moriyasu (53) would agree, but not yet Fortuna fans.

Because in the national team he regularly delivers Tanaka, he became the goal champion in Japan’s 2-1 World Cup qualifier victory against Australia, scoring to make it 1–0. In subsequent victories in Vietnam and Oman (both 1-0) Tanaka played aggressively in midfield.

But it could also be because he usually plays more offensively in Fortuna than in the national team. Tanaka at the start of the season: “I am in sixth place, this is the position I feel most comfortable in. In the eight you have to play more forward. I would like to play in the six!”

Not only his words speak volumes about it, but also his previous accomplishments in the eight…