Can Ciro Immobile Prove His Worth at Borussia Dortmund Under Thomas Tuchel?

Ciro Immobile’s debut season with Borussia Dortmund did not pan out the way most people hoped it would, as the Italian striker was unable to hold a starting spot under Jurgen Klopp.

He finished 2014-15 with 34 total appearances for the German club. He came in as a sub in 17 of those selections.

Despite the bad overall numbers, Immobile was a key player in Dortmund’s Champions League campaign, managing to score four times in six matches.

The same, however, cannot be said about his Bundesliga performances. Immobile finished the season scoring only three goals in 24 matches.

After a season to forget for Immobile, a recent report from La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t ESPN FC) came out hinting at the possibility of the 25-year-old moving back to Italy to play for Napoli:

It's normal that it is pleasing that my name is linked to so many great clubs, but if I want to change I want to make an important choice because next year we have the Euros and I want to be a leading player. This could happen at Borussia Dortmund too, of course, because the coach has changed and there could be new opportunities.

In the same report, Immobile also talked about his debut season with Dortmund:

There are multiple things to blame: the club's problems, the coach deciding to play with a lone striker, but also not creating enough opportunities in front of goal. I am angry inside, because I should have taken advantage of things better. I don't like leaving or staying as a loser. I want to leave nice memories behind, and that's why I am considering whether it is better to stay or to leave.

Before arriving in Dortmund, Immobile had an amazing season playing for Torino in the Italian Serie A. The striker tallied 23 goals in 34 matches for the Italian club in 2013-14.

The biggest difference from the Immobile who thrived in Italy and the Immobile who struggled in Germany was the way each manager wanted him to play.

In Torino, Giampiero Ventura often liked to use a formation with two strikers, where Immobile had Alessio Cerci to help him create opportunities and score.

Cerci finished that season with 13 goals 12 assists.

Klopp, on the other hand, wanted his striker to fill the role of lone striker left by Robert Lewandowski.

Bleacher Report’s Stefan Bienkowski described well how Immobile is not a striker who fits such a role.

The Italian is more of a No. 9 kind of striker. He's better off playing near the box and beating defenders with his physicality and finishing expertise rather than running after long balls like Klopp wanted him to.

Dortmund’s top scorer this season was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who is as fast as they come, thrived under that run-after-the-ball style of play.

Nonetheless, Klopp is not the man at the helm for Dortmund anymore.

New boss Thomas Tuchel already said that Immobile will have his chance to prove his worth at the Signal Iduna Park, according to GOAL.com.

"He still has a chance with me. He has, just like any other player, a great desire again and is ready to embrace it," Tuchel said. "I like good players like Andre Schurrle. I like those who are curious, open to new ideas and can leave their egos behind. Those who train unconditionally."

Tuchel is also a manager who favors a short passing style of game that suits Immobile well. Tuchel is also a manager who is not afraid of changing formations from match to match, looking to get the best out of his players and the opposition.

Still only 25, Immobile has a little more time to improve as a player. And if given the right conditions, he is a striker who can prove that Dortmund didn’t completely waste £15.5 million getting him.