Why Ermedin Demirovic has fallen down Stuttgart pecking order - Despite 17 goal return | OneFootball

15 Bundesliga goals were enough to see the Bosnian forward finish last term as top goalscorer for Die Schwaben.

However, the 27-year-old's tactical fit came under question while coinciding with the fantastic rise of Nick Woltemade under Sebastian Hoeneß.

With talk of a move away this summer, the €21 million transfer of last summer hasn't quite turned out as expected for Stuttgart.

Replacing Serhou Guirassy was always going to be difficult

Finishing the 2023/24 campaign with 28 goals, thus being rewarded with a move to Borussia Dortmund, it isn't an understatement to outline that Stuttgart lost a world-class centre-forward in Serhou Guirassy.

Whether it was the 4-2-31, 4-4-2, or 3-4-3 formation, the Guinean was the leading man in the attacking line. He was tasked with occupying centre-backs and making runs into the channels. But he was, and is far from a statue in the final third.

Alongside his incredible goalscoring instincts, Guirassy often dropped into deeper areas, particularly his favoured left half-space. And one of the main beneficiaries of this was strike partner Deniz Undav.

Undav's ability to exploit the gaps left by Guirassy led to an impressive 18 goals for the German international, prompting Stuttgart to make his loan move permanent last summer.

Guirassy's ability in deeper areas was incredibly vital for Hoeneß's side. Despite registering just two assists, his impact was undeniable. He finished the season with 53 key passes, ranking him 12th in the Bundesliga regarding the stat.

With his tendency to drop deep, Stuttgart had a constant numerical advantage between the lines, and this also created space for himself as well as Undav, as the Guinean quickly sprints back into position after dragging the opposition defenders out of position.

Alongside Guirassy, Chris Führich, Enzo Millot, Maximilian Mittelstädt, and even Hiroki Ito played vital roles due to their versatility. Stuttgart were one of the most fluid sides across the continent in the 2023/24 campaign.

Enter Demirovic

On paper, Ermedin Demirovic shares several traits with Serhou Guirassy. Both are hard-working, physically imposing strikers who lead the line with purpose. But any direct comparison highlights a clear drop in overall quality, and more crucially, stylistic suitability.

Guirassy’s transformation under Sebastian Hoeneß elevated him into one of Europe’s most complete forwards. He combined physical presence with finesse, positional intelligence, and technical quality in deeper areas. In contrast, Demirovic is far more of a ‘rough and tumble’ centre-forward, a classic box predator who thrives on chaos and instinct rather than structure and subtlety.

To his credit, Demirovic delivered goals, 17 in all competitions, and remains a reliable threat in and around the penalty area. His knack for finding space and converting half-chances is admirable. But stepping from an Augsburg side averaging just 45% possession to a Stuttgart team boasting 57%, behind only Leverkusen and Bayern, was always going to highlight tactical mismatches.

At Augsburg, transitions came naturally. The team sat deep and looked to spring forward quickly, often targeting Demirovic’s runs. His tally of 15 goals and nine assists reflected a system built to amplify his strengths.

In Stuttgart, the demands are different. Under Hoeneß, the team doesn’t wait for transitions, they manufacture them by baiting presses, circulating possession, and relying on coordinated movements between lines. That’s where Demirović falls short.

Guirassy’s ability to drop into pockets and influence buildup made him an unpredictable, multidimensional threat. Demirovic, meanwhile, thrives when the service is direct, when his only job is to get into the box and finish. In Hoeneß’s fluid, intricate system, that approach feels one-dimensional.

It’s no coincidence that Stuttgart’s attacking output dipped. While still impressive, their total of 64 goals in 2024/25 was a clear drop from the 78 scored the previous season.

Undav, so effective alongside Guirassy, struggled to find the same chemistry with Demirović.

Chris Führich, another major beneficiary of Guirassy’s movement, also suffered a significant drop, falling from 15 Bundesliga goal contributions in 2023/24 to just five last term.

Tactical differences saw Demirovic lose his place

As the 2024/25 campaign wore on, it became increasingly clear that Demirovic, despite his work rate and poacher's instinct, was not the seamless tactical fit Honeß had hoped for. His tendency to remain central, rather than fluidly dropping between the lines or drifting wide to open space, limited the fluid interchange that had become Stuttgart's hallmark the season before.

Hoeneß demands more than just a goalscorer in his central striker; he wants a connector, a trigger, and a creative fulcrum. Demirovic, while industrious and physically robust, struggled to meet these demands consistently. This led to more minutes being handed to Nick Woltemade, whose technical skill, spatial awareness, and link-up play aligned more closely with Hoeneß's system.

Woltemade, still only 23, impressed in a false nine role, often dropping deep to knit play and allow the likes of Undav and Co. to make penetrative runs beyond the last line of defence.

With 12 Bundesliga goals and five in the DFB-Pokal, Woltemade had become the undisputed main man up top for the club. And while not at the level of Guirassy before him, style wise it just made sense.

Looking ahead: What comes next for Demirovic and Stuttgart

Heading into the 2025/26 campaign, questions remain about Demirovic's long-term role at Neckarstadion.

For Demirovic, a move to a system built around a more direct style, one where his strengths can be accentuated rather than adapted, may be the best route forward.

For Stuttgart, recapturing the tempo, movement, and synergy of their 2023/24 attacking blueprint will be crucial if they are to compete again at the top end of the Bundesliga and give a good account of themselves in the Europa League.

The Hamburg-born Bosnian arrived with promise and pedigree; however, the move has just not quite worked out as expected.