Lothar Matthäus questions whether Borussia Dortmund need external input at management level | OneFootball

Lothar Matthäus believes that adding some external input might be what the Borussia Dortmund hierarchy needs amid the club's underwhelming start to the season.

Borussia Dortmund's start to the season has certainly not gone according to plan with the team already out of the DFB-Pokal and ten points shy of leaders Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga standings. While the Black and Yellows have fared better in the UEFA Champions League, the team's lack of consistency and performances away from home have left fans frustrated.

Nuri Sahin has come under a lot of pressure in recent weeks, and while he retains the support of those in charge, some have already started to question whether he is the right man for the head coach job.

Former Germany captain and Bayern Munich midfielder Lothar Matthäus has now questioned whether Borussia Dortmund need some outside voices in the club's hierarchy. In his column for Sky Sport, Matthäus wrote:

"Dortmund does not have an easy environment. You only have to look at the stands. There are people there who all have their own opinions. Matthias Sammer and Hans-Joachim Watzke are two very critical people. Lars Ricken and Sebastian Kehl may hold back a little. Sven Mislintat is also still involved."

"I don't know yet whether BVB has unity in the stands. They are all people who have made a name for themselves in Dortmund. Maybe too much club history isn't the right thing either. Some outside input from time to time might not be so bad."

Outgoing BVB CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has handed prominent roles to those with a strong connection to the club and the city of Dortmund in recent years. Former Borussia Dortmund players Lars Ricken, Sebastian Kehl, and Nuri Sahin have all been given important roles at the club as part of the new hierarchy.

For the longest time, Borussia Dortmund has been a club that promotes from within and gives opportunities to those with a strong connection to the club and it's supporters. Whether that policy now needs some tweaking remains to be seen.