Birmingham City forward Marvin Ducksch has provided a frank assessment of the challenges he has faced since moving to English football, highlighting the stark differences between the Championship and Germany's Bundesliga.
Adapting to the Championship's Unique Demands
In an interview with German publication Kicker, the striker admitted he has needed to significantly alter his playing style. Ducksch pointed to the ultra-physical nature of the league and the relentless schedule as the primary hurdles.
"There's a lot of kick-and-rush football," Ducksch explained. "Many teams just adopt the strategy of kicking the ball forward and seeing what happens. In Germany, even in the second division, we try to solve more things through [passing] play."
He elaborated on the physical battle, stating: "It's very physical in the box. Many centre-backs are two meters tall and weigh 105 kilos. As a striker, one knows before every game that one's facing off against a pair of oxen."
Fixture Congestion and the Absence of VAR
Beyond the style of play, Ducksch highlighted the gruelling calendar. The Championship season features a minimum of 46 matches, compared to 34 in the Bundesliga. He referenced the demanding festive period, where Blues played five games in 16 days.
"My body also wanted to slow down a bit [out of habit] during the four games in nine days over the holidays," he said. "I don't know if I was ever this fit, but here one really has to be!"
The German also noted the impact of having no Video Assistant Referee (VAR). "There's also no VAR here and a lot of fouls aren't called. Many can do whatever they want here because everything just gets waved through. It's not like that in the Bundesliga."
Clarifying the Watford Exchange
Ducksch also addressed the incident after Birmingham's 3-0 defeat at Watford on New Year's Day, where he approached the away end to speak with a supporter before being led away by teammates.
He claimed the media overblew the event. "The whole thing got blown out of proportion by the media. I just wanted to go over to the guy and ask what his problem was," Ducksch stated.
His motivation, he explained, was personal. "There was one guy who decided to heckle the whole time. When the comments are directed at my family, that went too far for me."
On the pitch, Ducksch has scored five goals in 17 Championship appearances for Birmingham. He recently broke a sticky patch of form with a brace in the victory over Coventry City, seemingly reaffirming his importance to manager Chris Davies's plans as the season continues.
