Far worse than brother? Bellingham Jr. faces double tests: competitive downturn and off-court storm

19-year-old England midfielder Job Bellingham's performance after joining Bundesliga giants Dortmund was not up to expectations. The young talent who had performed well in Sunderland, moved to Dortmund at a high price of £26.9 million after helping the team advance to the Premier League, following his brother Jude Bellingham to a higher stage.

However, Job's start in the Bundesliga did not go smoothly. So far, although he has been on the roster in all 6 league games in Dortmund, he has only won two starting opportunities and has never played the whole game. His cumulative playing time is only 154 minutes, and he has not scored goals or assists yet, failing to meet the expectations of the outside world.

In the fierce midfield competition, Enmecha, Sabitzer and Gross were more popular with coaches, and Job gradually became substitutes.

In response to this, coach Niko Kovac explained: "Every player wants to play the whole game, but we can only have 11 starters. Coming to Dortmund means facing fierce competition. Job is very talented, but he used to play in the English secondary league and needed more time to adapt to the rhythm and intensity of the Bundesliga."

In addition to competitive challenges, Job also encountered off-court storms. Job also expressed dissatisfaction with Kovac's decision to employ people after his father Mark had a fierce dispute with athletic director Sebastian Kyle over the team's 3-3 draw with St. Pauli. He then got only one starting opportunity and returned to the bench again.

Faced with the continued public pressure, Dortmund general manager Lars Ricken said: "It's a pity that Job's name frequently appears in pre- and post-game discussions. He is still 19 years old and still has a long way to go in the future. We signed a five-year contract with him and firmly believe that he will succeed here."

Currently, Job is facing a key test of his career: how to adjust his mentality, improve his performance in a high-pressure environment, and truly integrate into the team system. This is not only a test of his personal ability, but also an important test of his professional attitude.