Player Focus: Dost Leading the Charge from Hecking's Pack of Goal-Hungry Wolves

It takes a special player to keep Nicklas Bendtner out of the team, or at least that is what the Dane would have you believe. Bas Dost, however, is proving to be just that.

To describe the Dutchman's current form as a hot streak would be an understatement. With 11 goals since returning from the Bundesliga’s winter break, Dost is leading a pack of goal-hungry Wolves.

It's been a quite remarkable turnaround for a player that seemed for all the world as though he could be cast aside by Wolfsburg less than three months ago. Finally given the chance to start a Bundesliga game having netted his first goal of the season from the bench a week earlier at Hannover, Dost's outing against Paderborn in mid-December would be an eventful one.

Desperate to prove his worth to the side after just 27 minutes of league action all season up to that point, Dost would have one of those days in front of goal.

In the first half he struck the bar from inside the six-yard box when it seemed easier to score and then had a goal disallowed for an unintentional trip as he raced onto a low cross from the right. The striker would see another two efforts from inside the goalmouth stopped at point-blank range by a keeper in quite unbelievable form, with Paderborn's Lukas Kruse earning a man of the match rating of 9.07 from WhoScored.com.

Dost was replaced by Bendtner with 5 minutes remaining and was incensed, kicking bottles as he stormed to the bench with a steely glare. Nothing would go in for the former Heerenveen forward on the day, but oh how that has changed.

While the Paderborn match ended in a great deal of frustration for Dost and Wolfsburg it should have served up a great deal of encouragement to the fans. Although his finishing was off on the day the 25-year-old put in a very strong performance in terms of his overall threat and ability to pick up goalscoring positions. It's this knack for being in the right place at the right time that suggests that Dost's current form is perhaps not the flash in the pan many are anticipating it to be.



Top 10 Clinical Finishers in Europe This Season by WhoScored

Despite falling out of favour last season and being all but frozen out at the start of this, the Dutchman's goal record with Wolfsburg is still commendable. The weekend's match-winning double against Hertha Berlin took Dost's tally for the Champions League hopefuls to 31 in all competitions at a rate only just shy of a goal every other game.

As has become customary practice, most were reserving judgement on the young striker after signing for Wolfsburg off the back of a quite remarkable campaign that saw him claim the Eredivisie's top goalscorer gong, with 32. Dost is one of 7 from the last 8 golden boot winners from the Dutch top-flight to move on the following season after all, and for every Huntelaar or Suarez there has been an Alves or Vleminckx.

Dost is very much in the mould of his aforementioned compatriot Huntelaar and, dare I say it, Netherlands legend Ruud van Nistelrooy in that he is among the purest of goal poachers, though his superb volley against Bayern upon the Bundesliga's return may suggest there's more to him than that.

Nevertheless, only four Bundesliga players have had more shots from inside the six-yard box than Dost (6) this season and all four have featured in at least 10 more league matches thus far. Only Alexander Meier and Thomas Muller - again, both of whom have made 10 more Bundesliga appearances - have scored more goals from that close in.

It's Dost's threat in the air, unsurprising given his lanky 6'4" frame, that is perhaps the most valuable asset to a side that have the creative exploits of the likes of Kevin De Bruyne to call upon. Indeed, each of the Belgian's last 3 assists have teed up Bas Dost strikes. The Dutchman has scored 3 of his 11 league goals this season with his head, with only Julian Scheiber (4) managing more in Germany's top-flight, while only teammate Naldo and the aforementioned Meier have averaged more headed attempts per game (0.9).

He's proving to be the perfect focal point for a three-pronged attack - comprising of De Bruyne and Schurrle - tipped by many to secure the second spot in the Bundesliga with ease and go all the way in the Europa League in the process. With statistical strengths of 'finishing', 'headed attempts', 'holding onto the ball' and 'aerial duels' he is the archetypal target man.

His ability to pick up positions in the box with intelligent movement has led to an astounding conversion rate. Dost's 11 league goals have come from just 24 shots, 17 of which have been on target. A subsequent conversion rate of 45.8% is almost 15% greater than his closest challenger - Franco Di Santo (31.3%) - of all players in Europe's top 5 leagues to net at least 10 times.

Such figures are frankly unsustainable but now fully fit, confident and earning the faith of manager Dieter Hecking, Dost's form may not let up quite as much as some would imagine. He may not have been raised by Wolves but they are finally beginning to appreciate his natural predatory instinct.

Will Dost continue his fine run of form between now and the end of the season? Let us know in the comments below