Three tactical trends for the start of the second half of the season
Fr 07.01.22 | 10:26 Uhr | Von To Oppermann
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Image: imago images/Hanno Bode
Even if professional football has always been about money, what is happening on the field is constantly evolving. In the current season there are some tactical trends that could shape the sport in the next few years. By Till Oppermann
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Historically, German football has been associated with virtues such as struggle and passion. Tactical finesse was sought in vain in the Bundesliga for a long time. Ralf Rangnick’s counter-pressing, which many teams in Europe have internalized by now, ensured for the first time that German coaches were really in demand internationally. With Thomas Tuchel, Hansi Flick and Jürgen Klopp, the last three Champions League winners were trained by Germans. So does the German coaching school currently stand for tactical innovation? A look at three tactical trends in the Bundesliga could answer this question.
Trend 1: Full-backs are becoming more and more important for the offensive
Since the late 1990s, back four in defense have been the tactical basis of every Bundesliga team. Klopp and Flick also used basic orders with four defenders in their European Cup victories. Perhaps they also inspired the Bundesliga coaches. After more and more coaches have been relying on systems with three central defenders in recent years – in which the full-backs either defend deeply in a five-man chain or attack high so that only the central defenders protect – 12 of 18 clubs played predominantly with a four-chain this season including the four best teams of the first half of the season with Bayern, Dortmund, Freiburg and Leverkusen. So is the triple chain hype over? It’s not that easy. The example of Union Berlin shows that this formation is no longer chosen primarily for defensive reasons. The FCU full-backs Nico Gießelmann, Julian Ryerson and Christopher Trimmel have already scored six goals together this season.
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Again and again they switched on the offensive and either played crosses into the penalty area or ensured a better penalty area occupation at the second post. These long distances are essential to get into good positions, explained coach Urs Fischer. “It’s almost a must in the five-man chain.” Filip Kostic from Frankfurt (three goals, six assists, most of the league’s crosses) and Stuttgart’s Borna Sosa (one goal, three assists, fourth-most crosses) are key offensive players in their team as wingers. However, this also applies to Hoffenheim’s David Raum (one goal, four assists, the second most crosses) and Freiburg’s Christian Günther (four assists, together with Sosa the fourth most crosses), who are mainly used in back four as full-backs. Because the counter-pressing in the middle works better and better, there is a greater risk of goals via the outer lanes. Whether a coach relies on a chain of three, four or five is also decided by the question in which system the full-backs can be particularly dangerous for goals – without giving up the stability of the defensive.
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Trend 2: Real center strikers and the return of the dual leadership
While full-backs are developing more and more into rail players who have to work the entire length of the pitch, skills are in demand again in the storm control center that in the meantime seemed to have died out in modern football. Real target players cavort again in the storm centers of the Bundesliga clubs. This does not only apply to world stars like Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland. Strikers like Cologne’s Anthony Modeste, who set a first-round record with eight header goals, benefited from the numerous crosses that sailed into the penalty areas. With Fabian Klos from Bielefeld and Lukas Höler from Freiburg, two powerful center strikers top the list of most won header duels. Patrick Schick, the most successful striker after Lewandowski with 16 goals, is also strong at the top and measures 1.91 meters.
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In this respect, Hertha coach Tayfun Korkut is right on trend. Since he took over the old lady at the end of November, he has relied on Ishak Belfodil. The Algerian is even one centimeter taller than Schick, revived Hertha’s attack game and shone with three goals in the first four games under Korkut. With his body, he tied opposing central defenders and opened up spaces in which he can store his teammates. Teammates like strike partner Stevan Jovetic, who scored three times in his three appearances under Korkut. The Belfodil-Jovetic team is just one example of another innovation – the return of the dual leadership. Freiburg, Cologne and Union successfully rely on systems with target players in a double leadership. In addition to helping with storage, a second striker offers other advantages, such as better occupation of the penalty area on the numerous crosses.
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Trend 3: Goalkeepers are involved in the development game
Most tactical developments in football are aimed at creating excess numbers in certain zones. But because ten field players always defend and ten field players attack, there will always be an opportunity for the defending team to compensate for this excess. At least in the setup of the game there is a solution: If the goalkeeper is consistently involved, a space automatically opens somewhere further up front that the defending team cannot easily close. FC Bayern likes to work with a so-called goalkeeper chain, in which the goalkeeper positions himself well in front of his box between two central defenders.
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Opponents tire more easily in attack pressing because the distances are longer and the team building up can use the spaces that have become vacant. The risks of this tactic are obvious. Many goalkeepers lack the playful quality in order not to come under pressure from technical errors. In addition, their teammates must be able to process passes quickly and cleanly in tight spaces in order to avoid deep ball losses. However, underdogs like Arminia Bielefeld with Stefan Ortega and VfL Bochum with Manuel Riemann are increasingly integrating their keepers into the build-up of the game. The more technically well-trained goalkeepers that come to the Bundesliga, the more teams they will use.
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Broadcast: Inforadio, January 7th, 2022, 11:15 a.m.
