Football: Germany’s new system, England needs to change
It is not often that Germany goes into a major tournament as favourites but it is seldom that they don’t emerge as one. Die Mannschaft have impressed all and sundry at this year’s World Cup with their mesmeric team play, but it was just six years ago that, like England this year, they were heading home dejected after a dismal show at the Euro 2006.
They had to rebuild, and, rebuild they did. Now the Klinsmann and Loew class of 2010 is reaping all the rewards. Jurgen Klinsmann took over as the coach of the German national side, with Jaochim Loew as his assistant, in 2004 after the debacle in Portugal. Klinsmann and ‘Jogi’, as Jaochim is affectionately known among his peers began the regeneration and took an attack minded route. From that they created a style of play that is the mainstay of Germany’s success at this year’s world cup. It is a style of play that the German football lives and breathes, and they have reaped heavy rewards for this having reached 2 World Cup semi finals and a final of Euro 08.
Along with that their U21 side also won European championships last year. Can England recover from their shock as quickly as Germany has done? Of course they can but they just cannot adopt the German style and expect to be successful. Every nation has its own football identity and England need to develop their own vision and a new style keeping in mind the prevalent system in their country. Making a vision is not an easy process and the results certainly are not instantaneous.
English Premier League will also have to help England. Every club coach has their own philosophy and the England manager in charge of this rebuilding will have to sit down with the managers and discuss with them what style of play they are looking for and come up with a method that suits their national identity.
When Klinsmann and Jogi took over they made their plans very public, and were helped by the German Football Association. They sat down with first and second division teams to ensure the supply of talented youngsters remains constant. The style of play still had to be decided and for that they went to all and sundry sitting down with managers and quizzing them about how the German national side should approach their play. Workshops were held with players, coaches, and, pundits. Every participant was asked just the basic question of, how do they want the German side to play? Once the survey and the quizzes were completed, a complete curriculum was created and presented to the DFB.
The newly devised strategy was not implemented at all levels immediately but only the German U-21 was asked to adapt the new style of play. Dieter Eilts, a former German international, was brought in to run the U-21 and was told to implement the new system. It was believed that the U-21s had to play the same system as the seniors, as they are the main feeders to the national side. The first acid test for the new system was going to be the 2006 FIFA World Cup and the Germans started the tournament very well. There was a feeling in Germany that something very special was going to happen. Germany beat Poland in their second group game snatching a last gasp winner and the whole nation was elated but fortune had something else in store for them as they lost to the eventual winners Italy in the semi finals.
But still Germans played the football that was easy on the eyes. Simple, mesmerising, and, highly effective. After that World Cup, Klinsmann walked out, and Jogi took over but all the hard work had been done. Jogi inherited a team that was ready to take on the world. Instead of trying something new Jogi continued with the same system and further developed the initial style of play.
It has been a long time since the last World Cup but now the German team is a fully developed slick passing team and the players are very comfortable with their system. The style that Germany adapted might also work for England as this is a style that is prevalent in the English Premier League with teams preferring fast attacks. Whichever system England chooses, one thing is for sure that they have to start from scratch and build the team. Whether it is defensive, or, attacking, high tempo, or, patient, everyone associated with the English game has to sign up to it. After all, it is the, coaches, clubs and players who have to make it work.
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