The God of Football Starts With Passive Skills-Chapter 74 - 41: Wang Shuo Scores! Klopp’s Another Big Gamble! Duel of Tractor and Ferrari
Klopp was never a believer in individual heroism!
He often joked at his own expense, saying, "My football talent was fourth-division level at best, but my mind was Bundesliga level. That’s why I could play for Mainz in the 2nd Bundesliga."
Wolfgang Frank was destined to be a monumental figure in Klopp’s life.
This German, deeply influenced by Italian football and inspired by the philosophy of Arrigo Sacchi, not only changed Mainz but also completely revolutionized Klopp’s own footballing philosophy.
His high-pressure tactics, in particular.
In the German Football Scene, there is a special term for it: *Gegenpresse*, or counter-pressing.
In the mid-to-late 1990s, Wolfgang Frank once asked a question.
The English stubbornly stuck to their 4-4-2. The Spanish constantly strove to perfect their tactics built around multiple wingers. The Italians were endlessly refining and iterating on their *catenaccio*...
"So, what do we Germans have?"
The libero?
After Sommer, the German Football Scene never saw another libero.
Times had changed. The gap in player abilities had grown too wide.
Starting in the 1990s, countless Germans pondered the same major question: What was the future of German football?
Some approached it from the angle of building the national team, others from Germany’s technical and tactical style. Some focused on youth development, while others considered it from the perspective of club growth...
Klopp considered himself very lucky.
He had personally lived through such an era, keenly felt this current of thought, and experienced the generational shift firsthand.
Wolfgang Frank believed that German football should be built upon the foundation of *Gegenpresse*.
Because German football was famous for its machine-like spirit, relying on the strength of the collective.
Klopp couldn’t agree more!
Wolfgang Frank had failed in both of his coaching stints at Mainz, and the mantle had been passed down.
Before Klopp took over, he had told Christian Heidel in no uncertain terms what kind of team he wanted to build.
Heidel was his best friend. He told Klopp just as clearly that Mainz was poor, but the club would do everything in its power to support him, giving him every bit of help they possibly could.
The reward was Mainz’s historic promotion to the Bundesliga.
But the good times didn’t last. Mainz was soon relegated back to the 2nd Bundesliga.
Relegation is an incredibly painful blow for anyone.
And even more so for Klopp.
But he never once doubted that he was on the wrong path.
It was simply that he and his team hadn’t done well enough.
To return to the Bundesliga, what would this new Mainz team have to do?
After the failure in the Bundesliga and the slump in the 2nd Bundesliga, Klopp once again came up with an answer.
On the first day of the new season’s training camp, during a tactical meeting with the entire squad, he wrote down a single term.
*Gegenpressing*!
High press!
He still held fast to his philosophy and principles, firmly believing they would bring success to him and his team.
When the team loses possession, everyone must immediately begin pressing on the spot. They had to win back the ball in the shortest possible time and then accelerate the attack.
"We need to be like a pack of wolves! We rush them, sink our teeth into them, and never let go until we’ve taken them down!"
He spoke with a fierce, teeth-gritting intensity.
This vivid imagery helped the players understand the kind of football he wanted.
But everyone also knew that this style of play usually meant high energy expenditure, high pressure, and a high tempo.
Under these "three highs," even a player made of iron would be worn to the bone.
But for the Mainz players who were familiar with Klopp, none of this was new.
’That’s it?’
No!
Klopp was a man who excelled at self-reflection. He had analyzed the problems Mainz faced during their relegation and their struggles in the 2nd Bundesliga the previous season.
Some problems were unsolvable, like a wave of injuries.
No one can avoid injuries.
But others could be mitigated as much as possible.
In the past, when executing a quick counter-press after losing possession, Klopp would have the one or two closest players apply pressure.
And the other players?
They would immediately spread out to cut off the passing lanes and mark the receivers around the ball carrier.
In theory, there was nothing wrong with this.
But what about in execution?
What was the caliber of Mainz’s players?
How were they supposed to simultaneously cut off so many passing lanes and receivers in such a short amount of time?
How many players could actually meet that demand?
When the players couldn’t live up to it, the tactic’s effectiveness was severely diminished.
The players exhausted their stamina for little to no effect. Against a stronger opponent, they would just get picked apart.
Back when Mainz was relegated, they were thrashed 4-0 at home by Bayern, and then thrashed again 5-2 away.
That was a case in point!
So, what about now?
Klopp’s choice was to swarm.
Just like a wolf pack surrounding its prey, they would directly swarm the ball carrier.
Theoretically, the first method was obviously better, but it wasn’t suitable for a team of Mainz’s caliber.
The second method was a bit simple and crude, but it was direct.
To put it simply: everyone just had to press like mad!
Forget the passing lanes, forget the supporting players. Everyone only needed to think about one thing: while maintaining the team’s overall shape as much as possible, swarm the ball and press like demons!
That was something the Mainz players could do! 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦
Klopp also made significant adjustments to the team’s specific tactics.
It was nominally a 4-3-3, but in practice, it was more like a 4-4-1-1.
The back line of four defenders was a given.
Foyelner and Helle on the right flank both dropped back, playing more like wide midfielders.
The two central midfield positions would be rotated among Gunkel, Kalhan, and Pekovic.
