The WEIRD Tactic of Premier League’s Youngest Manager!

Summary

Fabian Herzler's innovative tactical approach revolutionized St. Pauli, blending positional structure with freedom of movement, creating a formation resembling 3-0-7 or 5-0-5. By using a unique system with no traditional midfielders, Herzler forces opposition to make difficult decisions in buildup play. His emphasis on fluidity, false 10s, and aggressive counter-pressing led to St. Pauli’s promotion to the Bundesliga. Now managing Brighton, Herzler has adapted his tactics to the Premier League, focusing on fluid, high-tempo play, with players filling multiple roles, while maintaining defensive balance and adaptability. His system challenges traditional football norms and continues to impress audiences globally.

Takeaways

• 😀 Fabian Herzler uses a unique formation where midfielders are almost nonexistent, with center-backs taking up pivot roles and fullbacks playing as attacking wingbacks.
• 😀 Herzler’s system is a hybrid of 'positionism' and 'relationism', balancing structure with player freedom, allowing his teams to overload small spaces and create superiority.
• 😀 St. Pauli's buildup shape often forms a 6-0-5, allowing them to overload the opposition’s defense and force difficult decisions about whether to press high or sit back.
• 😀 Herzler’s tactical flexibility allows his team to exploit space in central areas, especially by involving defenders in the build-up and enabling fullbacks to cut inside.
• 😀 In situations with a low-block opposition, Herzler shifts to a 3-1-6 shape, adding extra lines to the attack and forcing defenders to stretch vertically.
• 😀 The absence of traditional midfielders allows Herzler to use ‘false 10s’ who roam and create space, turning into extra playmakers and goal-scoring threats.
• 😀 St. Pauli’s attacking system led to an unexpected rise in goal contributions, with Marcel Hartel scoring 21 goals and providing 16 assists as a false 10.
• 😀 Despite a vulnerable backline with only three defenders, St. Pauli’s successful counter-pressing allowed them to mitigate potential counter-attacks by transitioning attackers into defenders.
• 😀 When defending, Herzler employs a narrow pentagon shape to press the opposition’s build-up, forcing them wide and closing down central passing options.
• 😀 Herzler's wingbacks sometimes drop into central positions for added defensive cover, adjusting to protect against opposition attacks from the wide areas.
• 😀 Upon moving to Brighton, Herzler adapted his tactics to a more traditional 4-2-3-1 formation for better defensive balance against stronger teams, ensuring resilience and control over the game.

Q & A

What makes Fabian Herzler's tactical system unique compared to other football managers?

Fabian Herzler's system is unique due to his mix of positional structure and the freedom for players to roam, blending elements of both positionism and relationism. This results in a highly fluid and dynamic style, where players interchange roles, and traditional midfielders are often absent.

Why does Herzler avoid using traditional midfielders in his system?

Herzler avoids traditional midfielders to create a highly fluid formation where players are not fixed to specific positions. This allows for constant positional rotations and overloads in various parts of the pitch, which disrupts the opposition's structure and creates numerical advantages.

How does Herzler's system impact the opposition's defensive strategies?

Herzler's system forces the opposition to make difficult decisions in terms of marking and pressing. With no clear midfield, the opposition is forced to either press high and risk long balls over the top or track back and allow Herzler's side to build up from the back.

What is Herzler's approach to build-up play when facing a high-pressing opposition?

When facing a high-pressing opposition, Herzler avoids overloading the backline with pivots and instead pushes his center backs forward, letting one take on the pivot role. This results in a 6-0-5 formation, where the team gains a numerical advantage in the front line.

How does Herzler create space in the central areas of the pitch?

Herzler creates space in the central areas by pulling the opposition's defenders towards the backline, freeing up the fullbacks to invert into central spaces. This attracts pressure away from the center and allows for effective build-up play.

What is Herzler's Plan B when facing a low-block defensive team?

Against low-block teams, Herzler overloads the midfield by letting one of his advanced pivots drop deeper and join the back three, while the other pivot and striker act like false 10s. This stretches the opposition vertically and creates space either behind the defense or in the central areas.

What role do the false 10s play in Herzler's attacking strategy?

The false 10s are key to Herzler's attack, roaming freely across the pitch to create overloads and space. They help in breaking defensive lines and are capable of scoring, as evidenced by the success of players like Marcel Hartel at St. Pauli.

How does Herzler's counter-pressing system work?

Herzler's counter-pressing system quickly transforms his seven attackers into defenders, applying pressure to the ball carrier while also covering passing lanes. If possession is not regained quickly, the team transitions into a compact defensive shape.

What is the narrow pentagon defensive shape used by Herzler, and why is it effective?

The narrow pentagon is formed by the front three and pivots, creating a compact shape that blocks central passing lanes. This forces the opposition to go wide, and the pivots shift to cover wide options, enabling the team to control the central areas and regain possession more efficiently.

How did Herzler adapt his tactics after moving to Brighton?

After moving to Brighton, Herzler shifted to a more traditional 4-2-3-1 formation for better defensive balance. This formation allows for improved protection against top teams, such as Manchester City and Liverpool, while maintaining elements of his fluid attacking strategy.