On Life Support: What can jumpstart this attack?

*Author's Note: Of Course, as I'm writing this and in perfect time, Eintracht blast Olympiacos 3:1 in the Europa League and looked pretty good going forward.  This team loves to poke me while I'm writing something down :)

To say the start of this season has been disappointing would be an understatement. Eintracht, currently mired sitting at 15th in the table with a 1-6-3 record has been shockingly extremely frustrating to watch, and shockingly....well.....mediocre.  While Oliver Glasner has worked hard to put his stamp on this team defensively, this team has needed a season-long heroic effort from Kevin Trapp to overcome certain defensive deficiencies just to snatch 1-point on most occasions.   The team ranks top 5 in multiple key defensive categories (tackles won, pressures, successful pressure %, interceptions, and ball recoveries),  but the Bundesliga season and the Europa League schedule hinge on one question: Can this version of the Eintracht attack jump to life and start scoring goals?

What do the numbers say?

Eintracht ranks 14th in goals scored (10), and in an odd statistic, the only times they've managed more than one goal was against Dortmund (5-2 loss on Match Day 1) and Bayern Munchen (2-1 win on Match Day 7).  The Eagles rank 14th in shots (116), 15th in Shots on Target (35), 17th in Goals per Shot (.07) and 16th in goals per shot on target (.23). They are 4th worst in distance per shot (18.1) and their Goals vs. XG is -3.4.   By literally every statistic, the scorers on this team are massively underperforming. While the attack has looked better in Europa League competition, they haven't been able to translate that same effectiveness into League Play.   

Haunted by the ghosts of Eintracht's past:

We know the names.  Bernd Hölzenbein, Jürgen Grabowski, Bernd Nickel, Tony Yeboah, Jay Jay Ochoka, and more recently Theofanis Gekas, Alex Meier, Sebastien Haller, Luka Jovic, Ante Rebic, and Andrew Silva.  Eintracht Frankfurt has had quality talent in goal-scoring positions for much of recent history.  Eintracht should be haunted by each of these names, especially in the now.  Most have moved on to greener pastures (arguably, is there a pasture truly greener than Commerzbank Arena?), some brought in big money moves, the great ones rode out their career in Frankfurt.  Eintracht's current anemic attack could use a jumpstart from any one of these players, and some members of the current squad need to channel their inner predecessors.  

Sam Lammers, Rafael Santos Borré, and Gonçalo Paciênciaaren't striking fear in anyone's heart at the moment, and one of them desperately needs to step up.  While the fault isn't completely their own, the blame ultimately lies on them.  Good strikers score goals.  Point blank, end of story, the good ones find a way to get the job done.  The three of them combined have accumulated a total of 2 goals from open play in the first 900 minutes of action to the Bundesliga season.  That's 2 goals, on 34 shots.  Of the 34 shots, only 10 have been on target.  Netting 20% of your goals/shot on target is part of why this attack ranks 16th in the league (3rd worst) in that category (23% as a team.) Eintracht 14th in shots taken (116), 15th in Shots on target (35), and tied for 14th in Goals Scored (9). While simply creating chances is a problem, putting those chances on target is a bigger one.  Sam Lammers ranks 95th in the Bundesliga in Shot On Target percentage (33.3%) and Rafael Santos Borré ranks 105th (31.6%).  To put that in perspective, Silva put 49.5% of his 107 chances on target in his amazing season a year ago. Jovic (43%) Haller (46%) and Rebic (47%) were all more accurate shooters during their time in Schwarz-Weiss.  And while this isn't the greatest measure of a goal-scorer (Bas Dost put over 50% of his shots on Target as an Eagle), it can certainly tell you who has the basic ability to direct the ball into the proper direction.  

Struggling to find footing:

There are tons of possible reasons for it.  Adjusting to a new level of play, adjusting to a new style of play, and adjusting to new teammates are just a few of the reasons that neither of the new strikers has really pushed through and taken hold of the job yet.  The duo ranks 16th in terms of touches inside the penalty box by strikers in Bundesliga play.  They aren't just struggling to put shots on target, they are struggling to simply get the ball in workable areas.

The fault lies well beyond them.  Daichi Kamada, who was spectacular at times last year and flourished playing alongside Amin Younes in the Dopplezehn attack that took Germany by storm in the middle 1/3rd of the year, has yet to make his mark as the team's primary #10.  He has seen a large reduction in Shot Creating Actions/90 minutes (4.05 - 2.87) Key Passes/90 minutes (1.8-1.1) and he has yet to connect on a single through ball this year.  With Filip Kostic holding steady to his usual pace and averaging almost the exact same metrics as a year ago (Goal creating Actions - 4.45 this year vs. 4.26 last year; Key Passes - 2.6 this year vs. 3.0 last year), the team is missing its playmakers up the middle. 

Has Paciência earned a longer look?

The statistics say.....maybe.  Paciência has only managed 62 minutes on the year but had earned his first start vs. Bochum before an injury forced him off.   In those 62 minutes, Paciência has been very active.  His 4.35 Shot Creating Actions per game rank only behind Filip Kostic on Eintracht's roster and would rank him 11th best in the league if he had enough minutes to qualify.  He's producing at a Max Kruse-type level in terms of center-forward play.  While he has 2 goals on the year in all competitions, neither have come from open-play (both penalties) and he also has had trouble putting the ball on Target (only 2 of his 10 shots across all competitions have been on the mark).  Paciência isn't the swiftest striker on earth, but he's a good passer and plays hold-up decently well which are two things Lammers and Borré greatly lack.  Whether Paciência can play in Glasner's high-pressing style system is undeniably questionable.  But he can offer something going forward in terms of giving the midfield a big target to find in the deep middle of the field, with the ability to do something with it at his feet.  

With a struggling Greuther Fürth playing host tomorrow, let's hope Eintracht can figure out one of the Bundesliga's worst defenses.  We could use a 3 goal game, and 3 points.

Thanks again for reading.

Forza S.G.E.

Brian

Turning point: Eintracht pick up 6 points in 4 days.

 

My dog is currently hiding in the bathroom:

From directing words that shouldn't be repeated publicly at Sam Lammers, to shouting pure exhilaration in a matter of seconds, Bella can't take anymore.  My poor 8 lb pomeranian is terrified of the noise level that's currently coming from in front of my TV set and knows there's still time left to play. There's nothing better than beating Bayern.  Nothing.  Well, maybe the birth of a child, but that might be it.  Bella knows one thing though: when I start singing "Schwarz-Wiess vie Schnee" there's a treat coming her way.  In a game in which we were statistically dominated, Kevin Trapp was the best player on the field and Filip Kostic hit a laser-guided missile into the far corner to beat FC Bayern Munchen 2:1.  After being stuck in Neutral and opening the season 0-6-2 (including 5 straight 1-1 draws), Die Adler pick up 6 points in 4 days and begin to gain some traction on the season.  Neither win was perfect, and both had moments of doubt, but both showed the same theme: the ability to get the job done.

With Bayern flooding the attacking third and pouncing on Eintracht midfielders the second they touched the ball, Eintracht was forced to play the ball long down the sidelines for much of the game.  With the speed of Bayern's backline of Dayot Upamecano, Niklas Süle, Lucas Hernandez, and Alphonso Davies. Bayern dominated the game in terms of possession and shot creation, but just couldn't beat Kevin Trapp.  Bayern won possession % (72%-28%), Shots on goal (20-5), and shots on target (10-2), but Eintracht won the game.  Rarely did the Eagles make it out of their own half with possession, but they held firm and turned Bayern away time and time again.

Kevin Trapp was spectacular in both wins, and over 180 minutes of play only a perfectly placed bender from Leon Goretzka could beat him.  Trapps had Robert Lewandowski in his back pocket the entire game, and his kick save of Lewandowski's headed attempt in the 55 minute was one of many times he saved the game.  Trapp was equally as impressive in the first half of the Royal Antwerp game on Thursday, posting 3 first-half saves on his way to a clean sheet.  While the defense looked shaky at times against Antwerp, they did enough to keep Trapp clean and post 3 much-needed points,  The three points against Antwerp currently have Eintracht sitting second in the Europa League group, with a chance to take control in the upcoming matches against Olympiakos. After the last four days, you have to cautiously feel like Eintracht has turned a bit of a corner.  They may not qualify for Europe again this year, they aren't setting any team or league records, but they sure aren't going to be in the bottom 1/3rd of the league either.

These aren't all of Trapp's saves, but a few of the best from the win over Bayern.......what I wouldn't give for a Bemble of Apfelwein and some handkäse.....mit musik of course. Especially from Hockenberger Mühle in Kloppenheim. This is the second consecutive time Trapp led the way to 3 points for Die Adler against Munich, and the first time we've ever picked up 3 points at Allianz Arena.  He doesn't think that Flick was very impressed, however.  Kevin Trapp and the defense set a tone over the recent span, and if they can keep this up Eintracht will be just fine.  If they can ever find a consistent goal scorer, they'll be able to fight the same fight they fought last year.  But that's a big "if". 

Toure, Tuta, and Chandler up to the task.

Toure, Tuta, and Timmy Chandler have played really well when given the opportunity.  Chandler put in a really gritty effort in the 1:1 draw against Köln, backed that with a good 90-minute shift against Antwerp, and also put up a 90-minute effort in the 2:1 win over Bayern.  Chandler's stats might not pop off the charts, but he did a good job bottlenecking Bayern's right flank back to the midfield.  Serge Gnaby was never really free, and despite finding Lewandowski twice on crosses, Lewandowski never capitalized.  Toure also played well against Bayern last year in the 2:1 win.  His speed and athleticism are much more suited to cover Bayern's track team of a left flank (Davies and Leroy Sané) than Erik Durm.  Tuta did a tremendous job being the cap on the bottle when Toure was funneling Bayerns flank to him.  While Toure was making it hard for Davies and Sané to cut back inside, he was also running them right into a waiting Tuta.  Tuta had a hard start to the season in the DFB Pokal opener, and it was good to see him bounce back.

While Tuta, Toure, and Chandler put in a really solid defensive effort, they all struggled mightily against the press.  All three had passing percentages below 60%, and all three had multiple giveaways before we even got out of the defensive 1/3rd.  However, as is the theme this week, they did enough to get the job done.  Toure, Tuta, and Chandler were a big reason why Eintracht was able to keep Bayern's wings at bay.   Monsters come awake in October, and these three put in a monster effort this week.

Eintracht have a chance to make up much-needed ground:

With a very winnable Bundesliga matchup against Furth, and with four other teams ahead of Eintracht in the standings, Eintracht has a chance to do some damage and gain some ground. We will see quickly after the International Break if this team has turned a corner, or if this was a one-off effort. They can nail down their path out of the group with games against Olympiacos and Antwerp as well. I'm trying not to be overly optimistic, but picking up even 1 point in Allianz is a feat. Getting all three has me giddy.

There is still a lot of work to do. Eintracht has to find a consistent goal scorer, and they need to do that now. The rest of the team is shaping up into place, and while there are occasional cracks in the armor, the armor is still good enough to get three points. Right now they are fighting with daggers and knives, and they need a 60" broad sword to swing. One of Lammers, Borre, and Paciencia need to step up and take the job that is dangling in front of them.

That's all for now,

Thanks again for reading,

Forza S.G.E

And this:

The Kostic Situation: Just Diva Drama, no need to worry here.

*Note: This is not a serious article, this is not investigative reporting, it's sarcasm. I just wanted to have some fun with this. I hope you have fun with it too, and maybe laugh a little.  

If you step back and think about it, it almost makes you laugh.  A Diva, a suiter, and a fake email address.  A reported strike from our star winger, and some really weird details that don't add up.  In a rather boring overall Transfer Window (even with CR7 and Messi moving), this added excitement to the end.  It was like the end of the marathon at the Olympics, where everyone is sprinting that final 100 yards and are neck and neck, but then one of them falls on their face on national TV.  This is tragically funny. Don't think so?  Let's have a re-look at the timeline:

June 22nd: Roma Press reports that Lazio is in negotiations with Eintracht for Kostic.  The reported offer could be worth €15mil, but no actual number is posted.

August 8th: Rumors heat back up, with TuttoMurcatoWeb.com reporting that Lazio is intensifying their negotiations with Eintracht. Alfredo Pedulla reports that Kostic has come to personal terms with the club for around €2.5 per season, plus incentives. Pedulla reports that the agreement is for a loan deal, worth between €18-20million.

August 11th: Markus Krösche states he has yet to receive any offer from Lazio in a press conference.

August 14th:  This Tweet:

August 20th: Pedulla reports again that Lazio and Kostic are in complete agreement, Christopher Michel questions on Twitter how Lazio can afford Kostic for that price.

August 23rd: Oliver Glasner assures that Kostic is staying with them.

August 26th: Lazio moves Joaquín Correa for €35mil.  SkySport speculates that the Kostic situation is hot.

August 27th: Glasner states again that Kostic is staying in Frankfurt.  Also, Filip Kostic walks off the pitch during training and is not available for the Bielefeld game. Glasner and Krösche publicly state they are frustrated with his actions.

August 28th:  Krösche confirms Kostic has asked to move but reiterates that there has been no offer received from Lazio.

August 29th: Lazio reportedly makes a formal offer for €10 to buy Kostic outright, Eintracht reject the offer.  

Roman Murphy says the only real truth in the entire ordeal.

August 30th: Multiple media outlets report that Eintracht and Lazio are in conference calls trying to finalize the deal. Lazio increases the size of the deal to (reportedly) €15mil + €3mil in add ons.

August 31st: SkySports reports that the deal with Lazio is officially off. Kroesche makes the following statement: "Our task is to ensure the economic and sporting stability of Eintracht Frankfurt. Obviously, this is also the case in this case. Kostic is a good man & a great footballer. We believe he can continue to be an important pillar of our team as well in the future".

Sept 1st: According to Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Eintracht gave them the wrong email address in order to sabotage the deal. Apparently, Kostic's agent receives a screenshot of the email and shows it to him.

Sept 2nd: News reports state that Lazio simply left the K out of Frankfurt and made a typo, costing them the deal.

Here's the real story, this deal was a ridiculous one.  The fact that the best offer reported was either a loan deal worth half of Kostic's worth, or an outright buy worth a third tells me Lazio wasn't really that serious about it, to begin with.  Either that or they don't actually know what they were trying to buy.

Seriously?  This doesn't seem fishy to anyone?  Let's have a little fun here.  With Disney's "What If" playing in the background as I write this, let's play The Scenario Game.  Let's walk through a couple of actual scenarios and play this out.

Scenario 1: The gorgeous something at the bar.

We've all been there.  You have your eye on that certain extremely attractive person across the bar, they make eyes back at you, and you walk over to work your magic.  You are soo confident that you offer to buy them a drink, and when they ask for that $20 cocktail you almost spit yours through your nose.  Their friend says they like you, and you are sure you are leaving with that person.  They come back, you chat for a while, exchange numbers and you're sure that there could be a  future with this one.  At the end of the night, you play it cool instead of being super aggressive and decide to leave with a number and a hug.  When you get your place, it's then, and only then that you realized you actually had no chance at all because the phone number you got was for a dry cleaning service in the strip mall across the street from the bar.  

Lazio made a terribly low offer for Kostic, Eintracht was like "Yeah, sure, we'll hop right on accepting that offer (sarcasm).......here's our email address." and Lazio actually thought it was done.  They were soo excited they told all their friends.  They pulled a Good Will Hunting "You like apples?  Well I got her number, how you like them apples?" to everyone through the press. It wasn't until later that night when they decided to hit the Diva up they realized they were given the wrong number. Then they realized that they had no chance after the transfer window expired.  

Scenario 2: The fish that got away.

It's very possible that Lazio was soo embarrassed about getting turned down, that they made the whole thing up, like a guy that's bragged all day about catching everyone's dinner only to come home empty-handed.

Lazio:  "Listen, Filip (and our entire fanbase)......hear us out......this deal was COMPLETELY DONE.....except for the fact that we opened our bidding at 1/4th of what you're worth......oh, and the fact that we emailed the bid instead of flying to Frankfurt and hammering out a deal in person.......oh, and that part where we didn't have the right email address.  Also, our bid was soo low the first time Eintracht rejected it.....OTHER THAN THAT IT WAS CONCRETE!"

Scenario 3: What Hinti Said.

Hinteregger didn't mix words recently whenever he spoke about the entire situation.  It's highly likely that a ton of those details were fake, made-up stories by News Media sites.  It's most likely that people were just trying to get a story and not reporting the truth.  Like the soccer tabloids never do that?  They're worse than National Enquirer at times.

To sum this nonsense up:

First of all, this is a professional business run by professional businessmen?  WHO EMAILS THIS BID?  Why didn't Lazio put their feet in Frankfurt and hammer out a deal?  Who sends an email to a wrong address and doesn't immediately pick up a phone and call to correct it?  Who was reporting for months that the deal was done, posting ridiculously terrible deals while Eintracht's front office is reporting they never received a deal?  All of this is too crazy to be fake.......I'm not heartbroken that Kostic is staying here for a while longer.  He's signed until 2023, and he's the most important player in our attack.  Whatever happened in the way the deal didn't get done......I don't really care.  The fact that Kostic left training and didn't suit up against Bielefeld.  I don't like it, but I understand it.  It's no secret that he would like to play in Italy.  I would imagine Lazio offered him a pretty nice raise from what he's making now.  If my employer blocked me from going to my dream job and taking a hefty raise, I'd probably be pretty mad too.  Regardless of how we feel about anything, he's an Eagle for the foreseeable future.  I'm happy that he got a warm welcome against VfB, and I almost jumped through the roof when he scored that goal.  Let's just put all this craziness behind us and get to work.  Maybe Lazio should take some of that money they saved and invest in some IT and Technology infrastructure.

Press on, 

Forza S.G.E.

Brian

Eintracht 1:1 VfB Stuttgart - Recap

 

And just like that.....poof!  The magicians made magic.  Die Adler have a habit of turning 3 points into 1 in the blink of an eye, and a side effect of the trick is a punch in my stomach.  Eintracht has been soo good at this during the early parts of the 2021/2022 season, you almost have to believe they are doing it on purpose. In yet another game against one of the bottom-table Bundesliga sides, Eintracht made magic happen.  Not good magic, this isn't Harry Potter, this is grey magic.  It's neither good nor bad, it's just riding the fence on both sides.  This team is being drawn by the dark side to be spiraled into oblivion, but we all know the potential it has to be great.  Either that, or we've been cursed by witchcraft.  I don't know what the German version of "mojo" is, but we need Eintracht Internationale to start pulling out their charms and warding these evil spirits off.

The most difficult thing about the early part of this year is that the games have required absolute defensive perfection.  We all know that is almost impossible in any sport, amateur or professional.  Mistakes happen, balls bounce weird, and sometimes lady fortune smiles on one player over another.  In the Bundesliga, it's exceptionally hard.  Even the worst of teams are capable of scoring goals at the drop of a hat.  You know why?  Because it's a really good league.  The problem with this team isn't the defense.  I've been reading it, I've been heard people talking about it, I don't think it's correct.  Has Evan N'Dicka struggled with his angles on the right side of the back line?  Sure, a little.  He was beaten bad by Omar Mamoush at the 17 minute mark with no help behind him.  Luckily Trapp....well....Trapped it.

It took a lucky bounce and a perfect strike for Armenia Bielefeld to score, and it took an unbelievable lucky bounce through Evan N'Dicka and under Kevin Trapp......in perfect time to meet the right foot of Omar Marmoush......for him to toe flick one into the goal.  VfB managed only 7 shots from open play, and 3 of those found an Eintracht defender before it even got to the target.  Two of their shots, and two shots on target, came on the play that scored the goal.  The defense has been good enough to win the last three games.  Honestly, if Hinti just realizes he has time and blasts the ball downfield we aren't even talking about this right now.  If Hinti gets a solid head on the ball one of the two times, we aren't talking about this.  And if any of the other defenders on the pitch weren't completely frozen by what was taken place, we aren't talking about this.  But that's expecting perfection in unperfect circumstances.  These plays happen in almost every single Bundesliga game every single week.  Do you know what else would have solved this problem?  The ability to put the ball in the back of the net.

To expect a Team like Eintracht to be able to find the net twice against Stuttgart shouldn't be unreasonable.  Sam Lammers had opportunities.  Sam Lammers should have had at least a couple on target, and for a guy touting that he wanted to come here and help with the goal scoring, he sure looked shaky with the ball in front of the net.  Lammers was slow to make decisions and slow to pull the trigger on two really good opportunities in the second half.  He was mostly unnoticeable in the first half, looked lost on the field, and never got in between the defender and the ball.  The attack actually looked better once he came off for Borre.  

And while the attack picked up once Borre came on (but really mostly because of Kostic), Borre missed a dead-to-rights chance of his own.  With a play that almost defied the laws of physics, Borre hit the post and the keeper's back on the carom and found the perfect amount of English (sidespin) tonestle down on the goal line and not roll into the goal.  It was a trick you couldn't do on purpose, it had to be by accident.  It should have never come to that though: Borre has to put that home.  Wide-open from 7 yards out directly in front of the net?  That should be automatic for any starter in the Bundesliga.  It should be automatic for a guy trying to earn a starting spot on a traditional European Club.  It should be automatic for a guy that wants to play in a European competition.  But on this attack this year, the only thing that is guaranteed is Filip Kostic's effort.

Speaking of Kostic, I loved the way the Frankfurt Faithful welcomed him.  He immediately changed the game and I wish he would have started.  As a coach of 14-year-olds, I get sitting him, but don't think I would have done that in this situation.  I'm working on a piece that will explain my thoughts here, so more on this later.  It wasn't just that he scored a massive goal, it was the energy he brought with him.  I've been saying all along the easiest way to fix this situation is to put him back on the pitch, and his minutes on Sunday are precisely why I've been saying that.  Kostic is a competitor.  He's not scared of any situation, he's not scared of any opposition, he doesn't even seem to care about the score or what else is going on in the world.  When Kostic steps on the field he comes to play, and he gives it his all. It took him less than a minute to show he was ready to deliver, and I'm extremely happy he's staying.

There is enough in this squad that you can easily observe that between Kostic, Kamada, and Hauge, the team is starting to figure things out.  Sow and Hrustic connected better to Kamada, Hauge, and Lindstrom than in previous games.  It's just that final play.  Against Stuttgart, we were much better at finding guys in shooting positions.  We just didn't finish off those plays.  Guys had gaping wholes and 2 v 1's in the attacking third with regularity but didn't finish off the play.  That will come.  You know it, I know it, Glasner knows it, the team knows it.  We are 4 games in, there are 90 points left on the table.  It's not time to make a final decision on this team yet.  This will take time. Until then, let's hope that the defense continues to play well enough to win games. Let's get it straight and go get Fenerbache.

Until Then,

Thanks again for Reading 

Forza S.G.E.

Let's all stop, relax, and take a break......

 

Liebe Eintracht Fans:  Let's just relax for a minute.  It's been a rough start to the season, and we all need to regroup.  With Eintracht sitting on 0 wins, 2 points, and looking rough in the early part of the year it's easy to lose hope.  But this season is going to be a marathon and we are still trying to get loose and shake the rust off.  From the complete debacle in Mannheim to the defensive nightmare in Dortmund to the flat, uninspired attacking play of the last two weeks, there's a lot to digest.  Let's take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly through the early goings of the season.

Oliver Glasner's slowly adjusting tactics:

Glasner opened the season in a familiar 3 in-the-back formation.  Trying to recreate last year's "Dopplezehn", we saw a familiar problem:  Too many cracks in the back.  However, this rendition was also punchless in the front.  Glasner utilized a 4-2-3-1 against both Augsburg and Armenia Bielefeld.  While the defense has been better than we've seen in quite some time, keeping Kevin Trapp mostly clean, it wasn't enough to earn three points in either game. Both games were very winnable and honestly should have resulted in 6 points.  

The fact that Eintracht didn't find the back of the net against Augsburg is pretty amazing.  21 shots, 5 on target, 63% possession, 6 corners, 6 set-piece chances.......and 0 goals.  Eintracht completely dominated everything about this game except the only thing that matters - the scoreboard.  You would have thought Eintracht would have "accidentlied" their way to a goal.  But focusing on 0 goals misses an important point, we defensively dominated Augsburg.  Augsburg was stifled by Djibril Sow, Adjen Hrustic, and the backline, managing only 4 chances, 0 of which was on target. Trapp posted a clean sheet and never even registered a save.  That's an amazing turnaround after giving up 5 goals to Dortmund.  The results were similar against Bielefeld, and it took a perfectly struck bender, around Djibril Sow and through three defenders to beat Trapp that day.  

While this goal resulted in dropping two points, Glasner's high pressing system and a super active midfield had dominated possession (65%) forced a multitude of bad passes (Bielefeld had a 66% passing rate on the day), and Eintracht dominated the first half again.  Bielefeld began to break through at about the 70th minute, and the insertion of Patrick Wimmer in the 86th minute changed the run of play.  Wimmer didn't score the goal from having more energy than the Eagle Defenders though.  He scored it from being in the right place at the right time (with a bit of luck). It all started with a cross into the box from Robin Hack that Martin Hinterigger headed away.  Fabian Klos won the second ball and got credit for an assist, but in all reality, he took a terrible touch and lost the ball.  He was actually trying to chase the ball down when it wound up at Wimmer's right foot who one-touch blasted it into the farside corner.  While you don't get by on moral victories, this game should give all of us confidence in what this Eintracht team is going to be: a solid backline coupled with a hyper-active midfield defensively.  The high pressing points from the front line are forcing teams to simply blast the ball downfield, or hit bad balls to the midfield which Sow, Hrustic, and Hauge are gobbling up with regularity in dangerous spots.  While this team is a work in progress, it appears one foundation has been laid.  

What is desperately missing is simply finishing off possessions in the final third.  Die Adler has shown some excellent combo and give-and-go play at times, only to come away with nothing.  The final pass, the final touch, the shot are all just a bit too much off-target.  The system and style are there, the final execution is not.  They are a great joke without a punchline, a sentence without a period.  Rafael Borré has had a hard time finding spaces in the middle of the pitch, and his teammates have had a difficult time finding him.  While Jens Petter Hauge has knocked home 2 goals in three games, there have been few threats otherwise.  Probably the best chance to beat Bielefeld can on Gonçalo Paciência's flying back-post header in the 92nd minute.  That shot went just wide but is a microcosm of Eintracht's failing attack.  Paciência was unmarked, unchecked, and was the only person at the back post.  The cross was just a tad bit off, so was the header, and the game ended in a 1:1 draw.  That's a play that a team with the aspirations of Eintracht has to complete.  

While I've read the woe and desperation that both fans and writers are producing on multiple platforms, it's not all woe and despair.  The backline has been much more organized the last two games than what we saw at almost any point last year, and Djibril Sow has been one of the best defensive midfielders in the entire Bundesliga so far.  While the beginning of this season smacked a lot of people with high expectations down, it should have been exactly what we expected.  New Coach, New Strikers, New Formation, New Wingers, and Diva Drama.  This will take time.  Eintracht still has plenty of year left to get into a top 4, and we'll look at the final steps that need to be taken in order to get there.

The Striker Situation:

Glasner now has an intriguing situation developing at Center Forward.  With Borré, Sam Lammers, Gonçalo Paciência, and Ragnar Ache, he has four completely different guys with completely different skillsets.  Finding the tip of the arrow is the most vital part of the equation right now.  Developing this system with these guys will require something that Eintracht really doesn't have: time.  With Borré, you have a timing-based player very similar to Andre Silva.  Borré is best when he has the ball in space, or when he is making runs between defenders.  As we saw with Silva, that takes a great deal of time to develop.  Silva didn't come to Eintracht has a 28 goal scorer, he had to develop the timing and cohesion with his playmakers.  Kostic and Kamada took time to learn where he would be and when he would be there.  It takes precision, accuracy, and anticipation by both the scorer and the passer, and those things take time.  Whether Borre has the ceiling of Silva or not is debatable, but what's not is that he can score goals and that it will take time for him to gel with the rest of the team.  He's also being asked to hold up play and work the Center Forward pivot more than his size dictates.  Borré is not a big Center Forward type (5'10" - 154lbs)

Lammers is a big (6'3" - 180lb) Center Forward type player who can get in front of defenders and make plays with his feet.  Lammers has good ball skills and can work his way out of tight spaces and make plays.  He's had the more productive seasons between the two and has logged more minutes at Heerenveen in 2019 than Borré had in the last two years combined.  Both are fairly young, but Lammers fits more of the Wout Weghorst model that Glasner had in Wolfsburg.  A large, skilled, athletic Center Forward that can make plays, press, and find the back of the net.  After a disappointing turn at Atalanta, he comes to a team hungry for a big playmaker in the middle of the pitch.  Sebastien Haller wreaked havoc in that role, Baz Dost was mostly disappointing (I'm being kind here, he's a good guy that didn't work out), and Paciencia has been mostly non-existent.  This could be the perfect fit for a guy like Lammers, but he has a lot to learn with little time to get there.  Lammers could also be the easiest transition to a goal-scoring option since he can make plays in between the lines and can get physical with defenders inside the box. Lammers can get his big body on defenders and fend them off to win the ball in dangerous positions. It's also easier for Kostic and crew to find the head of a 6'3 athlete than it is to find a 5'10" timing-based player.  It also brings up the question of if Glasner plays them together.  What system will he use, how do they play off each other, and if he goes with two strikers, what happens to Kamada, Lindstrom, and Younes?  I think the most likely scenario is one wins the starting job, the other is a rotation/situational starter.  This to me is the most intriguing storyline of the rest of the year.

Ache is fast, and I believe will likely spend time transitioning between Striker and Right-Wing.  I think he'll play, but his minutes will be sparing and his position inconsistent.  Paciência will factor in as a sub in some games, but most likely is the man left out with the signing of Lammers.  Gonçalo has lost a lot of burst and athleticism that he had (which wasn't much) with the injuries he's sustained over the last few years but is a smart player with a good-sized frame and decent skills.  He's not going to strike fear in any Bundesliga defense, but can still make plays from time to time.  

Djibril Sow's overlooked brilliance:

Sow has simply been phenomenal. You don't need a stat geek like me to tell you how good he's been, you just need to watch the games.  But, a stat geek's going to stat geek so here we go.  Djibril is tied for 4th in tackles (10), tied for 2nd in tackles won (7), 7th in Interceptions (10) 4th in balls recovered (39), has won 100% of his areal duels and has completed 89% of his passes, including 87% (27/31) of his passes 30 yards or longer.  His 4.7 Long balls per game rank 21st in the league, and first among all midfielders.  He's shut down opponents before they even cross midfield and is a major reason why Eintracht has dominated possession in the last two games.  Bielefeld only began to break Eintrachts defenses when they began to bypass the midfield altogether and play balls down the sideline to Fabian Klos.  They only scored by somehow missing the back of Sow's legs on a perfectly struck ball.  

It's also hard to see because of the 5 goals conceded against Dortmund, but if you think of every one of those goals, it was Erling Haaland busting between the backline, and many of the passes he recieved went over Makoto Hasebe's head. Even in this debacle Sow had 4 tackles, 7 interceptions, and 13 recoveries.  He more than did his part in this job.  Since then Sow has dropped deeper and is playing much more of a deep pivot than a forward attacking player.  He has to connect better with the front line, but he's been spectacular this year.

The problem with the new-look backline:

While the back four of Christopher Lenz, Martin Hinterigger, Evan N'Dicka, and Erik Durm have been exceptionally solid the last two games, the biggest problem is that 3 of the four are left-footed.  While that doesn't sound like that big of a problem, and Hinti can play with either foot in short and medium ranges, having two left-footed center-backs slows down counterattacking possibilities on the right side of the pitch.  It's hard for either N'Dicka or Hinti to play the ball through the lines from the right side, so you have to play through Durm or the midfield.  Hitting Hauge on a quick strike becomes highly unlikely.  

Final Thoughts:

As we have a little time on international break to regather and refocus, let's hope our Liebe Eintracht can hit the training ground and sort out some of these issues.  With Europa League group stages starting on September 16 and Eintracht needing a win, the Sept. 12th game against Stuttgart needs to see some improvements in the attack.  Stuttgart has one of the worst defenses in the Bundesliga currently but has scored 7 goals in three games. After a 0:4 defeat to Leipzig and a 2:3 defeat at the hands of Freiburg, Stuttgart will be working to solidify their backline.  Granted that 5 of their goals came against Greuther Furth, Stuttgart has the ability to score in bunches also.  Five different players have found the back of the net for Die Roten this year, and Eintracht must be ready.  I firmly believe that Eintracht will find a way to start netting goals over the 6 game stretch that is coming up.  The game with Fenerbache is concerning considering the quality of their squad.  But, let's all just relax for the time being and trust in our Eagles.  Let's take the next 7 days to just breathe.

Thanks again for reading,

Forza S.G.E.

Brian

Season Preview: 2021-22 Eintracht Frankfurt

Bundesliga Season Preview (2021/2022) – Eintracht Frankfurt

Basics: Full Name: Eintracht Frankfurt e.V.
Nicknames: Die Adler (The Eagles); S.G.E.; Launische Diva (Moody Diva) Founded: March 8th, 1899 Club Colors: Black, White,(Schwarz - Weiss Vie Schnee!) and Red.
Primary Rivals: Kickers Offenbach, Mainz ‘05, 1. FC Kaiserslautern,
Fan Friendship: Oldham Athletic (England)
Stadium: Der Commerzbank Arena (Das Waldstadion)

Year Built: 1925 Capacity: 51,500 2017-2018
Attendance: 14,500 (853 per match; 5th in Bundesliga)
Trophies: 

• German Championship – 1959 
• DFB Pokal – 1974, 1975, 1981, 1988, 2018 
• 2.Bundesliga – 1997/1998 
• UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League – 1979-80 
• UEFA Intertoto Cup – 1967 2019/2020

Kits:

Coach: Oliver Glasner

2020/21 Bundesliga Position: 5th DFB
Pokal Result: Lost in Second Round

Roster Changes:

Additions: Christopher Lenz; Free Transfer (1. FC Union Berlin), Fabio Blanco; Free Transfer (Valencia CF), Ali Akman; Free Transfer (Buraspor), Diant Ramaj; Free Transfer (1. FC Heidenheim), Rafael Santos Borre; Free Transfer (River Plate), Jesper Lindstrom; $7million (Brondby IF), Jens Grahl; Undisclosed (VfB Stuttgart).

Returning from Loan: Rodrigo Zalazar, Danny da Costa, Dejan Joveljic, Gonçalo Paciência, Nils Stendera

Players Leaving: Yannick Brugger (Admira Wacker), Lukas Fahrberger (out of contract), Luka Jovic (Real Madrid, loan return), Jabez Makanda (out of contract), Luka Jovic (Real Madrid), Markus Schubert (loan Return), Jetro Willems (end of contract), Andre Silva ($23 million - RB Leipzig), Elias Bordner (Viktoria Koln - loan), Frederik Ronnow (1. FC Union Berlin - loan)
The team 2021/22

2020/2021 Overview: 

It was mostly a magical, record-breaking season for Eintracht......mostly. After a somewhat shaky and disappointing start through the first 12 games of the season (posting a 2-8-2 record), the Eagles took flight. Winners of nine out of ten (28 points out of 30) from weeks 13-22 Adi Hutter's team took hold of a Champion's League Position by outscoring their opponents 26-8 over this span, with only a 2-2 draw against Freiburg on Match Day 17, only three days after dominating Schalke 3-1 at home. Eintracht turned right around and blasted Armenia Bielefeld 5-1 three days later, going undefeated playing three games in six days. The run was spearheaded by Andre Silva, who knocked home 9 goals over this ten-game span. Eintracht came back to Earth, with a 1:2 loss to Werder Bremen (Matchday 23) and posting draws against Stuttgart (1:1 - Matchday 24) and Leipzig (1:1 - Matchday 25). The Eintracht attack exploded over the next three weeks as they looked like the best attacking side in Germany, crushing Union Berlin (5:2), Borussia Dortmund (2:1), and VfL Wolfsburg (4:3) to make it seem Eintracht's first-ever Champions League appearance was all but locked up.

Every Bundesliga follower knows what happened next. Adi Hutter went full-on Benedict Arnold, as word dropped that he was leaving for Borussia Monchengladbach in the days leading up to the game. The wheels fell off the Champions League Bus, as a defense that was steady all season long suddenly had gaping holes that opponents took full advantage of. The defense was never exactly spectacular, but the back 3 protected Kevin Trapp well enough all season long to keep opponents to 1 goal. But Gladbach (4:0) Leverkusen (3:1) and the lowly Schalke (4:3) accounted for the same number of goals that Eintracht had allowed in January, February and March combined. The faltering defense, as well as Borussia Dortmund's end of the year resurgence, pushed Eintracht out of a Champion's League position. Eintracht battled injuries all season long. Filip Kostic's knee injury in Matchday 2's 3:1 win over Hertha Berlin kept him out of 5 games (including the 5:0 loss to Bayern Munich on Matchday 5) and he struggled to find footing for a few weeks on return. Almamy Toure went down with a hip injury on Matchday 24, after being a rock in the Frankfurt defense all season. Martin Hinterigger's deep-thigh bruise was soo bad he needed several weeks off (Matchdays 24-29) plus Oma's chicken soup to recover. There were many bright notes in the 2020/2021 campaign, despite the disappointing ending. Eintracht qualified for European play based on their final Bundesliga position for the first time in 25 years. Their 60 points accumulated was a club record for the top flight. The 5th place finish was the highest since the '91/'92 league year. The Eagles won 16 games, the third most in Club History and the most since Dragoslav Steponovich worked the touchline at Der Waldstadion. Andre Silva tied a club record with 28 goals (2nd in the league); Daichi Kamada (12) and Filip Kostic (14) both posted double-digit assist totals, which placed them 2nd and 3rd in Bundesliga play. The high octane attack and gritty defense improved their goal differential by +17 over the previous campaign. The season saw the Eagles take down BVB, Bayern Munich, Wolfsburg, and posting two draws against Leipzig. There was soo much to be excited about, but it all got drowned out in the noise of the final seven Matchdays. The free-flowing attack for most of the season was electric, and while there are new people in the front office, a new trainer on the touchline, and a new striker up top, the vast majority of this club remains intact.

2021-22 Outlook:

There are two main questions for the Eagles this year: (1) who's going to score goals? (2) how will Oliver Glasner line up? The tactics should be very similar to what we saw under Adi Hutter for the last three years. Oliver Glasner loves to press early and often, resulting in quick and direct play once the ball is won back. While Die Adler's roster might shape up very differently than what Glasner had in Wolfsburg, some common threads will carry over. The high pressing schemes and direct attack will look very familiar to the fans who have watched Eintracht over the last three years, but Glasner will simultaneously look to solidify the backline. Glasner is a solid defensive tactician, but Wolfsburg's main advantage is to attack from the front.  In attack, Glasner loves to play direct, deep and out of the back.  With Hinti's ability to pass the ball through the lines and Kostic's ability to run, Eintracht will look to strike quick on the counterattack all year long.  "Tempo, Tempo, Tempo" has been the theme of training camp, as "pace of play" will be key towards The Eagles Success.

Position Outlook:

Goalkeeper

Kevin Trapp, Jens Grahl, Diant Ramaj.

Kevin Trapp returns between the posts for his 7th term in Black and White.  Trapp's fiery leadership and intensive style helped lead the Eagles to their best season in almost three decades.  While posting highs for his tenure in Frankfurt in wins, and playing in every game except the final game of the season, Trapp had a very strange season.  Statistically, this wasn't one of Trapp's better years.  His save percentage (66.4%) was the second-lowest of his career and only slightly better than 2020's (64.4%). Trapp's clean sheet performance of 12.1% was the lowest since his first season as a starter for F.C. Kaiserslautern at the age of 21.  However, to anyone who actually watched the games, Trapp had a stellar year.  His work won games and saved dross from the hands of losses, regardless of what the statistics say.  It was also good enough to get him a call-up to the National Team. His seven save performance against Leipzig on Match Day 25 secured a point.  On multiple occasions during that game Trapp found himself 1v1 with RB attackers, and every single time he came away with a stop.  It took a rebound and second shot to beat him by a completely unmarked Emil Forsburg while Trapp was trying to simply get off the ground after stopping a blast from Tyler Adams.  This doesn't even account for the times Yousef Poulson blew right by Eintracht's backline or found open space in the middle and fired a shot off target.   

Central Defense:

Evan N’Dicka, Martin Hinteregger, Makato Hasebe,Tuta, Omoruyi Irorere, Fynn Otto

Center back has to be the most intriguing position on the team.  Mostly, because it greatly depends on how this team lines up.  In a 3 back setting Evan N'Dicka, Martin Hinterigger, and Tuta form a solid backline.  The depth beyond that is a major concern. Stefan Ilsanker played really well on the backline during Hinti's absence but hasn't shown the ability to shut down Bundesliga-level attackers on a week-in/week-out basis.  Makoto Hasebe can fill still spot start on the backline on occasion, but this has to be matchup driven as he lacks the size and speed to compete with both big strikers (Robert Lewandowski, Erling Haaland, Wout Weghorst, etc.) and pacey attackers. Almamy Toure has also filled in on the backline and performed well in the past two seasons. In the four-back formation that Glasner has flashed in the preseason friendlies, N'Dicka has moved to left-back. The youngsters of Iroere and Otto have shown flashes this preseason, but both lack recognition and technique that would allow them to compete consistently.   

At times last year, the backline left Kevin Trapp on an island.  It was not uncommon for any of them to push too high with the ball, only to have a turnover leaving the back completely exposed.  Over the final 5 games of the year, there were massive holes that teams such as Schalke Gladbach, and Leverkusen exposed. This is something that Glasner will almost certainly address scheme-wise as he did with Wolfsburg.  Wolfsburg's numbers in tackles and pressures were almost identical to Eintracht's last season, the biggest difference is that Wolfsburg's front four of Weghorst, Maximilian Arnold, Xavier Schlager, and Yannick Gerhardt all placed among the top 15 in the Bundesliga in the total number of pressures. Weghorst (581) surpassed Andre Silva (343) in terms of defending from the front, and their high press made it extremely hard to get the ball past midfield.  Weghorst also did a great job of holding up opposing counter-attacks by simply putting enough pressure on the ball that the pass went sideways instead of downfield.  This allowed his fullbacks and center-backs the time to get deep and reshape the backline.  We've seen this in the pre-season as well, and the backline should be in a position to keep Kevin Trapp clean on a more consistent basis this year.  Although adding one more veteran on this backline wouldn't hurt, Eintracht should have just enough depth here to be fine competing in multiple competitions this year.

Full Backs:

Danny Da Costa,  Evan N'Dicka, Timothy Chandler, Erik Durm, Almamy Toure, Christopher Lenz

This is one of the deepest, most experienced positions in the squad for the Eagles this year.  Danny Da Costa seemed rejuvenated by his move to Mainz mid-year during the 2020/21 campaign, and really helped spark Mainz's resurgence.  He should be a lockdown starter at right-back for most of the year and has looked tremendous for Glasner this preseason.  With Evan N'Dicka's long, rangy frame and athleticism, the pair should be able to compete with the majority of squads in the Bundesliga.  Where they lack is pace, and against the likes of Bayern's Serge Gnabry, Kingsley Coman, Leroy Sane, and an overlapping Alphonso Davies can cause problems if they aren't tactically sound.  The Bundesliga has tons of lightning-fast wings.  Stuttgart's Silas Wamangituka, Leverkusen's Leon Bailey, and others are more than capable of blowing by anyone on our backline if we are pushing too high or giving the ball away in the midfield. Behind them, Toure, Durm, and Lenz are dependable options that are extremely solid and tactically sound defenders, although they offer little to the attack.  There's always the dependable and versatile Timothy Chandler there as well, who is capable of the spot start at both this position and right-wing as well.

Defensive Midfield:

Sebastian Rode, Djibril Sow, Nils Stendera, Stefan Ilsanker, Steven Zuber, Makoto Hasebe

One of the two most concerning positions on the roster.  Sow and Rode are quality, solid Bundesliga players.  However, there's not much depth behind these two and the depth at midfield is the same tandem as the depth at Center Back.  Eintracht could have really used an upgrade at this position in the offseason.  If one of the two misses an extended period of time due to injury this year there isn't a dependable backup to rely on.  Steffen Zuber can play anywhere in the midfield and could hold down the fort for a short period of time if need be, but Eintracht really needs to find another Defensive Midfielder in the next Transfer Window.

Attacking Midfield:

Daichi Kamada, Amin Younes, Rodrigo Zalazar, Jesper Lindstrom, Aymen Barkok, Ajden Hrustic

*Note: As I am writing this the rumors of Amin Younes' transfer are strong.

With Daichi Kamada, Amin Younes, Aymen Barkok, Steven Zuber, and Ajden Hrustic all more than capable of filling this position, Eintracht are loaded with forward midfielders.  While Kamada can drive you crazy at times, he also finds teammates for goals and has been one of the better chance creating midfielders in the Bundesliga for the past two seasons.  Younes completely transformed Eintracht's attack a season ago.  He's terrific in tight spaces and extremely dangerous on both the pass and shot.  His back-post blast against Bayern was magical, and when he went down late in the year The Eagles' attack became extremely stagnant.  Younes brings an energy that seems to feed the team, and guys run knowing he'll make the most of the space they create. Barkok is a solid player, and Ajden Hurstic showed terrific promise over the last few weeks, in particular with his seated goal vs. Mainz to secure a point in the 85th minute.  This is one of the few positions that Eintracht has depth and quality but could change quickly if the rumors that have been swirling about Kamada and Younes come to fruition.

Wings:

Filip Kostic, Fabio Blanco, Martin Pecar, Timmy Chandler, Ajden Hrustic

Filip Kostic is the engine that drives this train.  He's one of the most lethal wing players in Europe, much less the Bundesliga, and he never stops working.  His 621 crosses over the last three seasons leads the Bundesliga by a mile, and there's not anyone who is a close second.  Kostic tracks back like a madman, he sprints the sideline, takes on defenders, blasts goals, and racks up assists.  The entire offense depends on his threat on the outside, and he is the heart and soul of this attack.  Racking up 35 assists in Adi Hutter's system, only Jadon Sancho (41) and Thomas Muller (49) have outpaced him in league play over the last three years.  With Kostic, Frankfurt has a rock on the left-wing. The question is who will play opposite him?  Three years ago it was Danny Da Costa, who was an excellent compliment.  Last year, Erik Durm held down the duties, but Eintracht offered almost nothing down the right side for most of the year.  Will it be Blanco?  Hrustic?  Will Chandler be able to hold down the duties?  Steven Zuber?  Does Aymen Barkok slide over and win the job there?  There hasn't been a clear-cut winner in the pre-season, but one of them needs to step up and make a consistent impact.

Striker

Gonçalo Paciência,  Rafael Santos Borre, Ragnar Ache, Ali Akman

 
This is Borre's job to lose.  He showed the same type of movement and knack of finding space in front of the goal that Andre Silva brought to Eintracht the last two years.  While Borre doesn't have great size, he has tremendous instinct and a surprising pace.  While he doesn't have top-end speed like Timo Werner or Erling Haaland, he anticipates his runs really well.  The 25-year-old Columbian Striker has 74 goals and 23 assists in 212 career games spanning all competitions, including 11 goals in 1300 minutes during the 2019-20 campaign. While his finishing is a long way from being able to replace Silva's productivity, he's a dangerous threat in the middle of the field the entire time he's on the field.  Paciência is the closest to Glasner's ideal #9 on the roster. Glasner has utilized a big, strong, physical and talented Center Forward to spearhead his attack for the Wolves.   Paciência is a far cry from Wout Weghorst but is a capable fill-in, can come off the bench, and carry the load for a short time if there is an injury situation.   Ache looks to have made considerable strides in his off-ball runs and finishing during this summer's Olympic games.  The youngster Ali Akman, touted as one of Turkey's next emerging stars, signed a four-year contract on a free before the season was even over.  The move created a lot of controversy in the press, and Akman reported to Frankfurt before his deal was even up.  A versatile forward who tallied 10 goals and 4 assists in just over 1700 minutes in the Turkish second division.  Eintracht has a good balance of pace, size, finishing, and young talent on this year's squad. While Silva's productivity is impossible to replace, it won't need to be.  This group is good enough to compete in both the Bundesliga and Europa League at the same time.

Synopsis:

2021 has a chance to be another wonderful year.  Glasner will have this as one of the better defensive teams in the Bundesliga, although I don't think they will finish second in the league as Wolfsburg did a year ago.  They will play fast, up-tempo, and there will be plenty of goal opportunities funneling through Kostic and Kamada.  Eintracht has enough depth in areas to make good runs in both the Pokal and Europa League this year, although we are still waiting to see who they will play in the group stage.  The key this year will be how well they can keep Kevin Trapp protected.  The goals will come, but the defense has to solidify.  

Prediction: Eintracht will battle for the fourth position yet again this year, but in the end will fall back into a Europa League Spot.  Look for them to finish 5th for the second year in a row.  They will make it out of the group in Europa, and past the first round of the knockout stage.  Glasner will want to make an impression, so look for Eintracht to make a push all the way to the Quarter Finals of the DFB Pokal.  

Key Stretch: Match Days 12-18, facing Freiburg, Union Berlin, Hoffenheim, Leverkusen, Gladbach, Mainz, and then kicking off the Rückrunde with a rematch vs. Dortmund.  This is a stretch that could make or break Eintracht's hopes of repeating in Europe, all while kicking off the Europa League Schedule at the same time. 

Thanks again for reading,

Forza SGE

Brian

Oliver Glasner's Frankfurt: A predictive glance.

 

As rumors swirl about Filip Kostic (and others) possibly leaving this summer to the usual suspects of Italy and England, I've been trying to get my head around how Glasner will lineup in the 2021/2022 Bundesliga Season.  While (if you read the tabloids) it seems that there could be an S.G.E. garage sale going on this summer, it's also highly likely we see the full squad return.  While I'm excited about the new season, new coach, (hopefully) a fresh mindset, and fresh results, I'm most anxious about the possible mass exodus that could take place this summer. With the high unlikelihood that (outside of the moves already made) Eintracht will have the funds to bring in impact players at certain positions this transfer window, I'm assuming the squad will look very similar next year.

What can we learn about Glasner from his time at Wolfsburg?

There were sort of two different Oliver Glasner's over the last two years.  In 2019/2020, he was extremely flexible with his formations and lineup. Showing 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3, and 3-4-3 depending on matchups and style of play he wanted, Glasner seemed to try to weekly change his formations based on their opponent.  During 2020/2021 Glasner almost seemed like an entirely different coach, sticking primarily with a very defensive 4-2-3-1 that held strong in defense and ranked second best in the Bundesliga with 37 goals against.  While his defensive tactics are more compact and stringent than what we saw under Hutter, his attacking play is quite similar.  Glasner likes to play long and direct.  His teams typically aren't high possession sides with tons of short passing.  The passing numbers were very similar to Eintracht's last year under Hutter. Not an overly high overall percentage (Wolfsburg - 77.3 v. SGE - 78.2), both ranked in the middle of the pack in terms of total number of passes attempted ( Eintracht -6th with 18,416 vs. Wolfsburg - 9th with 17,140), where the two differed greatly was in the percentage of passes that were 30 yards or longer (Wolfsburg - 4th most, Eintracht 11th). Glasner loves to strike quickly on the counter-attack with long passing and quick transitions. As with most Bundesliga teams, Glasner loves high pressure, and his style fits well with what Eintracht has done under both Hutter and Kovac. The Eagles and Glasner should be a good match from a tactical standpoint, but how he lines up on matchdays might take a bit of creativity.  While he has the players to replicate his style of play, there are a few spots where the current roster might pose challenges for him.

As Adi Hutter found out, this roster might not fit his preferred formation:

Last year Wolfsburg lined up almost exclusively (29 times in 34 matchdays) in a 4-2-3-1 during Bundesliga play.  They held that shape whether in attack or defense.  The keys to holding this shape in defense were two things (1) Yannick Gerhardt, who played the #10 but is a tremendous defensive player.  Yannick attacks ball carriers and can cover a good amount of ground both vertically and laterally. (2) The passing and deep shooting ability of Maximilian Arnold and Xavier Schlager.  Both of these midfielders have huge legs that can burn you multiple ways from deep. Sebastien Rode and Djibril Sow are different players but still fit into this style of play.  The main questions about trying to bring this formation to Eintracht would be (1) Daichi Kamada and Amin Younes aren't the defenders Yannick Gerhardt is. (2) Who plays on the right side?  Between Almamy Toure, Erik Durm, Danny Da Costa, Timmy Chandler and Amin Barkok, we have to find a combination that works going forward on the right.  This was the biggest weakness of Die Adler in their Europa League run (other than the total late-season collapse of their defense).  Erik Durm (for much of the season) brought defensive stability to the right flank but offered little going forward. Almamy Toure was fantastic defensive in the Matchday 22 win over Bayern (2:1) before going down to a hip injury that derailed his season. While he is vastly more athletic than Durm, Toure also lacks the touch and crossing ability going forward.  Despite the log-jam of players at this position, it's hard to see a combination of any two that would be impactful on the right flank. Glasner loves to have his wing players cut back inside and wreak havoc as opposed to staying wide and lobbing in crosses, and while I actually think this system is perfect for Filip Kostic (and will also reduce his overall workload), I don't see a compliment on the opposite side.  A Toure/Durm combination at the right-back based on matchups is likely, but this would also involve moving N'Dicka out of a natural position and into a left-back role. N'Dicka has played there under Hutter with varying results.  His long strides can make it difficult to cover the super quick forwards of the Bundesliga, and as long as he is playing in Frankfurt, needs to be on the field.

The other option of course would be to simply move Amin Younes outside.  While Younes isn't the high pressing, multi-faceted winger of Ridle Baku, he's fantastic at cutting back inside and creating.  Having a player behind him such as Da Costa that can overlap, but also support him in defense would be key.  Having Younes here (in my opinion) would demand a high work rate, extremely athletic defender behind him.  If Da Costa can be the 2018/2019 Da Costa, or the Da Costa we saw at Mainz last year he would be a  terrific fit.  Barkok could also be a very realistic option at the #10.  While he doesn't have the creativity or nack for simply making a play that Kamada does, he's a much better option defensively.  I actually think we could see Barkok take a big step this year, much like Sow did last year.  

What we most likely will see, a very familiar look:

I believe that with the designs of the current roster, it's very difficult to shift away from the three-man backline.  N'Dicka is super talented but is much better suited as the outside man in a three-man backline than has a pressing and overlapping fullback.  The other problem is that our best two center backs are both left-footed.  When your best option is bypassing the midfielders to play deep balls to Filip Kostic, this isn't a bad problem to have from the guy in the middle, but putting Hinti on the right side would take away his big left foot and quality downfield passing. 

While the Doppel Tzehn was all the rage last year during Frankfurt's hot midseason run, it was hardly the first time the Bundesliga has seen it.  14 times in the 2019/2020 campaign Oliver Glasner lined the Wolves up this way and used the 3-4-3 in 67% of their Europa League games.  While I think there will be several different formations and lineups that Eintracht uses this year for both rotational and tactical reasons, this will be the one most utilized.  The squad is best constructed for it, they've had success with it, and Glasner isn't foreign to it's usefulness.  While the question of Right Wing-Back may be unanswered all season long, I really think Danny Da Costa will emerge as the favorite.  The work he did at Mainz after his loan there can't be overlooked, and hopefully, he can hold form.

Thanks again for reading,

#Forza S.G.E.

Brian

I'm in love with a diva, and it hurts soo good.

So, full disclaimer: I'm fairly new to these grounds.  I've been following Eintracht Frankfurt for just under a decade, so you'll have to excuse me.  Being from across the pond, we didn't have large exposure to the beauty and passion of European football until recently.  Across the Atlantic, we also have a completely different perspective on professional Sports. When I discovered S.G.E. I latched on hard.  It was love at first sight and an affair forged through trial. The fans seduced me more than the players or style of play. It was the supporters and their passion that drew me in.  They seduced me to this diva, and I have no regrets.

Hurt sooo go-ood.  COME ON BABY MAKE IT HURT SO GOOD.

When I first saw her, she was just the girl next door, but had that something:

17th in the Bundesliga table, with a coach and a bunch of players I'd never heard of, and games I couldn't watch.  I'd made a promise to follow this club, and I was determined to do so.  As the club began to take shape, and I began to learn more about 50+1, promotion/relegation, this club's values, and where it stands on social issues it just really struck a chord.  You could see they were slowly building something here, and this time was full of guys people had given up on.  They fought, they battled, they were grinders, and they began to play some really exciting soccer.  They had Timmy Chandler, Marco Fabian, and Carlos Salcedo.  Omar Mascarall was great, but Alex Meier got me.  The style was exciting, the fans and the TIFO were like nothing I'd ever seen. I found myself sitting at home getting chills down my spine listening to the fans scream "HEY EINTRACHT FRANKFURT!" and learning the words to "Schwarz-Weiss wie Schnee" and "Im Hartzen von Europa".   She sucked me in, and then she broke my heart :)

With Divas, there are highs and lows and constant drama.

It was supposed to be the year we finally broke through.  On matchday 27, we were holding firm to a Champions League spot and our Coach had us flying high and performing well.  We had just lost a hard-fought battle to Borussia Dortmund the week before and were facing a struggling Mainz team.  That's when the rumors about the diva started circling.  It seems that a bigger, richer, fancier club had come calling.  The club became instant turmoil, as the rumors gathered in strength.  "There's no way this is true, Bayern Munich can have anyone they want!" Another loss, a draw, and my Eagles dropped from 4th to 7th.  By the time the news officially dropped on April 13th, Champions League was a long-gone memory.  Admittedly, we were playing over our skis for the better part of 3 months. But the 4-1 loss to Leverkusen sealed our fate. Eintracht finished the season collecting 4 points out of a possible 21 down the stretch, and 7th was the final resting spot. We had one last chance to qualify for Europe, but it was definitely a long shot.

Niko and the guys had one more performance in them that year.  "There's no one in the goal!", and we found ourselves in Europa League.  Die Adler became Die Pokal Sieger, for at least a while. That's when the Diva..Diva'd.  You don't earn the Diva moniker without having serious amounts of talent, and sometimes the Diva has to show you who they really are.  R-E-S-P-E-C-T, find out what it means to me.  I understood why Niko was leaving, even if I didn't respect it.  I mean, it was Bayern Munich and probably a truckload of money.  The bad thing about Divas though is history often repeats itself.  And each time it does, it gets a little bit worse.  

"Wait....Adi is leaving us for WHO?  No way."

"How is this news gonna break right before we play them......while we are fighting to seal a Champions League spot???"

"Bobic is going where??? He must REALLY want to leave, this isn't going away."

The thing about Divas is, everything is beautiful...until it isn't:

Beautiful voice, beautiful clothes, beautiful appearance. This club has beautiful fans, plays a style that is both beautiful and blue-collar, and has fans that make the whole thing pop.  That's what really got me.  Der Waldstadion explodes, but so does every single stadium Eintracht plays in.  The club has a message of togetherness and acceptance and aren't ashamed of it.  I love that, all of it.  They sucked me in with their grit and determination.  The fans enticed me with their passion and songs.   They seduced me with the wins over Bayern and Dortmund, and their exciting play.  Then they ripped my heart out...every single year.  Sure, we got a decent consolation this year.  We actually qualified for Europa on Bundesliga positioning for only the third time ever.  But.....CHAMPIONS LEAGUE.....ugh.  And the way it all went down at the end of the year just hurt.  

Divas will sell off all your favorite things when they're angry:

Players come and go, but Eintracht fans always push the team - Taka Inui

I kind of fear any of my favorite players breaking out, even though I'm desperate for them to.  You just get a feeling they'll leave you for someone else.  Someone bigger, flashier, makes more money, and drives a nicer car.  They might even have a bigger and fancier house, but they'll never have a better home. I understand why Jovic would want to go to Real Madrid, or why Niko Kovac left for Bayern, but I'll never understand why Adi Hutter did what he did this year.  Gladbach?  Is he even serious with this?  I'll never understand why Haller left us for West Ham, even if they paid him a ton of money.  Mostly because.....it's West Ham.  I'm not leaving my job teaching to scrape sewers, even if they tripled my salary.  Being there was soo great, he left during a champions league run and they took a 20 million dollar loss on him.  I don't even really understand Rebic leaving for A.C. Milan.  Sure they're a big and storied club.  We're a traditional club notching our way up. We have the greatest fans of any sport on the planet, and we've become a constant European qualifier of late.  Rebic left for a club that rejected an offer to play in Europe because they were financially strapped.  In the blink of an eye, the Buffalo Herd were all gone.  You could make a good case that all three worsened their situation, but were chasing something bigger.  Kevin Trapp went down that road, only to find his way back.  Sebastien Rode too.

Not only do your players get sold, but they sometimes just leave:  Lukas Hradecky, Kevin Prinz-Boateng just......left.  Bruda, slag den ball lang packed his suitcase and left for Italy.  Hradecky took his beer-drinking, fun-loving, Pokal winning attitude with him to Leverkusen.  I understand, players come and players go, but the way some of these left just.....hurt.  

The Endpoint:

In a vacuum, this season should be seen as a success.  European qualification based on final standing has only happened 3 times in the last 25 years.  This is the highest final position in the table that Eintracht has seen since I started following them.  Andre Silva tied the club record for goals and transformed from a decent striker to a dominant force.  Djibril Sow took the leap to solid Bundesliga player and Amin Younes completely changed the squad and style of play on the pitch.  In a span of These are all things we should be celebrating.  But, it's really hard to see all the good with the way the season ended.

I'm not shocked that Fredi Bobic and Adi Hutter are leaving Eintracht; I'm shocked at how.  Bobic was outspoken when Kovac was announced midseason to Bayern a few years back, but I guess it's different if the Sporting Director does it in the middle of the season?  After the work that Eintracht put in during the Europa League run his first year here I really had a lot of respect for Adi Hutter, but the way he announced his departure I lost all of it.  Is it all he and Bobic's fault?  No, the players didn't perform.  But, it also felt like they were underprepared and lackadaisical.  The movement in attack suddenly stopped, and instead of the fluid, free-flowing attack going forward, Eintracht had to chug and churn for every inch they got.  The defending became more and more sloppy, and players weren't tracking back as hard or pressing as high.  The desperation suddenly left the club.  They looked like married couples "just staying together for the kids." The daily routine was there, but the fire and passion we had seen for most of the year weren't. As much good as happened this season, the ending was severely disappointing.  We thought it was a masterpiece, it turned out to be "Game of Thrones."  This is also part of loving a diva, this is part of loving Eintracht. Bring on the Kroshke/Glasner era, and lets finish what we started. 

Thanks again for reading,

Forza S.G.E.

Brian