VfB Stuttgart - Furchtlos und Treu

A wild DFB-Pokal match that saw Werder Bremen end with two men sent off. In the 26th minute, Werder Bremen received a red card for a controversial last man back tackle. Ethan Pinnock brought down Ragnar Ache at the edge of the box, he was the last defender back but two other defenders were mere feet away on each side. Stuttgart would capitalize on the decision with a free kick goal by Fabian Rieder. 

With a man advantage, Stuttgart controlled the match until after the hour mark when Romano Schmid received his second yellow card and was sent off. After that, it was time wasting by both sides to see out the game without injuries or incident.  Sttutgart advance to the semi finals to face Bayer Leverkusen. The winner will face the winner of Wolfsburg and FC Augsburg in the final

Your original goal was 'to finish as strong as VfB can' - does Markus Fielder have a specific goal in mind, by now?

Is it more to try and get back up to the Champions League places, or is it more about consolidating that which has been already achieved? (DfB Pokal, Europa League) What is realistically Stuttgart's goal, now that you're at the helm for two months?

Great win vs Werder Bremen there!

So Demirovic hasn't left, and you've still brought in Ache as cover for Touré.

Interesting development! I like that the manager makes the decision, and if the star player doesn't accept it, it's his loss. Now that he's not found a new club yet, perhaps he can alter his mindset over the next 6 months. What if he could actually return from this, fight his way back and once again make himself relevant for Stuttgart? That could certainly be a comeback for the ages. Sorry to suggest this, I'm probably also biased from having had him in a previously save and thoroughly enjoyed playing with him then 😉

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@LABoog4 wrote:
@Danimal5981For the DFB-Pokal, I am pretty happy with making the semi-final. I think that was probably the goal to start the season before I arrived.

The league table, I want to make the Europa league. With the young team and still needing a few windows to add depth, the Champions League will be too early for us.

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Alright, cup or 5th and you're in Europa League: higher is better obviously, but this is a specific target: good!

I read the stats and have the feeling you're pressing attack way too much. I've learned when playing at the highest level to apply the patience game: set mentality to neutral or defensive, pass the ball around (not necessarily forward) because possession is key. Losing to Dortmund isn't a shame, but 7:1 means you just invited them to score with flood gates open wide.

I know the game is about scoring goals, but try and set yourself some goals in how to execute play: for example (but don't take them literally - set your own standards) a 60% majority in possession, no more than 5 shots on target against you, get at least 4 corner kicks, get a passing rate of at least 90%..., that sort of thing. Try and tick those boxes and work yourself up that way, step by step: I'm talking a half to a whole season here, not a quick silver bullet fix-it within a matter of a few games.

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@LABoog4 wrote:
@Danimal5981You are right. I have tried taking Ange Postecoglu’s ideas too far. Watching him in real life must have that effect. I’m trying to press too hard and win the ball back which is opening the defense up.

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If I do that, even the little ones score against me. Plus, it really eats away the fitness of my players (and too little time to recover).

That's why I can enjoy what Viborg does under @JustinCase0110 - a nearly air tight defense. I'm getting there step by step and the way I did it, was by setting these mini-goals to get a result and get the match stats right (possession, passing, shots against, etc)

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@Danimal5981 wrote:

That's why I can enjoy what Viborg does under @JustinCase0110 - a nearly air tight defense. I'm getting there step by step and the way I did it, was by setting these mini-goals to get a result and get the match stats right (possession, passing, shots against, etc)

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Thanks, appreciate it. I do think it's contradictory to defend patiently and still have an ambition to keep 60% possession. For me to defend patiently and not open up the spaces, I totally neglect the possession stats, allowing the opposition to play around with 60-65% possession most times. It's also not expected for Viborg to dominate possession, which I believe is the case with Ajax.

To answer your question, @LABoog4, I don't think Stuttgart has been accustumed to play in Europe. They are in the Champions League now, but to my knowledge this is the first season with European football since the 2013/14 season. So if your league form is good enough, I would expect you to be offered another season in the club. A 7-1 defeat to Dortmund isn't helpful though...

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@JustinCase0110 wrote:

 

I totally neglect the possession stats, allowing the opposition to play around with 60-65% possession most times. It's also not expected for Viborg to dominate possession, which I believe is the case with Ajax.

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Ajax defends according to the principle - If the opponent doesn't have the ball, they can't score (quote by Rinus Michels, the Ajax-coach that invented Total Football).

That's where possession comes in. We don't defend by stopping a ball, or preventing a way through on our goal; we defend by not giving the ball to the opponent in the first place, or as little possession as we can.

That's also generally why Ajax puts up a good fight against better (more dominant teams) because Ajax can derregulate their game. But we always struggle against smaller teams especially playing counter-attack football, because they're used not having the ball and are efficient with a small amount of goal attempts.

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@Danimal5981 wrote:

Ajax defends according to the principle - If the opponent doesn't have the ball, they can't score (quote by Rinus Michels, the Ajax-coach that invented Total Football).

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Yes, I'm familiar. But there are also other ways. Herbert Chapman, the legendary Arsenal manager, saw counterattacks as the most opportune moment to create a goal. So, by all means, keep the ball, we'll sit tight and defend, and when we get it, THAT is the time to strike.

It is quite interesting to notice these changes in tactical approaches through history. How the 1960's Catenaccio was a response to Real Madrid and Benfica's dominance with attacking-minded football through a decade or so. And how Total Football was a response to Catenaccio, trying to move the game forward again. A lot of this may have started in the 1920's and 1930's with the football minds of Herbert Chapman, Hugo Meisl, Jimmy Hogan, Vittorio Pozzo, Bela Guttmann and more, trying to make their mark on the beautiful game.

I like possession. And I love Michels' impact on football in general. My remark was related to my in-game experience, where I find it difficult to defend, if I have an ambition to win the ball back quickly. So I often "allow" the opposition to keep the ball for quite some time, thus often being on the losing side when it comes to possession. But being a club the size of Viborg, I really don't have a problem with that.

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@JustinCase0110 wrote:

 

 

My remark was related to my in-game experience, where I find it difficult to defend, if I have an ambition to win the ball back quickly. So I often "allow" the opposition to keep the ball for quite some time, thus often being on the losing side when it comes to possession. But being a club the size of Viborg, I really don't have a problem with that.

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I understand, so was mine. Which brings me back to my advise to @LABoog4  - as you see, we all set our own mini-goals: but important is to make your own and work towards them. Not just 'do as good as I can', but more specific: with what kind of play do I want to achieve it; how much possession; will I focus on creating a lot of goal opportunities (attack) or preventing them from others (defend), etc etc etc.

Because it's not about what you can do if you add better players to your squad; the question is rather if you need them once you get everything out of your existing group. These mini-goals define your 'everything'.

I was close to my everything once: my nearly perfect game. But I look at the stats and I see four goal attempts by the opponent, three on target. Also, my XPG tells me I could've scored two more than the actual 10 I did score. So, there's still room for improvement. This is what I mean with setting my mini-goals and getting everything out of a certain team, before thinking of doing transfers.

I took the advice for the Bayern match, the result is much better. Updates coming soon. 

Red card for Stuttgart but they hold on for a six goal draw.

Both teams started strongly, but VfB's momentum took a hit with a red card in the 42nd minute. In the second half, Hoffenheim pushed hard to break through VfB's solid defensive setup. With less than ten minutes left, substitute Jacob Bruun Larsen netted the equalizer. While the result will feel like two points lost for VfB, fans can take pride in the team's resilience, as 10 men held firm for nearly half the match to secure a hard-fought point.

Unlikely Hero saves VfB

VfB Stuttgart held their own against the league leaders, securing an impressive 2-2 draw. Following a tough 4-0 loss to Bayern Munich earlier this season and a crushing 7-1 defeat to Dortmund in recent weeks, doubts lingered about VfB’s ability to compete with top teams. Those doubts were silenced this weekend as VfB adopted a more cautious approach, guided by advice from @Danimal5981. The strategy paid off, limiting Bayern to just nine shots, with only four on target.

Despite the defensive improvement, the spotlight belongs to striker Ermedin Demirovic. Making his first start in over a month, Demirovic delivered a heroic performance, scoring both goals to earn a vital point for his side.

"E.D. did everything we asked of him. After the January he went through, a lot of players would have put their heads down and faded away. Not E.D. He stepped up and proved he wants to be here. Instead of sulking, he doubled down and earned his place back—for now," coach Markus Fielder said after the match.

I....... KNEW IT! Ermedin Demirovic didn't leave in January, and I always had a feeling he would find his way back and now has three in the last two. Including a brace vs Bayern. Obviously he still needs to adapt to the role you have laid out for him and all that. But with the right mindset I could really see him claw his way back. Interesting to follow!

He has made his way back for now! The new way of not pressing as hard and of slowing down the tempo is really fitting his style over other strikers.