In the last round of the Bundesliga 4-1 victory over Hertha Berlin, Bayern boss Nagelsmann lined up a 3241 offensive formation. Recently, the 34-year-old young marshal explained the advantages and disadvantages of the system and made it clear that in every football match there is a very simple key point: "If the ball is under your own control, the opponent cannot achieve the goal." ”
Looking back at his past stouts at Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig, Nagelsmann has shown a passion and expertise in the "three centre-back system". However, the 4231 system that Bayern has built since the time of Van Gaal has been deeply rooted in the essence, which makes Nagelsmann face a lot of challenges after taking over the Bayern whip.
In response, Nagelsman has designed a "false three-centre-back system" for Bayern this season, and the only wing-back on the field is Alfonso Davis on the left side – with the super speed and offensive ability of the Canadian youngster on the left wing, Bayern's overall tactics have been newly supplemented by the inherent system of flying together on both wings. However, with Davis sidelined since suffering mild myocarditis earlier this year, Nagelsman had to make new changes to the squad's system.
Arriving in Berlin two weeks ago, Nagelsmann chose the 3241 formation for the first time, with two full-back players, Pavard and Lucas, as full-backs, while Kingsley Koeman and Gnabry occupied the wing-backs rather than the "wingers" they had played in the past. After the match, Nagelsman also explained when questioned by the "kicker" that the two traditional wingers played "offensive full-backs" in the game.
In contrast to Gnabry, who played as a wing-back on loan in Hoch village, Koeman took on this new position for the first time – it is not difficult to see that with a pure winger as a wing-back, The starting layout designed by Nagelsmann is very aggressive and bold, even more aggressive than the 4141 formation of the Guardiola era. As a result, Nagelsman also admitted that "there is not much difference between my winger design in the 4231 formation and the wingback design in the 3241 formation." ”
In the end, Bayern achieved 70% possession in this big win and blasted up to 30 shots on goal. As for Hertha Berlin, whose overall formation in the Bundesliga this season is closest to his own goal, it is naturally difficult to pass his own half in Bayern's continuous onslaught. In response, Nagelsman followed up to explain: "If I have a lot of offensive players on the pitch, they like to keep the ball under their feet, they like to threaten the opponent's goal, then the opponent will become difficult. ”
So, will Bayern's 4231 formation become a fixed tactic in the future? It seems unlikely, after all, such a strong and defensive layout is full of hidden dangers, but any team with stronger playing ability can get rid of Bayern's oppression, it is bound to change defenses quickly and make full use of Bayern's lack of personnel on its own side, as for the personal ability of Gnabry and Koeman after falling into defense, it is also not reassuring.
"If we concede a lot of possession against Hertha Berlin, or don't have a good grasp of possession, it could be a problem. Or conversely, if the opponent is very strong or dominant, it will also become our problem. Obviously, Nagelsmann is also well aware that this radical formation of wing-backs is indeed more risky and risky.
It can be seen that in the game of abuse level, Bayern can fully adopt such an aggressive system, and vice versa needs to be considered and adjusted. In this regard, Nagelsmann also admitted, "If, as against Hertha Berlin, when you are facing an opponent who is densely defending in front of your goal, there is no need to have too many people in the backcourt, so you no longer have to set up full-backs, it is enough to have a full-back. ”
Overall, Nagelsman also believes that the team's tactical system is constantly adjusted according to the opponent. "We have a lot of good players, so in the 3241 formation against Berlin, we have deep offensive expectations and so is the situation. Our offensive players finished 30 shots on goal, so it was right to give up a certain amount of defense. However, I don't know if that's enough to play against every opponent. We will always make adjustments for specific opponents, such as this Saturday's match. ”
Indeed, in the early hours of Tomorrow Morning Beijing time, Bayern is about to welcome a formidable rival Leipzig in the Bundesliga, and Nagelsmann may not continue this risky squad – even so, the Bayern young manager remains open to the system, because even if they encounter an opponent like Salzburg in the Champions League, Bayern will still be "eager to become the ruler" without surprise.