2024-03-19 05:25:31
Leipzig began restructuring.
İdman.biz presents an article with a link to soccer.ru.
There is a need to change
And this was observed long before the current season. Julian Nagelsmann is still the head coach in the short history of Leipzig. The manager created a solid and strong project that gave battle to Bayern and Borussia, and at its peak, sparkled on the international stage (UCL-19/20). But even then it was felt that after Nagelsmann the ambitions of the title contender would go away.
Finding a replacement for a top coach is always difficult. They tried Jesse Marsh, after his failure they appointed Domenico Tedesco. But it was impossible to start restructuring with him either – Leipzig was guided by other principles, the ex-Spartak coach’s love for counterattacks and ignoring positional attacks would not have been beneficial. But it brought it in the short term – the first big trophy in history (German Cup) and a quick return to European competition.
Therefore, the castling was postponed until the 22/23 season – after a drawdown at the start, Marco Rose arrived. By that time, Leipzig only vaguely resembled Nagelsmann’s team. By the summer, the team had lost its main assets – Christopher Nkunka, Domenik Szoboszlai and Josko Guardiola. Literally three pillars on which the updated project rested. The inconspicuous but reliable midfielder Konrad Laimer also left. With losses of this magnitude, the need for renewal is obvious – and a long restructuring was inevitable. Rose started it, having previously won over the fans by getting into the top 3.
Rose received material for construction
Leipzig has its own special approach to restructuring – to update the project, they bring promising juniors to the coach so that he can bring them to their senses and make them attractive offers for the European giants. Last off-season, the club spent unexpectedly a lot – 154 million euros. But the direction of the campaign was the same.
Loi Openda, Castello Lukeba, Christoph Baumgartner, El Shadaylle Bitshiabu – all these are young European talents who have managed to put some kind of price tag on themselves. So I had to spend more than usual. Leipzig has already worked out cooperation with another club owned by Red Bull, Salzburg. From there, 20-year-old forward Benjamin Sheshko and Nicholas Seivald moved to Germany.
The selectors also decided to test the waters with other players – they brought in midfielder Fabio Carvalho from Liverpool and Xavi Simons from Paris Saint-Germain on loan. The first, by the way, has already returned to England and is now on loan to Hull.
Not everyone has been integrated into Rose’s system yet – while Simons, Lukeba and Openda regularly appear in the starting lineup, Bitshiabu’s path is more thorny. At PSG he received playing practice because there were not enough top players in defense. Leipzig has a more balanced squad – and the young Frenchman will have to gain experience.
Solve the minimum problem
In any case, the team has renewed itself quite significantly. Newcomers Simons and Elmas play on the flanks, and newcomers Openda and Sheshko play in attack. And if Loi is already considered a full-fledged leader, the main scorer of the team, then the Slovenian footballer is not yet showing the top level. Baumgartner and Seivald also still have to improve
With this composition, Marco Rose fulfills the minimum task in order to continue recruiting a combat-ready team. Over the course of 18 rounds, Leipzig stayed in the Champions League zone – the championship race developed between Bayer and Bayern, and Stuttgart unexpectedly wedged itself into the top three. Leipzig did not have enough stability of results to rise higher – the team lost to its competitors, plus it misfired with the middle peasants and underdogs (draws with Bochum and Werder, defeats with Wolfsburg and Mainz). Now the team finishes the top 5.
It also turned out to be a fruitful campaign in the European Cups – at the group stage we managed to qualify for the playoffs on a class basis (we won tickets with Man City). And in the 1/8 finals there was a bright confrontation with Real. Los Blancos gained a comfortable advantage away (1:0) – a more confident victory was expected at home. The Germans produced a mini-sensation. At the Santiago Bernabeu they seized the game advantage, tormented the Madrid team with pressure and even took the lead. Only the Galacticos quickly equalized and pragmatically reduced the game to a draw.
Leipzig should not suffer from Bayern’s ambitions
Of course, Leipzig’s current performance is far from the ultimate dream. But in the case of the project, Rose needs to look not at statistics, but at prospects. And they just make you happy.
Leipzig has one of the youngest squads in the league, with Rose fighting for the Champions League and instilling in them high ambitions. The same Openda, Baumgartner, Elmas will play the role of experienced comrades for younger players – in the coming years, cool talents will surely join the main team. And those that already exist – Bitshiabu, Seivald, Lukeba, Sheshko – will continue to progress.
The main thing is that there is consistency in this vector – Sheshko and Seivald gained experience in Salzburg, after which they moved further along the Red Bull vertical. Within the framework of this global system, a philosophy that is common to all has already been built. Therefore, Domenico Tedesco was not given time to overcome the crisis. Marco Rose was much preferable – he came from Leipzig, played for the local Lokomotiv (now an amateur team). In addition, as a coach, the German spent 6 years in Salzburg, where he adopted the basic principles. If you give him time and gradually supply him with new talents, it will bring results.
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