Most German coaches are known for their highly aggressive, high-intensity game plans in modern football. Hansi Flick is one of them. His high-pressing philosophy is based on relentless pressing, quick transitions, and vertical attacking football. Here are the following reasons why Hansi Flick’s high-pressing game works.
Gegenpressing
The main aspect of Flick’s high-pressing game is winning the ball back within seconds of losing it. The aim is that the team initiates the press in a coordinated manner. The players apply pressure in groups to cut off passing lanes and win the ball. The forwards and midfielders play a crucial role in this, while the defensive line compresses the space so no passes can go through. This tactic disrupts the opponent’s build-up before they can start an attack.
The Key Features of this pressing are to have a compact shape- to reduce passing lanes in between, the ball is forced to wide areas where risk is reduced and pressing becomes more effective, and lastly quick reactions of midfielders and forwards are required for support.
High Defensive Line & Sweeper-Keeper
High Defensive Line is important in this system, this pushes the team further up on the pitch. The defenders are aligned at the halfway line to compress the ball-playing area and force mistakes from the opposition. This line is also important to play an offside trap which disrupts the opposition’s attacking chance.
The Sweeper-Keeper role is mainly used when the ball falls in a free area where the defender is far away, the keeper reacts and acts as an extra defender, sweeping up long balls over the top. We have witnessed this done by Wojciech Szczesny and it was quite a success.
Spontaneous Pressing Triggers
Rather than constant press which requires stamina and discipline, Flick prefers specific triggers that make the team press aggressively and with full-intensity.
The pressing triggers are as follows: poor first touch or bad pass by an opponent, backward or sideways pass by an opponent which reduces attacking options, mostly on the wide areas where pressing can be initiated due to an easy overload of players.
Fast Transitions
When the team wins the ball high on the pitch, Flick’s team looks for an immediate attack with passing sequences. This is helpful as it exploits the opponent’s disorganized shape after losing possession.
Players are instructed to move the ball forward as soon as they win possession, the ball is sent in a more vertical way than using the width off the pitch or passing it behind and going for a long ball. This requires intelligent movement from attackers and precise direct vision from the midfielders.
Why Does Flick’s System Work So Well?
The aggressive pressing suffocates the opposition’s build-up play- the opponent’s struggle to play out from the back. When the team wins back the ball, it forces dangerous attacks near the opponent’s goal which allows easy scoring chances. The system is well organized to prevent exposure to counter-attacks.
Conclusion
Hansi Flick’s high-pressing game is the epitome of how modern-day football should be played. The high-intensity tactics are successful because they make life difficult for the opponents, force errors, and allow the team to attack immediately. Flick’s team maintains dominance and creates scoring opportunities making the high-pressing game quite successful.