THE SECRET OF SUCCESS: SYSTEM CHANGE The situation was desperate. For Franz Beckenbauer Energie Cottbus was a “hopeless case”. Who dared to contradict? It came different. The team could close the gap. Kicker names the reasons: The Coach: Eduard Geyer seemed frustrated, without a clue in the first half of the season. In fall the 58 year old announced his retirement at the end of the season. But GM Klaus Stabach could convince him to stay. Geyer was encouraged by that in the winter break. The System: Geyer, the last coach who played with a classical sweeper, suddenly changed to 4-4-2, the key to success. Just one doesn’t want to celebrate: Eduard Geyer, “We will also fall on our nose with this system some day”, says the coach. They did not yet and it almost seems that the team was just waiting for the 4-4-2. Every player seems to be made for his position, it is simply fitting. It starts in the central defence with Vragel da Silva and Gregg Berhalter. Da Silva: “Gregg played this system in the USA and I did in Brazil. I think you can see it.” True. On the wings the speedy and physically strong Silvio Schröter and Zsolt Löw (defence) as well as Laurentiu Reghecampf and Marco Gebhardt (offence) are playing. All four combine speed with clever defence behaviour. What sounds like a phrase is the true secret of success: everybody plays what he is able to and not what he believes is able to play. Example Timo Rost, who fills the holes in the center unspectacular, but effective. Or Moussa Latoundji, who suddenly plays entirely different as he doesn’t have to deliver for Vasile Miriuta anymore. A plus is that the offence does not depend on Miriuta anymore. The Personal: Eduard Geyer currently restricts himself on a certain circle. Rotation is hardly existing, even on the bench. For goalie Andre Lenz a clear advantage: “In the first season half there were too many changes, the team was not used to play together.” It is calm within the team, even reserve players as Andrzej Juskowiak or Paulo Rink have no arguments at the moment. And who is still speaking about Radoslav Kaluzny? Nobody. The Outlook: The first four opponents were relegation rivals. Now the stronger teams like Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich are coming. Real tests for Geyer and his system. And with all euphoria: it was easily predictable that Energie wouldn’t collect less points than in the first season half. At the end the weak first season half could break Energie’s neck. Interview part with Laurentiu-Aurelian Reghecampf: K: Mr. Reghecampf, did you believe in staying in the league during the winter break? LR: Everybody thought that we’d be without chance. But exactly because of that we said that we have nothing to lose. K: And if the team hadn’t won the first game in Leverkusen… LR: …then everything would have been over, clear. K: Is everything up to the new system? LR: Yes. We got more ball possession. Formerly we just kicked the ball away and ran into that direction. Now we are playing through the midfield, not directly to the forwards. K: Is the four men defence the key to success? LR: Yes. Vragel da Silva and Gregg Berhalter played very, very good. Also they are doing a lot for the offence. K: Did you recognise a change with Eduard Geyer in the last weeks? LR: No. Surely he is lucky as we won and the training is more fun now, but he did not change in the daily work. The training is the same, he’s speaking with us as before.
All will be well with Gregg so long as Torsten Frings isn't there to clear to ball off the line with his arm.