http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/soccer/04/05/bc.eu.spt.soc.bayern.ballack.ap/index.html Ballack needs to be in a 3-5-2, or 4-3-3, where he is either a "roaming" midfielder, or the defensive mid. The article talked about Ballack's role at Leverkusen. They said he was deployed as a defensive mid there. However, that is not entirely accurate. At Leverkusen, they also started Carsten Ramelow as the primary defensive mid, and Basturk as the main playmaker. Essentially, Ballack was a roaming midfielder/outside midfielder. When you looked at the line-up there, it was Schnieder on the right, Ramelow at defensive mid, Basturk at center/playmaker mid, then Ballack at left/roaming mid, with more overlapping runs from the left sided defender. The bottom line is that Ballack is neither a pure defensive mid, nor is he a pure playmaker. He is somewhere in between. This is what we in the USA call a "tweener". Regardless, Michael Ballack is undoubtedly one of the most gifted players in the world. It's up to the manager to deploy a system, as Toppi did at Leverkusen and Rudi does for the German Nats, that best utilizes Ballack's "tweener" status, and thus gets the most out of Ballack's immense talent. And this is one of Hitzfeld's downfalls this season. He has stubbornly stuck with a classic 4-4-2 system, with Ballack as the primary play maker. It hasn't worked. Hitzfeld has been trying to stick a square block into a circle slot (as my 22 month old daughter sometimes attempts ). I just hope that Hitzfeld changes his ways. Either that or his successor utilizes Ballack properly, if Bayern decides to replace Hitzfeld. It would be best to use a 3-5-2 system, with Ballack being the third central midfielder with a pure defensive mid and a pure playmaker. Either that, or they should do what Toppi did at Leverkusen - have Ballack as left mid / roaming mid.
ballack was the #10 at bayer... and for that matter, with germany at WC i'd say that's pretty good evidence that he IS a playmaker... ya know... to go along with your evidence
Actually, his jersey number, at Leverkusen, Bayern, and the German nats, has always been 13. And in the case of Leverkusen, Basturk was the guy right behind the forwards doing the bulk of the play-making. With Germany, Schnieder or Freier or Frings have shared in play-making duties. With Bayern, Hitzfeld has made Ballack the main play-maker, and it has not worked out so well. Bayern's offense has been stagnant and Ballack's performances have been sub-par.
We need more than 3 backs, because even with four our defence has been far below par. I think that Ballack should have more of a playmaker's role, because currently he plays in a defensive midfield position in a lot of games. Though he is not a pure playmaker, he is better suited attacking, than defending, in my opinion. I think that Hitzfeld is using him in the wrong way, and this has to be changed soon.
The only reason Bayern have been going hoohaa over Tevez is because they realise this is the problem... they need a player to link Ballack and the forwards... I just hope someone of value is bought in the summer as Tevez seems very unlikely at the moment. I completely agree with you JeffS that Ballack is more of a roaming midfielder than anything else., as is so evident with his slightly better displays with the national team.. by the way congradualtions on your daughter
Thanks! She's a blast! And I'm already brainwashing her with shouts of GOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLL!! (like Anders Cantor of Univision) whenever she kicks a soccer ball. And she watches the Bundesliga in the morning with her dad when we get up on Saturday, at least until she wants to watch "The Wiggles". Anyway, Ballack is starting to play much better the last couple of matches. Hardgreaves is playing better, and Sagnol is injured, putting Salihamidzic at right back and Schweinstieger at right mid. Well, Schweinstieger goes forward and roams in the middle a lot, making it so Ballack can do his thing more (be a "tweener"). In the last match Ballack got an assist, and in the game just completed against Schalke he sprung Ze Roberto, who set up Makaay (beautiful goal, all the way around).
I believe that Bluedaddy is correct. Ballack was the #10 with Bayer and is the #10 currently with the NationalElf. (not his shirt # - his position role on the field). The main problem is that Bayern do not have a player to the right or left of Ballack that has the class to be a secondary playmaker (like Schneider when at Bayer and with the NationalElf). However, the main problem is the defensive midfield slot at Bayern. I know you guys and girls are in love with Hargreaves, however he is not a discipline player like Didi H. behind Ballack for Germany and like Ramelow when he was at Bayer. I think that Hargreaves is an excellent player, but maybe he is the one that does not fit into the system to let Ballack take care of business. One final note...With other teams that Ballack has played for, he had active forwards would track back for the ball and midfielders and wingbacks that would push forward for attacking formations. Makaay does not track back and the current team is only pushing Ze Roberto through with passing. All other attacking is either through to Makaay or players other than Ze "carrying" the ball through. IT SEEMS THAT BAYERN THESE DAYS IS TAKING TOO LONG TOO BUILD UP THEIR OFFENSIVE PUSH!!! Many of you may not agree with me, but that is the way I see it. I think that Bayern has become took complacent at times and they sometimes look like everyone is waiting on someone else to make something happen on the field. I only get to watch Bayern on TV, and do not get to clearly analyze the movement off the ball due to the limited TV shot. Perhaps stadium dwellers can shed some light on my analysis, particularly if it is far off the mark...
You hit the nail on the head. Every time Bayern had a decent counter chance in the Champions league, it would go begging because the players would play it square or back as if they were affraid to take the ball up the field. No one is taking any initiative on the field. The only player who seems to actually try and take command of the play and attack the defence is Schweinsteiger. I have been very impressed with him. My ideal line-up for Bayern (of course I know its never gonna happen due to injuries and Hitzfeld's stubborn adherance to 4-4-2): GK: Kahn RWB: Sagnol LWB: Lizarazu CB: Kuffour CB: Kovac/Linke DM: Demichelis/Hargreaves CM: Ballack RM: Deisler/Salihamidzic LM: Ze Roberto CAM: Schweinsteiger CF: Makaay RM is still a major problem because Bayern's two best players for that position (Deisler and Scholl) are frequently injured, and with Sagnol currently injured Salihamidzic has to play right back. I think this formation would work well for Bayern because Ballack could be completely free to roam while Schweinsteiger could take over the job of linking up with the strikers. It would also maximise the amount of creative midfielders that Bayern could have on the field at one time. Makaay is a striker very suited to opperating alone, and on the counter and a 4-5-1 would suit that style perfectly. I personally would prefer a 3-5-2 but Bayern's defense is to leaky with 4 backs for that to work. What do you guys think?
I really doubt it... Bayern are financially healthy and don't need to make profits over transfers unless there's something better out there. FRINGS FOR BAYERN!!!
Ballack should really be an attacker and not a midfielder. whenever he's played in an advanced position he always does well... so might as well play him all the way up.
Sounds like a good call. Perhaps play Makaay on the offsides line, which is what he does best, and have Ballack be the free-running forward underneath. If Munich is able to land Torsten Frings, then he could take command of the center of the pitch. Use Bastian Scheinsteiger, Ze Roberto, Deisler (healthy that is) wide. Then solidy the key weakness -- defensive mid/center back. Something to think about.
I've been thinking more and more recently that Ballack would be best as a withdrawn forward, with Makaay deep for Bayern, and Kuranyi deep for Germany. This would allow Ballack to attack more, go for more goals (which he's great at), and roam and sneak around a lot (which he is also great at). Plus, Ballack is tall, and great in the air. I think it would be a natural. Bayern have no other answers for a partner for Makaay (sorry, I doubt Hashemian is the answer, Pizarro is not fitting in and wants out, and Santa Cruz just isn't that great), and Germany are very thin in the forward department (let's see how Poldolski, Lauth and Kuranyi develop). You are very perceptive eissman, and you made me think abou it. I agree with you - Ballack would be a better forward than he is a midfielder, and he would score lots of goals.
JeffS - thanks for the compliment! I hope that 12+ years of coaching has helped my perception of the game. Actually, I have used this formation with a couple of my past teams. If you have a player that is a great target and a good finisher, but lacks the stamina to give chance up top and you can couple him with the exact opposite (relentless fierceless workhorse who can draw defenders because he is a threat), then just stack them one behind the other. This opens the outside flanks and corners of the field to exploit and get in behind, plus it keeps your defensive shape. The counter side of this is you will give up space for outside backs to attack, but their absence is deterimental in a quick counter... which Ballack and Makaay would be deadly at. =)
Well at least we all agree on ONE THING, that Hitzfeld needs to go. His screwy tactics is screwing up all the players.. especially the young ones who came in always playing a certain position and ended up playing a totaly different position under Hitzfeld. Perfect exmple: Dimechilis, this kid has alot of talent if used correctly. He's not a midfielder, not even a defensive mid.. he's a center back. He played center back his whole life in River Plate. He goes to another team and he starts a whole different position he knows nothing about. Hitzfeld's time has come, so he should step aside and give another coach a chance to use all the talent Bayern has to offer. Peru y tu?
Dimechilis did a great job at center back on Saturday (for Stuttgart). His best performances have been at def-mid position.