When Lucien Favre was appointed as manager of Borussia Monchengladbach on February 14th, 2011, The Foals sat rock bottom of the Bundesliga table, three points behind VfB Stuttgart and seven points from safety. The 1980’s Bundesliga powerhouses faced the very real possibility of returning to the second division, the clutches of which they had only left two seasons ago.
Fast-forward four years and Favre’s side stood third in the Bundesliga, securing direct qualification fo Champions League football next season. Gladbach finished with the second best defensive record in the league, a product of the manager’s compact 4-4-2 system, mildly reminiscent of that employed at Atletico Madrid by Diego Simeone.
Banks of four, four and two players at the top of the 18-yard box sit tight and cut passing lanes in Favre’s system, looking to choke out the opponent. When they win back the ball, Gladbach then counter-attack with structure. The lateral – rather than vertical – movement in the system encourages giving opposition players space on the flanks, where the touchline acts as a natural defender to the team in possession.
While the pressing style known as ‘gegenpressing’ is used far more by teams such as Dortmund and Leverkusen, Monchengladbach utilize it up to a point, before backing-off slightly to avoid creating holes for the opposition. The changed mentality and style has allowed the team to take the game to the bigger sides like Bayern without the severe danger of allowing a weak defence to be exploited.
The system lets the opponent move the ball to the flanks, but by shutting down forward passes, they are forced to pass backwards in a way that is not threatening to the Foals defense. The only major weakness in the system has been the lack of a true defensive-midfielder to sit in front of the back four all the times, which occasionally results in space for a midfielder outside of the box. Still, one area they are yet to strengthen in, Gladbach and Favre have instead added quality elsewhere, notably the confirmation of Thorgan Hazard’s permanent signing after the former Chelsea youngster’s impressive loan showing.
As well as that, Favre’s young Swiss compatriot Josip Drmic has joined the side from fellow European football chasers Leverkusen; with the striker an important piece of the formation puzzle. Despite the Foals’ defensive prowess, scoring was not their strong point without the touch off a true centre-forward, and the addition of Drmic, if he can fit in, will instantly improve the side going forward.
The presence of Favre, not only as a fellow Swiss, but as an experienced coach, should enable Drmic to adapt to life around the club quickly, already having been part of a high-energy pressing system at Bayer Leverkusen. Though not always a first-choice at the BayArena, the 22-year-old will relish the opportunity to become a primary forward at his new club, and show what he is capable of to his new manager.
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Another strengthening move from Favre was identifying a lack of pace in the centre of defence, signing promising youngster Nico Elvedi from FC Zurich during this window. With added speed in defence, Gladbach may be inclined to let his full-backs push forward independently of the backline more often, although how often Elvedi will play is uncertain.
Heading into a new season, with new expectations and Champions League football, Favre will be wary of the pitfalls that clubs often succumb to dividing their time across European and Domestic competition. Liverpool epitomized this with their barnstorming title challenge and Champions League qualification in 2013-14, before falling in the group stages and struggling domestically the following season.
Playing a pressing style of football always carries the potential of tiring out players too quickly, and Favre’s management skills will never be more necessary than in the forthcoming campaign. As the Swiss maestro continues to plot Monchengladbach’s scintillating resurgence, you can guarantee an entertaining season.
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