Roger Schmidt

by Casciavit Wed Aug 27, 2014 11:12 pm

Quickly gaining recognition, is the German hailing from Kierspe, Roger Schmidt. As a player, his career really isn't much to talk about. Like many other German coaches, his career consisted of him playing in the lower divisions of German football. He retired in 2005 and coached three small teams in the 2nd and 3rd division.

He got his big break in June 2012.

He was hired by Red Bull Salzburg along with a new sporting director, Ralf Rangnick. They were given the goal of giving the team an identity.

Ralf Rangnick brought in players specifically known for their high workrate, the identity Schmidt and Rangnick sought out was to make a team who pressed high up the pitch, but as soon as they got the ball they attacked as quickly as possible. The Germans call it 'gegenpressing' which translates to counter-pressing. Schmidt set his side out in a 4-2-4.

In his first season with RB Salzburg, they finished 2nd in the league and reached the semis in the Austrian cup. However, although they finished trophyless there was a clear plan and everyone expected them to do better the following season, which they did.

Roger Schmidt side first came to prominence against Bayern in Jan. 2014, where they beat the then reigning CL winners 3-0. Pep after the game called them as the most intense side he has ever seen. However, more international recognition was to follow.

In the round of 16 in EL, RB Salzburg dismantled Ajax at home in less than 45 minutes. They where leading 3-0 and there pressing didn't allow Ajax to get out of their own half. They won the first leg 3-0 and the second leg 3-1. They were then knocked out by Basel in the next round, albeit very unluckily.

They won the Austrian Bundesliga, with an 18 point lead ahead of second place. They scored 110 goals in the process. They also won the Austrian cup.

Such achievement found Schmidt hired by Leverkusen. And he's been off to a flying start. His Leverkusen side beat Dortmund 2-0 and they scored the fastest goal in Bundesliga history. They then qualified into the CL group stages, beating Copenhagen 7-2 on aggregate.

And the journey doesn't stop now. I'll regularly bump this thread, posting there results, goals and other things. I think we have a new Simeone/Klopp on our hands.

Here are the goals they scored against Copenhagen (2nd leg).

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Fastest goal in Bundesliga history against BVB:

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Highlights of RB Salzburg-Ajax and RB Salzburg-Bayern

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A more in depth analysis on his tactics:

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by Hapless_Hans Wed Aug 27, 2014 11:16 pm

by RealGunner Wed Aug 27, 2014 11:19 pm

He is definitely catching the eye. If Leverkusen keeps this up, they can very well challenge Bayern instead of Dortmund.

Great post Cas

by rwo power Thu Aug 28, 2014 12:24 am

Casciavit wrote:They were then knocked out by Basel in the next round, albeit very unluckily.

Not so unluckily. They simply ran into Yann Sommer who managed the feat to keep a clean sheet against them after they scored at least one goal in 61 (!) consecutive matches before that fateful EL match-up. :coffee:

BTW, great article about Roger Schmidt and his work!

by MaestroFavre Thu Aug 28, 2014 3:26 am

Best managerial appointment I have seen in a long time. As soon as I heard that he was appointed , I immediately thought that this would be a masterstroke for Leverkusen.

Definitely one of the best young coaches in the game already. Can't wait for Schmidt vs Guardiola . However, I would have really loved to see Tuchel still at Mainz or even more so, make the move to Schalke. If that move had come to fruition, the top four teams of the Bundesliga would then have four of the best young coaches in the world and most tactically astute. Could you imagine how competitive and tactically enthralling these match ups would be?

by Casciavit Thu Aug 28, 2014 1:07 pm

Thank you RG & RWO.

MaestroFavre wrote:Best managerial appointment I have seen in a long time. As soon as I heard that he was appointed , I immediately thought that this would be a masterstroke for Leverkusen.

Definitely one of the best young coaches in the game already. Can't wait for Schmidt vs Guardiola . However, I would have really loved to see Tuchel still at Mainz or even more so, make the move to Schalke. If that move had come to fruition, the top four teams of the Bundesliga would then have four of the best young coaches in the world and most tactically astute. Could you imagine how competitive and tactically enthralling these match ups would be?

Yeah, I had actually thought about that a while ago. The games would have been awesome. As for Schmidt vs Pep, I'm fairly confident Leverkusen would beat Bayern. His style thrives against teams that build from the back.

We will have to wait for that match though, they don't play until December.

by The Franchise Thu Aug 28, 2014 1:40 pm

If I had known about this earlier, I would have got tickets and gone to see the game vs FCK.

In any event, Casc has peaked my intrest here. Ill find a way to check them out at some point, perhaps the CL will be the best bet.

by dostoevsky Thu Aug 28, 2014 2:14 pm

Certainly a fan, I'll be making an attempt to watch Leverkusen as often as possible throughout the year.

by Casciavit Sat Sep 06, 2014 5:46 pm

LEVERKUSEN THRIVING UNDER SCHMIDT'S WING

Leverkusen - Days after his appointment as head coach of Bayer 04 Leverkusen, Roger Schmidt gave an interview in which he said that “there is no quiet, calm football any more”. His start in Leverkusen has lived up to his word: die Werkself are making quite the Bundesliga splash.Five games into the 2014/15 season and a record of five wins and 19 goals is quite something to boast, even in early September. Borussia Dortmund have been swatted aside and UEFA Champions League qualification assured with ease. Rudi Völler, Leverkusen’s sporting director, is quite clear on the reason behind the club’s positive start: Schmidt’s new system. “It's about pressing high and forcing mistakes,” he pointed out. “Sometimes it’s risky, sometimes you could be embarrassed, but we just want to play good football and pick up points.”
Record-breaking start

Schmidt has begun life in the Bundesliga in exactly the same way his teams start games: by storm - and he is another to credit his system. “We’ve either got the ball and we’re trying to get forward quickly,” explained the 47-year-old, “or the opposition have got the ball and we’re trying to press them." So far, it has worked a treat. In both Champions League wins over FC København, Schmidt’s Leverkusen had opened the scoring within two minutes. Even more memorable, however, was Karim Bellarabi’s goal after just nine seconds on Matchday 1 against Borussia Dortmund, a new Bundesliga record.

It was perhaps the perfect example of Schmidt’s style. Just as he had described, Leverkusen had the ball from the kick-off and drove forward quickly. It was devastatingly simple but goalscorer Bellarabi recognised exactly how the goal came about. “We believe in our system,” said the winger, who also netted in Matchday 2’s win against Hertha Berlin. “We know what we have to do, and we know that if we implement it, we’ll be successful.” Club captain Simon Rolfes is another of Schmidt's disciples: “We attack hard and early. We want to force mistakes and the system is the foundation for that.”
Self-belief and intensity

Leverkusen’s most recent win, 4-2 over Hertha, however, didn’t unfold in quite the same breathtaking way as the København and Dortmund successes. Tin Jedvaj made an early mistake by turning the ball into his own net, but die Werkself trusted in their system and their coach to get them out of trouble.

Bellarabi emphasised that the "self-belief” imparted by Schmidt was the key reason for maintaining their flawless record. As for the coach, he said after the game that all he did at half-time was encourage his troops to “regain their intensity”. That they did was thanks in part to Hakan Calhanoglu's two assists against the Berliners, the 20-year-old already representing a vital cog in the Leverkusen chief's system since joining from Hamburger SV in the summer.
Top of the pile

The Turkish international has already assumed the creative role that last season's rigid midfield lacked, but he also provides his coach and team-mates with a valuable addition to their modus operandi with his impeccable set-pieces. Against København, he scored directly from a free-kick and against Hertha, he delivered perfectly to Emir Spahic to nod home. It’s a get-out clause if Schmidt’s framework fails. Having plied his trade as an attacking midfielder himself, the man in the dugout understands the nuances of the role perfectly. “Playing in an inside-left, or inside-right position is perfect for Hakan."

Schmidt and Leverkusen have been making quite a racket in the Bundesliga with their new system, and now that they sit top of the league for the first time in five years, they’ve really got something to shout about.

Daniel Thacker

http://www.bundesliga.com/en/liga/news/2014/0000300764.php

by Casciavit Sat Sep 06, 2014 5:48 pm

by nadinkrah Sat Sep 06, 2014 5:56 pm

I didn't know much about this coach. Very good thread. Looking forward to watching levekusen this season

by LeSwagg James Sat Sep 06, 2014 9:06 pm

Why doesn't every team play like this? Or try to?

Shouldn't the point of football be to get the ball as fast as you can, and then attack as fast as you can? At least try to do it as much as you can without tiring yourself out

I play the same way in FIFA, even if I'm up 1-0 in the 90th minute I got my settings on pressing and ultra attack always bombing forward Proud

by Casciavit Fri Dec 05, 2014 3:29 pm

Article on Leverkusen's quick attacking play

http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2014/12/2/7312419/bayer-leverkusen-bundesliga-statistical-analysis-roger-schmidt

Roger Schmidt Leverkusen_fastshots.0

by Casciavit Fri Dec 05, 2014 3:30 pm

Leverkusen play against Bayern tomorrow, which is going to be a great game for sure.

by iftikhar Sat Dec 06, 2014 5:52 am

Casciavit wrote:Leverkusen play against Bayern tomorrow, which is going to be a great game for sure.

Goooooooooooooooooo Leverkusen :wub:

by Casciavit Sat Dec 06, 2014 5:28 pm

Leverkusen-Bayern in 2 minutes.

Here's hoping Leverkusen don't get smashed Laughing

by rwo power Sat Dec 06, 2014 6:38 pm

Leverkusen give a very good account of themselves so far.

by rwo power Sat Dec 06, 2014 6:49 pm

Unfortunately the "so far" seems to be over now -_-

by Casciavit Sat Dec 06, 2014 6:55 pm

rwo power wrote:Unfortunately the "so far" seems to be over now -_-

goal from a set piece ffs

by rwo power Sat Dec 06, 2014 6:59 pm

Don't you watch the match? Bayern squandered 2 sitters by now after that setpiece and Leverkusen didn't look convincing at all then.

by Art Morte Sat Dec 06, 2014 7:01 pm

rwo power wrote:Don't you watch the match? Bayern squandered 2 sitters by now after that setpiece and Leverkusen didn't look convincing at all then.

When she's not hating on Di Matteo, she's hating on everyone else who cannot challenge Bayern Proud

by Casciavit Sat Dec 06, 2014 7:02 pm

rwo power wrote:Don't you watch the match? Bayern squandered 2 sitters by now after that setpiece and Leverkusen didn't look convincing at all then.

I am, and I did see Lewa's missed sitter. Why are you mad? All I did was describe there goal and lamented the fact it came from a set piece...

Calma.