Klinsmann's South Korean National Team is facing an emergency (2)

 

Klinsmann's South Korean National Team is facing an emergency (1)

Now, let's delve into the discussion about Klinsmann.

 

As mentioned in the previous posts,

the main issue is that it's unclear what type of football Klinsmann wants to implement.

It's not a possession-based gradual build-up,

not an aggressive pressing to create opportunities,

not widening the central space using the flanks,

and not relying on counterattacks to exploit the backline.

 

It's challenging to comprehend the overall concept of the game.

 

To give him the benefit of the doubt, let's say he aims to operate the game by utilizing the characteristics of the existing squad rather than forcing players into a specific tactical system.

Even then, it remains unclear.

 

There seems to be a failure in utilizing the strengths of the players.

Except for Kim Min-jae, who is effectively utilized for his broad coverage and quick feet, it's hard to identify other players benefiting from their strengths.

 

Even with Kim Min-jae, he can't handle the entire defense alone.

Due to fatigue or other factors, defensive cracks start to appear, leading to the continuous increase in goals conceded during the group stage.

The defensive vulnerabilities seen in the group stage could be attributed to this impact.

 

Returning to the discussion of utilizing players' strengths, in the previous post, 

the focus was on the defensive setup.

Looking at the midfielders, let's start with Hwang In-beom.

One of Hwang In-beom's significant strengths is his ability to immediately transition into forward passes or through passes after winning the ball in pressing situations. He excels in preventing tackles from behind and has good kicking ability, along with a broad vision to pass into space.

However, these strengths are not being utilized effectively. The environment often results in him being pressed rather than applying pressure, and the presence of other players in overlapping positions or being marked by the opposing defense hinders his ability to transition or supply through passes.

Next is Lee Jae-sung.

In the last Malaysia match, he was utilized centrally, but in the previous two games, he was isolated on the flanks. Lee Jae-sung's major strength lies in his high activity level and wide range of movement, almost as if he contributes the work of two players.

Continuously pressuring, tackling, connecting plays, and pressuring again-, these are his strengths.

However, by confining Lee Jae-sung to the flanks, these strengths are not effectively utilized.

Additionally, without a coherent pressing strategy, even if he applies pressure, he often ends up doing it alone.

No matter how talented a player is, individual pressing is not effective. 

Yet, with Lee Jae-sung left to run around on his own, effective pressing is unlikely to occur.

 

The attacking line is even more problematic.

In the previous post, the issues with Lee Kang-in, Cho Gue-sung, and Son Heung-min from each player's perspective were pointed out.

However, this also implies that the coach can't use these players in any other way.

Lee Kang-in is stuck in the same pattern, Cho Gue-sung is isolated, 

and Son Heung-min is consistently overlapping.

It raises doubts about whether the coach properly understands these players.

This has been a concern since Klinsmann's early days.

If one were to ask whether Klinsmann was a suitable figure for our national team from the beginning, 

I would firmly say no. 

Following Paulo Bento, who significantly developed the national team over the past four years and achieved good results in the Qatar World Cup, Klinsmann's appointment seems puzzling.

Coach Bento had a clear concept. 

He executed pressing systematically, and the movements of players after winning the ball were well-coordinated. The tactical goal of advancing the ball forward through concise passes was evident.

Even if things didn't go well, the team maintained clear spacing while defending and effectively executed counterattacks with pre-planned movements.

He was a coach who organized the team well, showcasing what he wanted the team to do in different situations.

 

It's truly disheartening to see the team, which was so diligently built, now in such a state. 

It feels like the coach was appointed based solely on the reputation of his name. 

This sense of relying only on reputations extends to the coach trusting the players' reputations.

Clubs like Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and others featuring players from the top European leagues are believed in based solely on their names.

Consequently, the team becomes overly reliant on the players' conditions. 

If the players are in good form on a given day, the game goes well; if not, it doesn't. 

To illustrate, let's take a closer look at the three group stage matches with Lee Kang-in as the focal point.

In the Bahrain match, Lee Kang-in's patterns were not easily read, and he was in excellent form.

Consequently, the team won.

However, in the next two games, as mentioned in the previous posts, the patterns became predictable, and it seemed like Lee Kang-in's form had declined.

Therefore, the team drew.

It wouldn't be an overstatement to say they lost those games.

 

What's even more disheartening is the lack of hope or expectation for the future. 

During Coach Bento's tenure, there were indeed times when the national team underperformed, but there was still a glimmer of hope. We could see what he wanted to achieve, what goals he was working towards. 

We knew there was a plan in place, and even if the organization wasn't fully established, there was a belief that things would improve with time and coordination.

Now, it feels like there's no clear goal. 

We're left wondering if there's even a process to observe, let alone whether such a process exists. 

Is the only hope for improvement to have more Korean players in higher-ranking clubs like Real Madrid, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus?

Should we pray for a day when all our national team players are part of such prestigious clubs?

Will the national team only perform well when that day comes?

If so, then what's the need for a coach?

One advantage of Coach Klinsmann is that the team atmosphere has improved compared to before.

Players reportedly feel more comfortable in the national team environment.

However, in the current situation where the team's performance is lacking, this comfort could become a double-edged sword.

"Feeling comfortable" might be interpreted as becoming complacent, and "being at ease" might be perceived as having lost the edge.

The passion and dedication of the players could come under scrutiny, even though it's natural for them to feel that way in the given circumstances.

 

As of now, the only alternative I can think of is a change in coaching staff.

It doesn't matter who, and they don't need to have a big name, but we need someone who can create a team with a clear goal.

 

South Korea should aim to surpass the level of being the best in Asia, and at the same time, many Asian countries are quickly catching up.

 

Maintaining the current situation is not stagnation; it's falling behind.

I hope someone who realizes this can lead the South Korean team forward.