Ideas

Alexander Blessin is always full of ideas. It is important for coaches to have a clear idea of how their team should play, but it is even more important to see that idea develop.

In the pre-season and in the first three games, Blessin brought his pressing, direct idea to St. Pauli. However, it became clear that the front-foot system didn't work well out of possession. The directness of attacking through the middle is too risky, as they have been exposed to a lot of transition attacks. The system didn't suit the squad and it led to disaster as the team lost three games in a row.

Blessin then changed his mind. He reintroduced the 3-4-3 formation that the team had become accustomed to over the past two seasons and made them more patient both in and out of possession. They don't try to press their opponents as high and hard as they used to. They are defending more in the middle or in the low-block, trying to make their back line compact and overload some areas to make it harder for the opposition to get the ball into the box.

St Pauli are also more patient in their build-up. If a short build-up from the back doesn't work, they won't force it. They can play long balls straight forward, but they have also improved their ability to win the second ball. They can still be direct, but the directness is becoming more intelligent. They are not in a hurry when they attack, and the reliance on sporadic or individual moments is reduced as they become more systemic, more patient in attack.

Blessin realised that in the first three games he didn't have enough players up front, and with some injuries, he's now bringing Carlo Boukhalfa in to play regularly as a central midfielder. Boukhalfa, with his physical presence, often joins the attacking three as target up front during St. Pauli's build-up with a 6-0-4 structure, especially if they plan to play long-ball directly. It's no surprise, then, that Boukhalfa is the fourth (healthy) player with the highest aerial win number at the club.

The change also meant that Jackson Irvine's workload was reduced. The captain is still a two-round player who can help out defensively as number six, but he can also playmaker or another passing target up front. However, Irvine doesn't need to be involved in the build-up all the time. If he averaged 60 touches per 90 minutes in the first three games, he only averaged 46.25 in the past four. But he seems to be more effective with less work, contributing two assists in the span of those four games.

Blessin is also good at making the right choices when it comes to his wingers. Since Elias Saad was injured, Blessin has been using Morgan Guilavogui and Oladapo Afolayan as his main men on the flank. But the former Genoa coach can switch Guilavogui and Afolayan positions according to what he needs and what the opponents are doing. If he thinks he wants to create more trouble for the opponents in a 1 vs 1 situation, he can put Afolayan on that side. If he wants to play more directly, he can put Guilavogui on that side.

The slight alteration may seem straightforward, but it's quite effective. We saw an example of this in the match against Holstein Kiel last week, where Blessin switched Afolayan and Guilavogui positions midway through the game. The former then made three pre-assists, playing brilliantly in 1 vs 1 situations. The latter also scored one goal, as his directness worked well in the counter-attack situation. It's something we could expect from Blessin–he's good at adapting his tactics mid-game.

However, it is also worth noting that it's challenging to make adjustments mid-game or even from one game to the next when the squad is limited. Blessin had to navigate these challenges. St. Pauli's squad isn't known for its glamour in the Bundesliga, and the injuries have made things worse. To make the right change or adjustments, you need to think strategically, be courageous, and have a solid tactical plan. And so far, Blessin shows he has these things.

Just sometimes the calculations he makes, the courage he shows, and the plans he puts in place aren't enough. Sometimes the problem is a draw, not just a matter of tactics, but also individual quality. Sometimes St. Pauli lacks power up front, and bringing Adam Dzwigala, a defender, to play as a forward at the end of the game shows that. Andreas Albers could be a good and impactful substitute, but not always. Same as Danel Sinani.

Andreas Bornemann may find a new attacker in the winter transfer window to help solve the issue, but on the other side it is hard to believe that Blessin won’t find new ideas to be able to solve the problem strategically by his tactical plans. As so far this season going, he would brings some changes, some new ideas for St. Pauli. Especially when his players started to get back from the injuries. Because there’s still room for the team to evolve.

One thing that comes to mind is playing Eric Smith more up front. When Karol Mets comes back from injury, Blessin could try playing Eric Smith in a midfield position instead of playing him as a central defender who acts as a midfielder when the ball is in his possession. Especially against top teams. I, and I think most St. Pauli fans, know how valuable Smith's long balls are. But moving him up front also means that St. Pauli could add some creativity in the final third, with Smith able to make key passes or shoot from outside the box.

At the back, Hauke Wahl could play his role as the dictating CB. And by moving Smith up front, Jacko could take over Boukhalfa's position and get closer to the box more often - one of his main strengths as a player. Defensively, David Nemeth, who has been playing in Mets' absence, has also shown that he has the skill and pace to be St Pauli's main centre-back. In terms of pace, I think moving Smith up a bit would also help him to not always have to struggle to keep up with the opposition's attackers.

But that's just an idea. I think Blessin has more to offer his team in terms of making them better. Now, he might not be mentioned by many as a coach with variable options. But as someone who manages one of the promotion teams who doesn't have the luxury of spending money on players, what Blessin has brought to the team so far, in terms of ideas, really needs to be appreciated more. St Pauli may not always be the most attractive team to watch, but they really know what they are doing to become more competitive.

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I saw a lot of emotions at the Millerntor: Love, joy, passion, sadness, tears, anger. It is one of the best places in my footballing experience to see those emotions. The evening games there are always special, the atmosphere is always amazing. But the thing that makes me love being there, reporting and writing about St. Pauli at the Millerntor even more is that I can see a lot of ideas coming to fruition. This team has clear ideas about how the club, the fans and the community want to think, especially off the pitch. But since I have been there for the last few seasons, I can also see ideas, the good ones, on the pitch.