Toni Polster (r.) And Team Principal Franco Foda.
Franco Foda is under criticism after the 2: 5 embarrassment against Israel. Experts denounce system change. Toni Polster is also “crazy about it”.
2: 5! Austria went down in Israel on Saturday evening and has practically no chance of first place in the group and direct qualification for the 2022 World Cup. Team boss Franco Foda offered a three-way defensive chain, switched after the 1: 3 during the break. The team shouldn't have much fun with the three-way chain. Fans and experts alike are bothered by the constant change in the basic orientation after the ÖFB team had performed well at the EURO.
Roman Mählich criticized the team boss in his break analysis: “A really good team only needs one system.” Foda reacted after the match that he could not understand the criticism of the ORF expert. Herbert Prohaska rushed to his colleague Mählich's help: “If the system wasn't to blame, why did he change it during the break?”
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With Toni Polster, another football icon is now commenting on the cause. As a guest at “Sport und Talk aus dem Hangar 7”, he shows understanding for both sides on “ServusTV”, but lets it through that he too does not agree with one or the other of Foda's decisions.
First his analysis of the defeat: “I don't know, was the team too sure that they would win easily there. That it wouldn't work with a few percent less. I would have ruled that out before the game because we were already under pressure I would have expected a concentrated performance. And that she would pick up where she left off at the EURO. Unfortunately, it was not the case. It cannot be glossed over. It was an embarrassing defeat. “
As usual, he says humorously about the system cause: “It's not an explanation. You can have the best tactics. Whether it's a chain of three, a chain of four or a pearl necklace – it doesn't matter. If you make such mistakes, you will always lose, of course.”
Polster goes into depth: “I always say like this: a coach always has to think about something beforehand. A critic can be critical afterwards, of course. But I think that Foda thought that the Israelis are not Italy. We can approach it a bit more offensively. Three defenders will be enough. But then we made mistakes that you shouldn't make at this level. Of course, important players were missing: Schlager, Sabitzer, Kalajdzic. They are of course already missing. The People who have played usually have class too. But then Grillitsch doesn't play at Hoffenheim, Schöpf very little.
Finally, he goes straight to the duel between Foda and Mählich: “I think you have to see it fairly. When I see the dispute between Foda and Mählich, both of me are right. Of course, Mählich is right when he says: You are hired These coaches always get on the … on me when they say after the game: 'Yes, I switched from 4-4-2 to 3-5-2, then things went better. If I have to do that, then either I haven't done my homework beforehand or I don't know my own team enough. “
Polster also makes the players responsible: “I just think such a system is a foundation on which you can build a house. But on this foundation you have to bring heart and passion. You have to win duels, show emotions and You can't allow yourself to make mistakes like that. I know both sides, I'm a coach and a critic. Of course, it's always relatively easy to criticize afterwards.
