When Sandro Wagner was appointed as manager of FC Augsburg this summer, expectations rose very quickly.
It looked like a perfect match.
For the club, it was the opportunity to finally shake off its image as the Plain Jane of the Bundesliga.
Augsburg have played the same season on repeat for the past 10 years.
They started their seasons off somewhat decently, fell into a hole through the winter, got stuck in the relegation battle, but managed to fight their way out of relegation and finished between 12th and 15th in nine out of 10 seasons.
Sandro Wagner was their ticket out of there.
The former Bayern Munich striker has always had a very bright personality, even when he was a player and was perceived as arrogant, yet unique by the media.
After his playing career was over, Wagner quickly became a fan favourite as a pundit, thanks to his honest and straightforward approach to discussing the game and what happens behind the scenes.
At the same time, Wagner was starting out his coaching career by obtaining the licences required.
He never kept his goals a secret; he wanted to become a Bundesliga manager and was deeply invested in becoming a good coach.
After getting SpVgg Unterhaching promoted to the 3. Liga in his first season as a head coach, Wagner became an assistant coach for Julian Nagelsmann at the German national team, being part of the rejuvenating staff for the 2024 European Championships.
Now, after nine games of the Bundesliga season, the tenure of Wagner seems to already be close to over in Augsburg.
In this Augsburg tactical analysis, we will examine the tactics and ideas Sandro Wagner brought to FC Augsburg, why they are not working, and point out possible solutions to their problems.
No Clear Structure In The Block
Just looking at the table, it becomes rather obvious in which area FC Augsburg have struggled the most so far this season.
With 21 goals conceded in just nine games, Sandro Wagner is currently managing the team with the most goals against in the Bundesliga this term.
Obviously, their 0-6 defeat against RB Leipzig a couple of games ago was a massive contributor to that fact, but they still conceded those goals.
It’s not just the goals they conceded; they also allow the second-most expected goals and non-penalty expected goals, showing that it is not just a fluke, but a huge problem for the young coach.
Examining their defensive approach, we will review their game against Borussia Dortmund, where they attempted to play a more defensive style than in their previous couple of games.
Wagner is a young coach with a very clear idea about how football should be played.
To start
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