Manuel Baum discusses Augsburg’s upcoming Bundesliga campaign in extended interview

FC Augsburg head coach Manuel Baum has spoken at length on his decision to remain in charge of the Fuggerstädter, his tactical plans for the coming season, and precisely where several members of his squad fit into them in an interview with Kicker. The 46-year-old also identified a number of Augsburg players he believes new Bundestrainer Jürgen Klopp should be monitoring.

Baum ultimately delivered Augsburg a ninth-place finish last season, the club’s best final Bundesliga placement since 2015. What began as a three-match interim assignment following Sandro Wagner’s dismissal in December eventually became something considerably more permanent.

Baum initially insisted that he merely wished to enjoy his unexpected return to Bundesliga coaching, famously explaining in December that he was effectively “installing guardrails on the Autobahn” before returning to his position as Augsburg’s head of development and football innovation.

By late April, however, Anton Kade and Fabian Rieder were openly endorsing Baum for the permanent job after the coach had guided Augsburg safely away from the relegation battle. Baum ultimately agreed a new contract through 2028.

Speaking to Kicker at Augsburg’s Achensee training camp, Baum revealed that his decision was not finalized until the week after the season ended. After taking some time to reflect on things, Baum ultimately decided that he should remain head coach.

Baum believes switching back into his former administrative position and appointing another head coach would have threatened the continuity established during his successful second stint on the touchline. He noted that sustainable clubs cannot redefine themselves every time a new coach arrives.

Baum speaks on club culture and his role within it

The importance Baum places on club culture has been evident throughout his second tenure. When Augsburg’s organised support continued protesting the club’s controversial “image change” last December, Baum personally approached the FanKurve and asked supporters to give the team “ten percent more than their best”. A Get German Football News Augsburg relegation check from February noted that only Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Hoffenheim and Stuttgart had accumulated as many or more points than Augsburg following Baum’s Matchday 13 return.

Baum himself believes FCA succeeded because they created a genuine unit and a healthy dressing-room culture. Players enjoyed training and working with one another, while the coaching staff attempted to give every individual a clear purpose. Crucially, Baum says Augsburg adapt their football to suit their players rather than forcing the players to conform to a preconceived tactical plan.

Baum speaks on tactical plans for the season

One positional experiment from the conclusion of last season has already become permanent. Fabian Rieder will remain in central midfield. The Swiss international apparently told Baum during Augsburg’s end-of-season celebrations that his performances there represented the best football of his career. Baum has now found what he believes to be Rieder’s optimal position.

Baum also confirmed that strikers Michael Gregoritsch and Rodrigo Ribeiro can play together. The two forwards offer significantly different profiles, something Baum considers desirable. Ribeiro’s role was anything but obvious when the Sporting CP loanee arrived during the winter transfer window. Gregoritsch had already been added to the squad and FCA possessed several other centre-forward options.

Baum nevertheless handed Ribeiro a surprise Bundesliga start in February and later explained the club’s reasoning in detail. Augsburg wanted to provide young players with a platform, but only when the coaching staff considered the timing correct. Ribeiro promptly rewarded the decision with his first Bundesliga goal, with Baum praising his technical quality and the scouting work behind the acquisition. GGFN examined Baum’s decision and Ribeiro’s breakthrough.

Gregoritsch also became an important figure during the successful second half of the campaign. Baum notably offered a nuanced defence of the Austrian after his widely praised fair-play intervention against Hamburg in April. The coach does not, however, wish to manufacture endless tactical possibilities merely because his squad contains versatile players.

Every player should possess a clear “1A” position and, where appropriate, a “1B” alternative. Constantly opening new possibilities risks confusing players rather than helping them. Anton Kade serves as Baum’s prime example.

The former Basel player initially viewed himself primarily as a wing-back, but Augsburg’s staff believed his attributes could be utilised further forward and showed him how playing higher could place him into more scoring situations.

Baum subsequently took that versatility much further. Kade was even used as a centre-forward during the early stages of Baum’s tenure and spearheaded the attack in Augsburg’s sensational victory over Bayern while Gregoritsch was unavailable.

His progression has now become significant enough for Baum to mention him as a possible Germany international.

Dahmen, Kade, Kömür, Banks and Schnitzer for Klopp?

Kicker asked Baum whether any Augsburg players might feature among the 57 names new Bundestrainer Jürgen Klopp reportedly has under consideration. Baum did not struggle for candidates. Finn Dahmen and Anton Kade should, he hopes, already feature on the list.

Mert Kömür, Noahkai Banks and academy prospect Tim Schnitzer are players Baum hopes may eventually join them. New signing Hennes Behrens was another name the FCA coach volunteered, while Baum has also considered Robin Fellhauer’s potential merits as a Germany wing-back.

Baum was already lobbying publicly for his goalkeeper last April after Dahmen produced a spectacular nine-save performance against Bayer Leverkusen. The Augsburg coach said at the time that a highlight package of Dahmen’s performance could have lasted ten minutes and argued that his weekly displays rendered him worthy of international consideration. 

Banks presents a particularly interesting international case. The Augsburg academy defender enjoyed a major breakthrough last season and subsequently revealed that he remained open to representing either the United States or Germany at senior level. In February, Banks credited both Wagner and Baum for helping young players such as himself and Kömür develop. 

Hennes Behrens isn’t to be forgotten

One of the players intended to provide something new is Hennes Behrens. Augsburg paid €3.5m for the youngster and Baum believes the signing neatly embodies the club’s recruitment profile. Behrens is young, but has already demonstrated that he can operate at Bundesliga level with Heidenheim.

Following Giannoulis’ departure, Baum considers the likelihood of Behrens receiving significant playing time very high. Character again played a role in the transfer. Baum described Behrens as grounded and natural, precisely the type of personality Augsburg wants to have in the locker room. 

The coach expects supporters to appreciate a player prepared to repeatedly work the flank, create goals and potentially score himself. Heidenheim trainer Frank Schmidt even recommended Behrens once it became clear he could not retain him.

Manuel Baum prepares for Schalke reunion

The fixture list has supplied Augsburg with an especially interesting opening opponent. Baum will begin the new campaign against Schalke, the club he coached briefly between September and December 2020. His spell in Gelsenkirchen remains an unusual chapter in his career, not least because it took place during the coronavirus pandemic.

Baum recalled that only 300 spectators were permitted to attend one Revierderby against Borussia Dortmund. As a result, he never truly experienced Schalke as the club normally exists. His second Augsburg stint has produced rather different memories.

It included victories over Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich, the latter ending Bayern’s 27-match Bundesliga unbeaten streak. The aftermath even produced one of last season’s more humorous press-conference exchanges, when Vincent Kompany became confused by a Bavarian reference to a case of beer before Baum eventually confirmed that his Augsburg players could celebrate with one.

More importantly, Augsburg transformed themselves from relegation candidates into ninth-place finishers. The question now concerns what Baum and his unusually settled squad can do with a full season. Asked what would need to happen for him to be happy when sitting down for the same interview in one year, Baum first offered another characteristically dry answer.

It would be nice, he joked, if he were still conducting the interview as Augsburg head coach.

<

p style=”font-weight:400″>GGFN | Peter Weis