Football Manager 2020: Gegenpress explained - all info

The term Gegenpress was largely coined by Jürgen Klopp, as he pushed this system to perfection with Liverpool FC. We explain how to implement the tactic in Football Manager 2020.

Stop the opposition: With the counterpress you put the opponent properly to.

The so-called counterpress, a German-English term, describes the attacking of the opponent immediately after own ball loss. This opens up opportunities, but also carries risks.

Football Manager 2020: What counterpressing means in the game

You set counterpressing in the tactics window under "Umschaltspiel". The basics:

• The goal of counterpressing is to win the ball back as quickly as possible after losing the ball. Important: the team does not take its defensive position in the process. This allows an intense, direct approach to the opponent, but also carries risks if the pressing is overplayed. Because the own defense is unsorted at this moment.
• Counter-pressing therefore requires the appropriate attributes. Since the system is very run-intensive, your players need good stamina. Anticipation and dedication also make a positive impact.
• A solid defensive line with a focus on defense is also indispensable, so that the defense can not be leveraged by a long ball. Without this protection, you allow the opponent many chances, especially if he has fast offensive players on the field.
• Generally, counter-pressing is not recommended against counter-attacking teams. After all, these are just waiting for your team to advance aggressively.
• If implemented well, however, counterpressing can be very powerful. It can constrict the opponent, minimize his possession, prevent the build-up of play and provide many chances of their own, as the ball is often won close to the sixteenth.

Counterpressing does not necessarily have to be combined with classic pressing. The latter describes the behavior in defensive formation, while counter-pressing belongs to the switching game. Both are also possible independently of each other; however, since some similar attributes are required, many managers tend to include pressing and counter-pressing in the tactics at the same time.It should be noted that the intensity is increased enormously and this aggressive game drains the forces. So you should definitely keep an eye on the stamina values, so as not to end up at the end of the game