Matthias Jaissle is criticized at RB Salzburg. It could possibly be available by summer at the latest. This is registered in the German Bundesliga. Among other things, Eintracht Frankfurt should be a club that has an eye on the 35-year-old. In view of his profile, the step to Germany would only be logical – right?
Marco Rose, Roger Schmidt, Adi Hütter, Oliver Glasner – the list of successful coaches who once went through the Red Bull school in Salzburg and then stirred up the Bundesliga at least in phases is long. In 2023, another could follow this path: Matthias Jaissle.
The 35-year-old has been working in the city of Mozart since the summer of 2021 and has since scored an average of 2.27 points in 85 games. He currently has the second best average in the history of the club – including the predecessor club SV Austria Salzburg. Only Marco Rose is enthroned in front of him with 2.35 points per game.
Loud sky Jaissle is now a topic at Eintracht Frankfurt – even if only as a last resort. Glasner still has a contract with SGE until 2024. According to reports, the club would like to extend it with him. At the same time, there are always rumors that there is a crunch between the sporting director and the 48-year-old. Jaissle is said to be high on the list of successors.
But regardless of Eintracht’s supposed interest, the path of the still young coach should very soon lead to a bigger league and possibly to the Bundesliga. His profile fits perfectly into the highest German league – doesn’t it?
Mathias Jaissle combines many classic RB elements
Unlike Glasner, for example, Jaissle is a fairly classic RB coach. Both Salzburg and Leipzig play very vertical football that is characterized by transition situations. It’s part of the sporting DNA that was once implemented when the Red Bull takeover.
Jaissle’s idea involves a lot of that. He wants his players to play very direct, fast and vertical football, especially after winning the ball. High speed and a high willingness to run are essential. The risk of counterattacks and speed attacks should be absorbed by aggressive counter-pressing. Salzburg usually runs very high, trying to consistently steer opponents to the flanks and grab them there.
The midfield center plays a special role for Jaissle. That’s why the native of Baden-Württemberg usually relies on a diamond: A six, two half-space players and a clear ten behind two strikers. Four players who are able to build up control with the ball, but also four players who ensure quick reconquests and a compact basic formation.
Matthias Jaissle: Notable successes with RB Salzburg in the Champions League
Salzburg had some highlight games in the Champions League under Jaissle, in which they were able to perfectly exploit the tactical advantages of counter-pressing football. This season, it was above all the two draws against AC Milan and Chelsea FC (each 1-1).
The home game against Milan was one of equals. Salzburg even had slight advantages. With only 35 percent possession, they won a total of 16 shots and even took a 1-0 lead. The raid-like counterattack hurt the Italians, and they found too few solutions against the variable RB pressing. Jaissle is not above minimizing the risk and setting his team more defensively.
Away at Chelsea it took a lot more luck. But even then, the coach showed a certain quality. With Junior Adamu, he switched the provider to make it 1-1. Overall, Salzburg made a better impression in the closing stages and were rewarded with the equaliser.
In his first season, Jaissle drew 1-1 in the round of 16 against FC Bayern. Although the second leg was clearly lost 1:7, the first leg was very open over long stretches. Here, too, Salzburg managed to mercilessly exploit the opponent’s weakness after losing the ball. A second goal and a win would have been possible.
Matthias Jaissle: The perfect match with the German Bundesliga?
The power of his approach fits perfectly into the German Bundesliga, which was once the “pressing league” due to the influences of Jürgen Klopp and Ralf Rangnick. Counter-pressing is considered the best playmaker here. Giving the ball to the opponent and letting them make mistakes. For this reason, too, many RB coaches found their way into German professional football.
On the other hand, many clubs are now fighting each other with the same weapons. Broken down, most Bundesliga games result in both teams not being able to do much with the ball and therefore minimizing the risk in orderly ball forwarding because they know the opponent’s focus on pressing. The result is often games that lack pace and goal-area scenes, or fast-paced games that go back and forth.
Jaissle has the potential to be one of the better coaches in the Bundesliga for those who take this approach. At the same time, he could run the risk of being countered frequently if he doesn’t evolve soon.
Matthias Jaissle: Problems with RB Salzburg
In Salzburg he is currently having problems with the fact that his approach is increasingly being seen through. In the environment, the voices are getting louder that the team is stagnating. Recently there have been several games in which the dominance, the determination and above all the power were missing. Fewer degrees, fewer goals, more mistakes in the otherwise monotonous Bundesliga in Austria because of RB. There have already been six draws and one defeat in the master group. After all, the 2-0 win over pursuers Sturm Graz increased the lead to five points again.
Still not enough for the claim of Salzburg. Jaissle has been criticized for allowing football to be played in a monotonous manner. One reason is that nine players are currently out. But not everything is due to it.
As energetic and intense as the Salzburg game can be in the transitional situations, it is just as pragmatic and sometimes static when the ball is in possession for longer periods. At first, when the results were mostly correct, Jaissle saw that as a major strength. Finally someone who gives Salzburg more peace of mind on the ball.
It is now said that this approach simply does not follow a plan. If counter-pressing and the resulting offensive transitions don’t work as desired, Salzburg quickly reaches its limits.
Matthias Jaissle: How much opportunity and how much risk?
With the growing criticism, there are also more and more rumors that his leadership is problematic. The line between self-confidence and arrogance should be fine. How much of this is true and what is spread because of bad results can hardly be judged from the outside.
Nevertheless, from the point of view of many Bundesliga clubs in Germany, the question arises: how much chance and how much risk are associated with Jaissle should he actually leave RB Salzburg in the summer?
At first glance, the German is a perfect match for many teams. But a club like Eintracht Frankfurt, which under Glasner has made the step towards more holistic football, should take a very close look at Salzburg’s current deficits.
From the coach’s perspective, it’s similar. Where can Jaissle work on his idea? Where will he be forgiven for any mistakes, because you know that at the age of 35 he is still a long way from the peak of his career?
There are a few such clubs in the German Bundesliga. At the same time, there are some that he could quickly burn his fingers on. In any case, the season in which Jaissle returns to Germany will be a very interesting one. His talent is undisputed and even if there are currently doubts as to whether he can still advance Salzburg, as a young coach he is able to learn quickly. He has already proven that in the past.
In the long list of RB coaches, some of whom have even done formative work in the German Bundesliga, Matthias Jaissle could soon appear. But will he be the next Marco Rose to establish himself in the upper house? Or rather the next Jesse Marsch, who has struggled outside of Salzburg so far?
