Tactical uniqueness and flexibility
Sebastian Hoeneß's tactical uniqueness and flexibility are undoubtedly his best qualities as a manager, and Borussia Dortmund desperately needs them. His capacity to play with different formations within a scheme while optimizing his players' best qualities is a trait that BVB should not take for granted.
Hoeneß's tactics are different from those we are used to seeing nowadays. Since the "Guardiolization" of football, many sides like to play with a crowded midfield to try to keep possession and create numerical advantages on the pitch. However, Hoeneß likes the old-school 4-4-2, which was very common in world football in the early 2000s but with a unique touch.
Hoeneß mutated this "old-fashioned" scheme into a strategy that allowed him to keep possession and also become flexible enough to use other variations and playing styles. For instance, it is also very typical to see Stuttgart variating to a back-three in a 3-4-3 or a 4-2-3-1 as alternatives.
His build-up resembles much of Roberto De Zerbi's, with one of the strikers dropping deep and the wingers stretching the pitch in a 4-2-4 formation. His teams aim to expand the field of play while attracting their opponents to transition and attack.
Offensively, Hoeneß has many tricks up in his sleeve. He essentially sets up in an unorthodox 3-3-4, with his fullbacks needing to be able to overlap/underlap attacks and carry the ball to the final third. He mainly likes his players to create overloads in broad areas and rehearse crosses from deadly positions, especially at the half-spaces close to the opponent's box. Hoeneß, however, is also not afraid to go long with through balls to make passes back between defenders in open space.
Defensively, he uses the same structures previously cited, but Hoeneß focuses on setting up a compacted mid-block shape. Out of possession, he uses a dynamic pressing system that can vary from zonal, considering where the ball is, to man-to-man coverage. This approach aims to block the opponents’ main passing lanes and creates 3v1 advantages in central areas.
Considering the number of formations and strategies that I have just described, it is possible to visualize how Hoeneß's tactics are unique. As much as Dortmund seems to keep looking for the next Jürgen Klopp with their past managerial decisions, which are not necessarily attainable expectations, Sebastian Hoeneß might be the closest thing to a Klopp successor in today's Bundesliga.