Austrian football has defined itself "through something else for decades." That's why "an extreme amount is missing to be able to keep up with Argentina and Spain."
How Should We Proceed?
Although the Viennese admits that the gap hasn't been that large in recent years. "Because we were really great in terms of intensity and playing against the ball, it looked good," says the man who will also accompany the ADMIRAL Bundesliga as an expert on "Sky" in the new season.
The question Herzog asks himself: "Do we continue like this or do we need some players in there where it's not about size and physical power, but rather game intelligence comes first?"
"Harry Kane erzählt, er hat in jedem Training 100 Mal aufs Tor geschossen. Unsere Kinder machen das halt nicht, weil die Schwerpunkte woanders liegen."
If he has his way, a paradigm shift is needed.
"You can only apply the levers in youth development. Children need to dribble more, have more shots on goal. The crucial thing is: there needs to be much more individual training. It's about detailed work in each position. You can't have a full-back train the same way as a centre-forward or a holding midfielder," says Herzog.
More Courage with the Ball
Speaking of strikers. The fact that currently not even a handful of Austrian strikers are seriously pushing for a spot in the national team is a reality.
Herzog on this: "We don't train strikers properly. Harry Kane says he shot at goal 100 times in every training session. The balls don't just lay themselves down for him. It's about practicing, practicing, practicing. Our children simply don't do that because the focus is elsewhere."
Generally, courage is required. "Many are afraid of making a mistake, so they play passively backwards. We need to ensure that with every first touch, we turn forward immediately to continue the play. We must encourage courage and allow for mistakes," demands the ex-pro, who collected nine titles in his active career.
Are Results Too Important?
The problem: In youth football, it's also about results. Coaches want to prove themselves, needing to provide short-term performance evidence. However, talent development is a long-term project.
Herzog is aware of this dilemma: "One hundred percent, too much emphasis is placed on results in youth development. There are many young coaches who want to be successful because they also want to make a career. As a club, I have to question whether these are the right coaches. Perhaps it's better to take an older coach who no longer has these goals."
Positive Aspects Too
However, the 57-year-old doesn't want to criticize everything, seeing positive developments in youth football as well.
"There are good approaches at the ÖFB. Konstantin Breuer (Ed.: Head of ÖFB Training Concept) and Martin Stranzl are doing some really good things, but I then miss the implementation at the clubs. It only works together. The common goal must be to produce better players."
