On Saturday, Sandro Wagner and Augsburg lost 2-1 to Heidenheim. It is the worst start for Die Fuggerstädter to a Bundesliga campaign in 12 years. (Photo by Harry Langer/picture alliance via Getty Images)
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After matchday 1 of the Bundesliga, the Sandro Wagner experiment seemed off to a great start at FC Augsburg. After a 2-0 win over Hallescher FC, Augsburg beat an SC Freiburg side that finished fifth to kick off the Bundesliga campaign.
“It’s great that our game plan came to fruition, and the first half was particularly good for us,” Wagner said after the win against Freiburg. I’m very grateful to have taken over a well-functioning squad from Jess Thorup. We want to change our style of play, which the team is open to.”
What followed was a 3-2 defeat to Bayern Munich; in that game, Augsburg looked good and were close to at least capturing a point. Indeed, at that stage, it appeared that the entire club was fully buying into Wagner’s football philosophy.
The problem, however, is that since the Bayern Munich game, Augsburg has lost another three Bundesliga games. Die Fuggerstädter lost 2-1 to St. Pauli, 4-1 to Mainz, and then dropped all three points against Heidenheim last weekend (2-1).
It is a true results crisis. In fact, Augsburg even lost their friendly during the international break 2-1 to 2. Bundesliga-side SpVgg Greuther Fürth.
“We weren’t able to bring the basics onto the pitch in the way we needed to,” Wagner said after the 2-1 defeat to Heidenheim. “We lacked conviction today, but maybe also a bit of freedom in our play. Everyone wanted it—in some cases, maybe too much. We need to work hard to get ourselves back on track.”
As a result, the focus on Augsburg has now shifted entirely. Considered one of the most interesting projects in German football ahead of the start of the Bundesliga season, Augsburg and Wagner are now the centre of attention for all the wrong reasons.
Sandro Wagner is considered a big talent within the industry. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
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Whether it is Transfermarkt, Spiegel, Kicker, or Süddeutsche Zeitung, Augsburg and Wagner dominate the headlines. Unfortunately, for all the wrong reasons. The sense is that Wagner’s and Augsburg’s ambitions ahead of the season have hit reality harder than a crash test dummy hits a concrete wall.
The main story is the same in all those headlines. Wagner, who has always been a vocal and quotable star during his playing time, is now being criticized for the fact that all the focus is on him rather than his team.
Does Wagner have to change his course? That certainly seems to be the case when one reads the headlines. But Wagner and Augsburg don’t seem to feel any urgency yet.
“It isn’t about me,” Wagner said. “I just enjoy being a football coach, and I enjoy being the head coach of FCA. Everything else will hopefully turn into points over the next few weeks.”
Without a doubt, points have to come fast. Only in the 2012/13 season did Augsburg have a worse start to a Bundesliga campaign than this one. Augsburg narrowly avoided relegation that season, collecting just 33 points from 34 games.
“Until the 4-1 defeat against Mainz, we were competitive in every game,” Wagner said. “Mainz has given us a crack. We slipped up and then wanted to win the next game with simple football, and that didn’t work,” Wagner said.
What is next? There was always a high chance that Wagner’s big profile could become an issue for Augsburg. But those working behind the scenes are also adamant that the 37-year-old is an excellent coach and a great personality. It is now up to Augsburg to give him the time to make it work. If not, there will certainly be another Bundesliga club happy to give Wagner a second chance.