Bundesliga is as always flooded with talents and have academies that are among the best and highest ranked in the world. Schalke’s Knappenschmiede have moulded some of the best german players and Hoffenheim’s academy has also had a few brilliant talents break into their first team. This season has been different for Hoffenheim, a club famed for their love for young talents and youth development. Dennis Geiger is the man of the season for the minimal club from Sinsheim, the 19 year old German has played for the club his whole life and has now been given a real chance in their first team under “wonderkid” Julian Nagelsmann.
Dennis Geiger is an exhilarating player. He is flexible and versatile and can play in a number or positions and roles. This season he’s been deployed either as a defensive deep-lying playmaker, which fits his attributes well. However, lately he’s also showed promise as a more attacking midfield dynamo in Hoffenheim’s three man midfield.
3 Positions that Geiger played in this season
When Nagelsmann took charge of Hoffenheim, he quickly changed their system and playing style. 5-3-2 was the way forward. The trio in midfield is about stability in transitions more than anything else. One defensive midfielder behind two more attacking ones. The latter two need to be technically astute and crave both good work rate and decent understanding. They need to be able to fiercly press an opponent, while also possessing the ability to turn around and attack. Dennis Geiger fits this description extremely well.
While this season is his first in the first team, he has actually played under Nagelsmann before. In Hoffenheim’s massively successful U19-team, Geiger was the captain for two years. Nagelsmann was the coach of this team and they won cups and tournaments for fun. Therefore, Nagelsmann knew exactly what kind of a player Geiger was and could quickly mould him and his role into the role that suits him the most. Geiger’s speed and work rate mixed with great balance makes it possible for him to either perform a juggling act in a defensive midfieldrole or to be a proper midfield dynamo.
When Nagelsmann was asked about Geiger during the Hinrunde, he answered that he knew Geiger’s strengths and weaknesses before even promoting him and that his main attribute is his fierce passion, that he never gives up, always keeps on running and isn’t scared of anything. This makes it possible for him to throw himself into challenges, reckless and thoughtful, anytime he wishes. It also enables some box-to-box play for Geiger, mainly due to his massive workrate and brilliance in both directions.
There are few weaknesses, however. He isn’t the best shooter of the ball, but he does have a decent right foot. His tackling needs improving. When there’s much at stake, he can sometimes throw himself into reckless challenges, which might come across as rash and unnecessary. However, he is still very young and needs some experience. Nagelsmann can give him just that. Hoffenheim is really the perfect place for him to develop.
Dennis Geiger has already become a key player for Hoffenheim. A club that has moulded and developed many great talents since getting promoted to Bundesliga for the first time ever in 2007, has now succeded once again in finding a future world beater. Geiger genuinely has all it takes to become a superstar, both for club and country. But what could be the next step for him?
The next step for Geiger is to stay at Hoffenheim for a few more years. He needs more experience and time to develop. He’s very much like Leon Goretzka in that regard. He’s already a regular in the starting eleven at 19, but he would be wise to stay put for a few years. But there are already big clubs lurking. When he does leave the club, there will be no shortage of interest. He’s the kind of a player that every team needs and wants. Geiger can play either as a defensive midfielder or as a central dynamo. He can also play as a more attacking playmaker with license to roam. This tactical versatility mixed with his work rate paints the picture of a future superstar that can go further than most fans could every dream of.
Tacticomotion 