New-look Czechs have made big changes, but still lack winning formula

Out with the old - Miroslav Koubek, the 75-year-old veteran, parachuted in to get them to the Americas with his limited style of direct football - and in with the new.

The man to usher in the new era was Santiago Denia. The Spaniard spent 14 years working in Spain’s national youth setup, winning the Under-17 and the Under-19 European Championships. He was there to sculpt Spain’s brightest into full internationals, something that came to a head in the summer. Whilst the Czech side were already on their holidays, Spain were beating Argentina 1-0 to lift their second-ever World Cup.

Now, Denia has been tasked with bringing that same style to the Czech Republic. But three games in and with three defeats, are his methods showing any signs of sticking?

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Back to four

It has been a baptism of fire for Denia. After the Czechs moved up to League A in the UEFA Nations League last time out, they were handed a tough group with Spain, England and Croatia - all sides that have made major finals in the last decade.

With that in mind, results can be forgiven so far. The opening loss to Croatia would have stung the most, but against England and Spain, they showed some qualities that the new manager will be pleased to see.

It was something Thomas Tuchel picked up on early. Before their first meeting, the German noted the ‘Spanish style’  and something Denia repeated in an interview with the Guardian, stating: “We want to develop, grow, open a pathway. We know the football we want and the players have identified with the style.”

Before stepping on the pitch, big decisions were made. He opted for a change of system, moving to a 4-3-3 from a 3-4-3 implemented by Koubek during the summer tournament.

Out went the imposing Patrick Schick (retirement), Tomas Chory and Tomas Soucek and in came more technical players that Denia demands for a more fluid system.

This has seen their long passes drop. Against Mexico at the World Cup, they made 53 of them across the 90 minutes, whilst against Spain they made 41. More interestingly, their accuracy with those passes. Against the World Champions, they completed 51% of them, compared to 38% against Mexico. This suggests that when they do need to use the long ball, they are doing so more strategically and with a plan in mind, rather than mindlessly lumping the ball up the pitch.

The midfield three has also come into the spotlight. Replacing the combative two that Koubek fielded, the trio against England, for example, were interchangeable, creating more problems for Thomas Tuchel’s men. Before Pavel Sulc was shown a red card in the 23rd minute, they could have been two or three goals up, and this was down to their midfield fluidity as well as their ability to press high.

Confidence is key

Implementing a drastic change like this will take time, something Denia doesn’t really have. He signed a two-year deal in the summer to take him through EURO 2028, and it will be this tournament that he will be judged on. Before qualification begins next year, he will have three more Nations League games to contend with and given they are against the three sides that have already beaten them, it feels unlikely they will have much joy there. If that is the case, it will be more than a calendar year since they picked up a competitive win in 90 minutes. 

Building that confidence will be the most important thing for Denia. This is a side that, after the highs of World Cup qualification, have struggled for form and injuries. Their talisman, Ladislav Krejci, used as a ball-playing centre-back by the Spaniard, missed the first game with a calf injury, and will miss the last one through suspension. Sulc has not played every game due to his own disciplinary misdemeanours, and this has hamstrung their national side.

But the importance of this break for the Czechs was never substance - it was style. Moving to a new system has allowed Adam Hlozek to lead the line. The Hoffenheim forward has dropped deep at times to open up space for others and has provided assists for both goals scored too, something he was unable to do with the likes of Schick and Chory in the side.

More output from him could be the key.

Euros or bust

Ultimately, the mission for Denia is getting to the European Championships in 2028; anything else will spell the end to his tenure. Even if he does qualify, he may well leave, and the experiment of a new method could come to an end. 

For now, though, getting his players to trust in his theory, a concept that will feel different for now, has to be rooted before qualification begins. Denia will not change whilst he is in charge, so it is up to the players to do it for him. Green shoots are appearing from their dismal campaign so far, but questions remain whether this partnership will truly blossom.

Follow the Czech Republic's game against England on Tuesday with Flashscore.

Josh Donaldson is a Global Senior Editor and International Football Specialist for Flashscore. From the UK, now living in Prague, Josh specialises in football and cycling and can be found at an obscure ground watching games or on his bike. You can follow Josh on X and read his articles here.