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Mensch: Beyond the Cones
Germany has a reputation for being the place where young footballers get the chance to develop, but what about coaches? Speaking to different coaches and members of staff across the country, Mensch outlines the attributes that make the German system special. With a detailed breakdown of the academy, conversations with some of the top coaches in the game and insights into the German coaching community, this is why their coaches are so in demand, why the system creates so much talent, and what the next step is for German coaching.
260 pages, Paperback
Published June 3, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 3, 2021
Die Leidenschaft - is like a school essay - 1
Das Kompetenz - really interesting stuff on DFB Akademie - 5
Der Lehrer - top insides on German Association of coaches - 5
Der Vorsprung - is like an interview in a sport magazine - 1
Die Initiative - everyone writes on Reinartz - 3
Der Erfinder - good explanation - 5
Die Reife - interview from spielvergerung - 2
Der Denker - interesting, I didn’t know - 5
Der Mensch - football story - 2
Die Erfahrung - classy - 5
Der Philosoph - interesting, I didn’t know - 5
Der Malocher - typical - 3
In general this book is a good effort. Thanks to the author for the research
Das Kompetenz - really interesting stuff on DFB Akademie - 5
Der Lehrer - top insides on German Association of coaches - 5
Der Vorsprung - is like an interview in a sport magazine - 1
Die Initiative - everyone writes on Reinartz - 3
Der Erfinder - good explanation - 5
Die Reife - interview from spielvergerung - 2
Der Denker - interesting, I didn’t know - 5
Der Mensch - football story - 2
Die Erfahrung - classy - 5
Der Philosoph - interesting, I didn’t know - 5
Der Malocher - typical - 3
In general this book is a good effort. Thanks to the author for the research
April 27, 2020
Mensch : Beyond the Cones (2019) by Jonathan Harding is an interesting look at German football coaches and how German football is organised. Harding is a freelance journalist who writes about German football.
Harding talks to lower league coaches, coaches at the German school for coaches, various older, very experienced coaches and looks at why Germany now has a number of young coaches having success in the Bundesliga. Harding also looks at why the German National Team failed so dramatically at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The book chapters are things like Philosoph, Erfinder, Lehrer and each chapter has a nice summary of the main point of the interview at the end.
There is a lot of discussion about the new wave of young German coaches like Jurgen Klopp, Julian Nagelsmann, Dominico Tedesco and Thomas Tuchel. Harding shows how the DFB has made an effort to not only train young players but also to train coaches and set up a system where they get Bundesliga jobs after suitable experience at lower levels. Harding contrasts this to England where importing managers has become the setup and there is little space for English managers except largely in the lower parts of the league.
Harding also points out how the English National Team currently has a young coach who is working out well.
Mensch is a very solid book that has a lot of insight from the interviews. For anyone interested in German football it's well worth a read. It has some interesting analysis of what happened to the German National Team. The book also has value for people interested in how to train and develop leaders in an incredibly tough environment.
Harding talks to lower league coaches, coaches at the German school for coaches, various older, very experienced coaches and looks at why Germany now has a number of young coaches having success in the Bundesliga. Harding also looks at why the German National Team failed so dramatically at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The book chapters are things like Philosoph, Erfinder, Lehrer and each chapter has a nice summary of the main point of the interview at the end.
There is a lot of discussion about the new wave of young German coaches like Jurgen Klopp, Julian Nagelsmann, Dominico Tedesco and Thomas Tuchel. Harding shows how the DFB has made an effort to not only train young players but also to train coaches and set up a system where they get Bundesliga jobs after suitable experience at lower levels. Harding contrasts this to England where importing managers has become the setup and there is little space for English managers except largely in the lower parts of the league.
Harding also points out how the English National Team currently has a young coach who is working out well.
Mensch is a very solid book that has a lot of insight from the interviews. For anyone interested in German football it's well worth a read. It has some interesting analysis of what happened to the German National Team. The book also has value for people interested in how to train and develop leaders in an incredibly tough environment.
May 31, 2020
As somebody who already knew a little about German football and had read some of Jonathan's work before, I was excited to read Mensch.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, with the set of interviews with people around the entire footballing spectrum giving a good perspective on the German footballing world from the view of a coach, with an emphasis on how football has adapted to the modern-day 'generation why.'
It's a great insight into the pathway which German football has for coaches to gain experience in the top flight, and why the country has played such a big part in producing top-level coaches that apply their trade across the globe.
I particularly enjoyed the chapter focusing on Germany's Fussball-Lehrer course and how that differs to what is currently employed by England's FA, and also found the invention of the 'packing' statistic by Stefan Reinartz, which I had never before heard of, quite intriguing
I thoroughly enjoyed the book, with the set of interviews with people around the entire footballing spectrum giving a good perspective on the German footballing world from the view of a coach, with an emphasis on how football has adapted to the modern-day 'generation why.'
It's a great insight into the pathway which German football has for coaches to gain experience in the top flight, and why the country has played such a big part in producing top-level coaches that apply their trade across the globe.
I particularly enjoyed the chapter focusing on Germany's Fussball-Lehrer course and how that differs to what is currently employed by England's FA, and also found the invention of the 'packing' statistic by Stefan Reinartz, which I had never before heard of, quite intriguing
December 22, 2021
This book shows the importance of development in German soccer culture. The reader is given a glimpse into the national program which relies heavily on the development of the right kind of coaches. Of course it is important to develop tactically, but it is also important to make sure that teams have cultures that encourage excellence as well. Unfortunately there is no set formula as every team and even every player is different, but this is a good read.
February 19, 2021
Genuinely one of the most interesting, well written and affecting books I've read about football. The level of detail is high, but so are the both the standards of writing and the key takeaways.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
January 11, 2021
Fantastic book, so many insights and truths about the life of the football coach!
February 17, 2021
Great insight into German coaching and German football from some of Germany’s top minds that have, and are, shaping the game.
I could read an entire book on the Fußball-Lehrer course.
I could read an entire book on the Fußball-Lehrer course.
March 1, 2021
Great insight into the revolution of German football coaching. Some cracking conversations included and quality lessons to take out.
April 5, 2021
Nice book
Deep evaluation about german success and their Philosophy.. good book for understand the leipzig school and how they have reached their goals.
Deep evaluation about german success and their Philosophy.. good book for understand the leipzig school and how they have reached their goals.
May 25, 2021
I read this book during my tough situation. Very wonderful book
June 11, 2023
I’m a Norwich fan, so I have a keen interest in German football coaches. This is a very good insight. Really well structured too.
March 28, 2020
Sehr interessante Einblicke in die Arbeit von Trainern in Deutschland. Mehr Taktik wäre interessant gewesen oder mehr Analysen. Aber wie der Titel sagt, soll es um den Menschen hinter dem Trainer gehen.
May 17, 2025
The book „Mensch“about German football coaches lacks depth and relies heavily on clichés, presenting Germans as uniquely hardworking and possessing a superior winning mentality. The arguments feel superficial, with cherry-picked examples that overlook the achievements of Spanish and Italian coaches, who have also developed distinct, successful coaching philosophies and produced world-class managers. The author seems to ignore broader factors and the diversity of approaches that contribute to coaching success across Europe, ultimately failing to provide a convincing or balanced analysis.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews