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For example, he has more good connections (in terms of making St. Pauli’s attack more dangerous) with RJ Jones & Pereira Lage, who are both injured. This indeed affects his game. #fcsp

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I agreed that Fujita had looked “lost” lately, but why? I explained this in my piece above because, I think, he has been “forced” to do a lot for Alex Blessin’s system this whole season, due to a lack of variation among St. Pauli's attacking players. This has influenced his performance. #fcsp

Soforthilfen, Perspektivspieler & Problemfälle - MillernTon

Well, this article also inspired by my conversation with @timecksteen.bsky.social about Fujita’s recent performance. #fcsp Tim also concluded his own thoughts about Fujita on his article here (which I quoted on my piece): millernton.de/2026/03/31/s...

millernton.de

Die Saison neigt sich dem Ende entgegen. Zeit, um mal auf die Neuzugänge des FC St. Pauli zu schauen. Wer konnte bereits überzeugen, wer nicht und wer hat überrascht?

Joel Fujita in the Labyrinth

Joel Fujita hasn‘t been consistent lately and St. Pauli haven’t received any good results either. So, the question arises: Are St. Pauli too dependent on Fujita this season? In my opinion, the answer is: Yes, accidentally. #fcsp The reason why? Read below. 👇🏻 open.substack.com/pub/bergasss...

open.substack.com

Are St. Pauli too dependent on Fujita? In my opinion, the answer is: Yes, accidentally.

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Bergas @bergas.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

St. Pauli's attack was quite "heavy" on the right side in the 1st half, which unusual & surprising (with Irvine and Pyrka there). They usually attack more from the left or aim for a more balanced approach. No Pereira Lage effect? Maybe. #fcsp *comparison from last 3 games, excl. game vs Bayern.

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Spoiler alert: Irvine improves his two teammates (progressively) and is among the elite of Bundesliga midfielders in some aspects. #fcsp

It makes me curious: Does Irvine, by data & statistics, really helps his teammates & St. Pauli better? Because, in my opinion, his leadership and passion are impossible to quantify. So I try to find tangible output from him that can be measured. #fcsp

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FC St. Pauli geht die Identität abhanden: Diese Rolle spielt Jackson Irvine

Actually this article from Hamburger Abendblatt (from @rupertfabig.bsky.social & Maxi) triggered me to deep dive into Irvine’s number, after they mentioned that St. Pauli have 1.23 points with compared to 0.56 points without the captain. #fcsp www.abendblatt.de/sport/st-pau...

abendblatt.de

Die Kiezkicker gehen gegen den FC Bayern unter. Das kann passieren, die Art und Weise eher nicht. Woran es momentan hakt.

The Curious Case of Jackson Irvine

THE CURIOUS CASE OF JACKSON IRVINE Jackson #Irvine presence and leadership for St. Pauli is undeniable, but what do the statistics and data actually say about him? You might be interested to see in which areas the captain has excelled this season. #fcsp Read: open.substack.com/pub/bergasss...

open.substack.com

Jackson Irvine‘s presence and leadership for St. Pauli is undeniable, but what do the statistics and data actually say about him?

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Bergas @bergas.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

I think for the last game it still makes sense to try with his pace, but in general yes i’d love to see another option.

Bergas @bergas.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

I really hope Martijn Kaars can turn things around, but he’s really struggling to keep up with the Bundesliga level and it’s not even close. I mean… #fcsp

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Bergas @bergas.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

Big chances for St. Pauli came when Sinani dropped back to free other players, like here Jackson Irvine (because Köln had an extra man at the back). St. Pauli rely heavily on the left and might need Sinani to drop and open up space like that. #fcsp #fcspkoe

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Bergas @bergas.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

Yess, agree with you for that. I’d like to see Hara as a focal point if St. Pauli dominating the game like yesterday.

Bergas @bergas.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

Agree, something is really missing in the final third even though most of the time they’re playing in that area.

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Bergas @bergas.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

In a dominant game like that, St. Pauli might miss type of players like Afolayan or Saad: dribblers who can create opportunities from their own foot. Today, they have 4 attackers on the bench, but they all share a similar archetype. In the end, only 2 were used (Kaars and Tondji). #fcsp #bmgfcsp

Bergas @bergas.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

St. Pauli dominated the game but lacked the final touch or end product to create any real chances (aside from Fujita’s). This has been a problem all season. Gladbach were sharper in their limited moments. Football, eh? #fcsp #bmgfcsp

Bergas @bergas.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

St. Pauli performed remarkably well defensively against #SGE last weekend. Their defensive work successfully neutralised #SGE attack. For me personally, this performance changed my perspective on the idea of diagonality in today's football discussion. #FCSP Here I explain why: bit.ly/DiagonalTF

bit.ly

Diagonality, Revolutionary or Oversold?

Diagonality is a well-known concept in football. However, having watched St. Pauli vs. Frankfurt, I felt that it was somewhat exaggerated.

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Bergas @bergas.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Yes, gonna be spectacular ones if both hit the target. 😅

Bergas @bergas.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

St. Pauli played great defence in the 1st half. They did great job of closing down the diagonal space/movement from Frankfurt, which is why i think #SGE only had 0.11 xG. They also had some good offensive sequences, but not enough to score a goal. #fcsp #fcspsge

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Bergas @bergas.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

St. Pauli won 32 ground duels today vs #TSG, four of which were won by James Sands. He and Jacko are in the top 10 Bundesliga midfielders (with at least 700 minutes played) for duels won. This is a really important aspect of the way St. Pauli play. #fcsp

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Bergas @bergas.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

In the 1st half, Bremen tried to gain an advantage on the right by putting Pyrka in 1vs2 situation. Long balls were often directed to the back of St. Pauli's defensive line with Njinmah as target. This didn't work, now St. Pauli leading. #fcspsvw #fcsp #svw

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Reposted by Bergas

⚽️ Ryo 🇯🇵 @rbyryo.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

I talked with Bergas (writing for Analytics FC) about how/why Japanese players are now making the jump directly from the #JLeague to the Bundesliga ⬇️

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Bergas @bergas.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Tomoya Ando is rocking with #fcsp, Taichi Hara teams up. Kota Takai has started playing games with #bmg. They signed directly from J.League. Are Japanese players making the jump? For @analyticsfc.bsky.social 🗣️: Rouven Schröder, Joel Fujita, @rbyryo.bsky.social analyticsfc.co.uk/blog/2026/02...

analyticsfc.co.uk

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Reposted by Bergas

Analytics FC @analyticsfc.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Pathways: Japan to Europe's Elite Bergas Brillianto assesses the viability of an increasingly well-trodden path, that from J1 League to Europe's elite, and speaks to players and sporting directors to understand what is happening and why analyticsfc.co.uk/blog/2026/02...

analyticsfc.co.uk

Japan to the Bundesliga: Are Japanese Players Making the Jump? - Analytics FC

Bergas Brillianto assesses the viability of an increasingly well-trodden path, that from J1 League to Europe's elite

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Bergas @bergas.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

Wrote this before: St. Pauli wing-backs need to play more diagonal passes, especially on the left, since Oppie hasn’t been good at distributing the ball. As it turns out: Arek Pyrka is the answer, with Alex Blessin moving him to the left. Even not only with diagonal passes, but also carries. #fcsp

Bergas @bergas.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

Maldini once said “If I have to make a sliding tackle then I have already made a mistake”. Tomoya Ando 🇯🇵 showed that today. He didn’t make any tackles, but he performed really well defensively: made 7 ball recoveries and 10 clearances. Also so calm. #fcsp

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Bergas @bergas.bsky.social · 07/02/2026

45 minutes and Alexander Blessin outsmarted Seb Hoeneß in many aspects of the game. A very good football from St. Pauli—with lot of injuries, recent bad results. Curious to see Stuttgart response in the second-half. #fcsp #fcspvfb

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I believe Rasmussen came to St. Pauli not only to play as a substitute, but also with the expectation that he will be a regular starter given his experience. However, I think he needs to adapt more to the #fcsp behaviour against the ball, which is a very important aspect of their game.

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Unfortunately, Hauke Wahl couldn’t play yesterday, which forced Alex Blessin to put Eric back at CB & play Rasmussen from the very beginning. I’ve nothing against the players, but Eric didn't look as comfy as he did in the number 6 position, while Rasmussen really struggled against the ball. #fcsp

This situation left Alexis Claude in a great position to make a through pass to Gregoritsch, who was also in a good position to make a run. You shouldn't let an opponent with the ball face your goal with that much free space. #fcsp

Yes, Mathias Rasmussen was already late, failed to make the situation became 3vs2 for St. Pauli. Augsburg won the ball. When Augsburg moved into the #fcsp area with a numerical disadvantage, there was no intense pressure from Rasmussen to stop the player with the ball from moving forward.

Yes, second ball matters. Winning it is very important. Augsburg's 2nd goal came from this situation. 1. Vasilj played the ball forward directly to Jones 2. Jones failed to win it. At that moment, #fcsp should’ve had the chance to win the second ball because they could’ve had a 3 vs 2 situation.

Well, having 3+ xG but only managing to score one goal is indeed bad luck, beside of poor finishing of course. However, conceding the second goal due to failing to win the second ball and making a bad decision about when to press is something you can prevent without relying on “luck”. #fcsp

Bergas @bergas.bsky.social · 27/01/2026

Had a chat with @timecksteen.bsky.social the other day about the fact that, since vs Köln, St. Pauli never lose a game when they win the second ball battle, while they always lose when they fail to dominate it. The same thing happened against Augsburg. And this loss is not just about "luck". #fcsp

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St. Pauli won nine second balls against Leipzig today, which is a lot. I haven't checked how many of them became attacking situations, but this again shows how important second balls are for #fcsp games these days. I wrote about the second ball idea in the tweet below. 👇🏻

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Bergas @bergas.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Luka Vuskovic spat on the St. Pauli logo in the corridor leading to the locker room. He had also previously had an altercation with fans in the stand. #fcsphsv #fcsp #hsv

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Bergas @bergas.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

Not much happened in the first half of #FCSPSHSV. - #hsv tried to take advantage by overloading the right side. - #fcsp could’ve gained the advantage if they had more physicality up front and gone long early, as they often have a 4v4 situation up there during the early build-up.

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Bergas @bergas.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

It seems like Eric Smith fill in for Jacko, which a good idea (imo) especially with Alex Blessin's new physical style of play (for winning the second ball, overload) to create chances: bit.ly/SecondBallTF #fcsp

bit.ly

Second Ball Game

Blessin has found a solution to help St. Pauli find another way to create chances and score goals: The Second Ball.

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In conclusion: These new tactics help, yes. But they also need to find another solution, because winning is often about who has the most variations in their game. #fcsp lacks that variation this season. Whether it is new players or another way to attack that remains under their control, we’ll see.

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One way to improve would be to reduce sporadic wing play. Personally, I would love to see them maximising the centre and half-space areas, since #fcsp have more players there than before with their current structure.

Therefore, in my opinion, #fcsp still need to find ways in which they can fully control the game themselves. Adding players who can create opportunities independently, like Morgan Guilavogui, might help. However, the strategy for when they have possession (with ball) also needs to be more varied.

Über Bedarf und Bedürfnisse - MillernTon

The fact that they are relying on something that is not fully controllable is, in my opinion, also the reason why #fcsp are still struggling to increase their xG. As @timecksteen.bsky.social explained in his @millernton.de article, #fcsp xG is still worrying: millernton.de/2026/01/07/u...

millernton.de

Der FC St. Pauli könnte auf der Suche nach mehr Offensivgefahr auf dem Transfermarkt fündig werden, muss dafür aber auch Spieler abgeben - oder er wird im eigenen Kader fündig?

Maximising the second ball also means relying on something you can’t control entirely. The second ball is always a 50-50 situation. Yes, #fcsp have a strategy to win, but what if they don't on the other day?

Well, that game against Mainz was a signal that some teams could neutralise this new strategy. However, my concern not about #fcsp will play another teams with deep defensive line, but more into they also still need variations aside from this new ideas.

Against Mainz, the situation was different. #fcsp still won the second-ball battle, but they struggled to win it in the middle or convert possession into chances. This was due to Mainz's deep structure: often had 10 outfield players in their own half, maintaining a compact and deep defensive line.