Name: Johannes Geis
Club: FSV Mainz 05
Position: Central (defensive) midfield
Age: 21 (17th August, 1993)
Nationality: German
Height: 1.81 m
It's
the 21st of April 2013. Derby time in the heart of Franconia. 1. FC Nürnberg
against SpVgg Greuther Fürth. A then 19-year-old midfielder picks up a loose
ball in the center circle, travels with it for 20-25 meters and lets rip with
his left foot. Goal. 1-0 Fürth. They went on to win the match and Johannes Geis
became an instant derby hero.
While this particular episode has little to do with
his style of play, it did announce Geis to the Bundesliga faithful. After that,
Geis only appeared a handful of times for Fürth - before they had to make their
way down to the 2. Bundesliga again. That goal alone might not have been the
reason for Mainz to shell out just shy of one million Euro for the player - his
talent however, was. As a testament to his talent, Geis to date, has
represented Germany, from under 16 to under 21 level, 43 times.
Talent and youth team appearances alone, are rarely an
indicator of how well any player is able to adapt to the top flight. Joining
Mainz with just 8 Bundesliga matches to his name, maybe he himself, coaches and
most certainly fans wondered, what to expect of the player. Perhaps surprisingly,
at least so soon in his career, the answer was pretty simple: a lot! From day
one, Thomas Tuchel integrated young Geis into his system and with him, also
because of him, Mainz went on to finish 7th in the league; resulting in a
Europa League playoff. Johannes Geis himself finished that campaign with 33
Bundesliga appearances - 31 from the start, one goal and five assists.
Geis has found his position in defensive midfield. As
a kind of Gündogan 2.0, he possesses all the attributes the modern game demands
of this position. He can operate as a sole DM or with a partner and also likes
to drop back deeper, in between the centre backs. On the one hand, he is good
on the ball, with impressive vision (especially for runners in behind) and an
ability to distribute the ball to all areas of the pitch. On the other hand, he
puts up high numbers for tackles and interceptions without conceding too many
fouls. While his defensive stats are impressive on their own, his positional
sense and discipline add to his traits. One further feature can be observed -
as he attempts, often successfully, to merely 'accompany' his opponent into
areas where the defence then is able to create 2v1 situations and force a
turnover.
Geis' major contribution to the attack comes from the
occasional over the top ball, but mostly, from set-pieces. Corners and
free-kicks are a specialty of him - resulting in goals or dangerous situations.
Summing up his features, Geis can probably be described as a player that, while
currently does not excel, is decent at every important aspect. Being that well
balanced at that age, is probably preferable to having one outstanding feature.
Having mentioned Geis' passing distribution earlier,
it also has to be mentioned that certain parts of it are still characterised by
inexperience and a lack of composure. The main problem sees him often guilty of
forcing the pass. While for most of the game, he makes correct decisions on
whether to keep it moving, or whether a long ball or ball between lines is on,
there is still a tendency to attempt that killer pass too soon. Or rather, when
it is not on at all. This overzealousness is mostly present in the first third
of the game and slowly but steadily vanishes as the game goes on. Whether Geis
comes to the productive conclusion by himself or whether the coach reminds him
to keep it simple - these turnovers of possession mostly occur at the start of
games. While when successful, his direct and forward passing helps the team to
increase the pressure, it can also cause problems and an opportunity for
counter attacks. It is simply a matter of cutting out the wild and impossible
passes and focusing on the passes more helpful to the team.
Strengths
- Technique
- Passing/ Vision
- Set-pieces
- Strength
- Positioning
- Defensive contribution
Weaknesses
- Decision making
- Left foot
- Experience