Jurgen Klinsmann wants to put the warrior back in Taeguk Warriors

Jurgen Klinsmann speaks to reporters during a press conference held at the Paju National Football Center in Paju, Gyeonggi on Thursday. [NEWS1]

Jurgen Klinsmann, the Korean national football team’s new manager, is looking to add some teeth to the Taeguk Warriors.

The German manager said at his first press conference held at the Paju National Football Center in Paju, Gyeonggi on Thursday that he would rather win a game 4-3 than 1-0.

“My personal background was a striker, so I always loved to attack,” Klinsmann said. “At the end of the day, I think a coach always has to adopt his approach and his philosophy to the people who surround him, mainly the players.”

Klinsmann’s main task will be finding an effective way to utilize Son Heung-min, who has not been in the best form since he picked up an orbital fracture at the end of last year.

“He had a very difficult World Cup because he wasn’t 100 percent healthy,” Klinsmann said. “This is a normal period that every player goes through. Little ups and downs.

“I hope I can see him in two weeks and he comes for a smile, and he is hungry for the national team.”

Klinsmann was a prolific goal scorer when he played as a striker, scoring 79 goals in 156 games at Bundesliga club VFB Stuttgart in the 1980s.

But as a manager, Klinsmann has sometimes been criticized for his tactics, with some former players saying his tactical vision is lacking.

Philipp Lahm, who played under then Bayern Munich manager Klinsmann in 2008, said in his controversial autobiography that there was little technical instruction and the team only practiced fitness under the manager.

Despite the criticism hanging over him for years, Klinsmann was willing to answer questions about Lahm's book on Thursday.

“When you coach 25 players, every player wants to have different focuses on the training session. Maybe Philipp wanted to do more shifting and movements, so that is very normal,” Klinsmann said.

Klinsmann’s efforts to lead the team will be assisted by the selected coaching staff he announced at the press conference.

Kim Young-min, who worked as an assistant coach under former Korean team manager Paulo Bento, will work in the national team again with Klinsmann, alongside the German manager’s former assistant coach Andreas Herzog of Austria and another assistant coach Paolo Stringara of Italy.

Goalkeeper coach Andreas Kopke of Germany will also join the national team, in addition to countryman Werner Leuthard who will work as a fitness coach.

Former Korean star Cha Du-ri, whom Klinsman worked with in the Technical Study Group at the 2022 World Cup, will work as a technical advisor to the national team.

Klinsmann’s debut game will be a friendly against Colombia that is set to take place in Ulsan on March 24.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]