über die Flanken angreifen

English translation: attack down the wings

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German term or phrase:	über die Flanken angreifen
English translation:	attack down the wings
Entered by:	Rachel Ward

14:01 Nov 28, 2006

German to English translations [PRO]
Art/Literary - Sports / Fitness / Recreation / teenage novel

German term or phrase: über die Flanken angreifen

This is the father of the main character in the novel complaining about football managers:

"Er könnte stundenlang über die "Schwachköopfen" reden, die den Abwehr falsch trainiert oder nicht kapiert hatten, dass man "über die Flanken angreifen" muss."

I'm not into football so don't know how to phrase this idiomatically! Thanks.

Rachel Ward KudoZ activity Questions: 454 (none open) (8 closed without grading) Answers: 72 United Kingdom
Local time: 21:03

attack down the wings

Explanation:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,291-1781396,00.html
use the wingers to attack
also 'wing play'

Selected response from:

Lancashireman
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:03

Grading comment

Thanks, both.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +8

attack down the wings

Lancashireman

3 +3

attack down the flanks

Kim Metzger

Answers

3 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +3

attack down the flanks

Explanation:
The Blades suddenly found themselves back-peddling as United attack down both flanks with the much-improved Patrice Evra particularly effective down the left.

And it was from his pin-point cross that Rooney cracked home a rasping low shot to give Manchester United the lead.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/6138954.st...

Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 14:03
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 124

9 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +8

attack down the wings

Explanation:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,291-1781396,00.html
use the wingers to attack
also 'wing play'

Lancashireman
United Kingdom
Local time: 21:03
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 185

Grading comment

Thanks, both.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

Francis Lee (X): "wings" is more common; and exactly the same alternatives I'd've suggested as well / Nope, just a reference to my Schadenfreude. The sort of question where (so I thought) somebody will inevitably get a second booking for using inappropriate langauge.

8 mins

-> Still trying to work out 'did not fail to disappoint'. Is there perhaps a negative missing here?

agree

TonyTK

9 mins

agree

Beate Petersen

12 mins

agree

Gad Kohenov: wing is indeed more common (right-wing, left-wing). A player can be a left winger or a right winger, at least in fussball as in Association Football.

1 hr

agree

roneill

1 hr

agree

David Moore (X)

1 hr

agree

Ingeborg Gowans (X)

7 hrs

agree

Bettina Grieser Johns: football/soccer has wings and, consequently, wingers; rugby, on the other hand, has flanks, and fields flank forwards. Therefore I would say that "attack" down the wings is the more appropriate term in this case.

14 hrs

-> Thanks. I have never heard anyone on the Trent End talking about flanks either.

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