Germany more aesthetically-pleasing than usual
Germany's possible line-up
“They haven’t got any great players, but you can never write them off” is the usual line about Germany. In 2010, that old cliche might not be appropriate.
Not because you can write them off, but because Germany actually have a rather talented first XI. Worldwide superstars won’t be found in this side, especially with the loss of captain Michael Ballack, but in Toni Kroos, Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira they have some technically superb youngsters that have made a real impact in the Bundesliga – and are exactly the sort of players that often emerge from nowhere to take the tournament by storm.
The loss of Ballack is a big blow. 42 goals in 98 games is an incredible record for a midfield player, and he has rescued Germany so many times throughout the past decade. Today, he plays a deeper, more reserved role in the centre of midfield. He would have partnered Bastian Schweinsteiger, another who has moved back into a deep central midfield position recently. Instead, Ballack’s place will probably go to Sami Khedira, a talented, tactically astute player who has been virtually assured of his place in the first XI by Joachim Low. Schweinsteiger has been used to playing alongside a more dominant, experienced player in his new role (Ballack for Germany and Mark van Bommel for Bayern) and will have to step up and start to really dictate games.
Those two will play ahead of a defence that still has question marks about personnel. The one definite is that it will be based around the towering, 6′6 Per Mertesacker. His likely partner is Arne Friedrich, a less dominant figure, but decent enough, and good on the ball. Philip Lahm, the captain, could start on the right or the left – if it’s the former, Jerome Boateng will start at right-back, if it is the latter then Holger Badstuber is the favourite for left-back.
It seems slightly strange that Lahm, the closest thing Germany have to an established world class player, is unsure of his position, especially when his attacking tendencies when compared to his full-back colleagues will play an important role in how the rest of the team operates. It was Lahm and Bastuber for the final friendly against Bosnia, which worked quite well, so that seems the most likely combination for the opening game against Australia.
This screenshot shows the basic shape of Germany - a standard 4-2-3-1. The central defenders (pink) and full-backs (blue) take up standard positions, whilst the two central midfielders (yellow) play on the same axis. Further forward, Ozil (in red) looks to play between the opposition lines of midfield and attack, and plays slightly ahead of the two wingers (in green).
The band of three attackers will feature Mesut Ozil as the playmaker. Ozil is rumoured to be Arsenal’s first choice if Cesc Fabregas leaves the club this summer, and Fabregas is probably a good comparison for those uninitiated - he is a creative player but also a busy one who goes looking for the ball when it isn’t coming his way.
Rafael Honegstein wrote a gushing report on him earlier this season, saying, “Özil’s status (is) the best player in the league at the moment, a one-man source of creativity and surprise. Operating behind the strikers, he’s both a playmaker and an auxiliary winger; his intelligent runs provide the width that should be missing in Thomas Schaaf’s diamond formation. And his passing couldn’t be finer if he was folding kings against aces, every single time. The European Under-21 winner who destroyed England in the final has been working hard in the gym, too: a couple of extra kilos of abdominal muscle have given him more balance.”
When Germany do not have the ball, the wingers (green) have a responsibility to form two banks of four with the central midfielders (yellow). Ozil (red) plays higher up the pitch.
On the right wing will be Toni Kroos a (20-year-old who threatened to help take the title to Leverkuen this season, despite being owned by Bayern), Thomas Muller, Bayern’s hard-working, versatile forward or Piotr Trochowski, the Hambug winger. Muller may have the edge as he is superior defensively.
None of those three prefer the right, but are forced into that position because Low likes Lukas Podolski to fill the left-wing position. Whilst Podolski’s club career seems to have stalled, he has a quite incredible international scoring record of 38 goals from 72 games – at the age of just 24. It’s no wonder Low has such faith in him.
A similar thing could be observed of Miroslav Klose, who will play as the lone striker. His record of 48 goals in 95 games more than makes up for his underwhelming bench-warming 2009/10 campaign, and he is of course a World Cup specialist – the only man to score 5+ goals at consecutive World Cups.
Podolski and Klose need to start well, however, because they have Brazilian-born Cacau and yet another youngster, Marko Marin, ready to step in.
Ozil looks to drive at the opposition defence with direct runs. Klose (purple) looks to draw defenders away, whilst the two wingers stay wide and look to collect balls played between centre-back and full-back.
The 4-2-3-1 is a fairly structured one – it is more a Benitez-esque 4-2-3-1 than say, the fluid 4-2-3-1 favoured by Germany’s great rivals, the Netherlands. The wide midfielders are expected to get back and form two banks of four – Podolski is not particularly good at this, whilst Muller would be more disciplined on the right.
Ozil is given less defensive responsibility than the wingers, although he is capable of picking up an opposition holding midfielder. Schweinsteiger and Khedira will probably dovetail in midfield – both are capable of getting forward and creating.
Conclusion
Germany are depending on some talented youngsters who have little international experience and are completely unused to playing with each other. The most established partnership in the side is Klose-Podolski, and yet those two are hardly playing with confidence at the moment. Schweinsteiger is playing in what is still a relatively new role, Kroos, Khedira and Ozil all have under ten caps, and the defence is far from settled.
So whereas we’re used to German sides being experienced, boring, and effective, we are now faced with one that is young, exciting and unpredictable. Atypical Germans.
Germany more aesthetically-pleasing than usual
Against Hungary Low played – i think – a 4-1-4-1, with Khedira the holding midfielder and Kroos alongside Özil in more creative roles (the German pundits still made it a 4-2-3-1 with Kroos and Khedira as 6es, but I am disagreeing). This was mostly because Schweinsteiger was given time to rest after the CL final, yet I think it is still a likely alternative Löw may switch to if in need to be more attacking. Hungary were chosen for this friendly because their system is similar to the teams Germany will face in the group and Kroos and Özil played some pleasingly tricky footie together and dissembled the Hungarian defense with ease.
Great Article.
I´m from Germany and have to say your analysis is better than everthing in our press.
two things i´d reckon
1. Kroos (maybe best compared to riquelme) seems to be backup for Schweinsteiger/Khedira in the central midfiel rather than for Müller/Trochowski
2. You did´nt mention the goalkeeper Neuer who is very important for the Squad, he´s not only amazing on the line (Schalke vs. Porto one of the beste goalie perfomances i´ve ever seen) , but he is also probly the best “ballplaying” Goalie in europe with amazing long and accurate Kicks+Throws, who often lead to dangerous counterattacks
Neuer also has remarkable acceleration, and times darts off the line to perfection.
Having Neuer in goal also demands a lot of communication between him and the CB pair, as he comes off the line more often than most goalkeepers. I don’t think Friedrich and Mertesacker are used to play with an active type like Neuer. Depends on how well they communicate and understand each other, the German defence can either turn out better than expected, or stumble somewhere down the road.
Ballack will be sorely missed in the World Cup. Though its a young squad, they surely look exciting.
it’s mainly the international media who pay that much attention to ballack. here in germany most people are aware of the chance this young squad has in filling the gap. schweinsteiger will live up to the task. last season he played his role better than i’ve ever seen from ballack. it’s fate. ballack’s importance in our team decreased more and more. during em08 some younger players even complained about his negative and arrogant attitude. staying at home for wc10 would have just been the logical consequence. if it will be successful (semi-finals), i’m sure he will quit playing for germany anyways.
I think he’s 33 so probably its aready the last world cup that he could have played in anyway. He has always been an influental figure in any German squad.
More so, his leadership qualities will be missed. I am not too sure about Lahm’s leadership. As for Ballack, if you saw Chelsea’s last few games he played, you will realize the extent of loss this is for Germany.
yes. in regard of his age and his injury, it’s the perfect moment for him to rethink his ambitions an retire from the national team. but if the wc is a failure, everyone will demand him as captain for the next euro. :\
unfortunately i haven’t seen much of his chelsea performance last season. im just judging by his matches in the champions league and for germany.
did he improve that much in his last chelsea season? his champions league performance didn’t look too overwhelming.
I wouldnt say he set the stadium on fire. But he did play well considering he changed position and played deeper than usual. A total of 5 goals in 44 games would not boast of an outstanding year, but he was good in terms of value to the team. Flipping him in the midfield with Deco and others didnt help him in being very consistent but he did well to play in a Chelsea midfield filled with superstars. That he played in 32 games in the league is a testimony for that. Nevetheless, a great player in my opinion. It will be sad to see him not playing for Germany. The team is exiciting though.
Although atypical, Germany will mechanise in time. 3 games to gel and qualify (likelier as group runner-up IMHO) is realistic, but they would have to tighten the bolts in second round (against either England/USA/Slovenia). At the moment the personnel composition is disrupted. Germany are exploring new substance to offer, but when it comes to enforcing into context, Loew will make sure that time proven philosophy gets prioritised. He could try an all-out Hiddink style total football, though, relying on pace, strength and determination more than skills. I’d be cheering for them if that’s true.
spot on with the line up ZM. I also did a detailed analysis of Loew’s side and tactics.
http://sportswatch.wordpress.com/2010/06/05/loews-tactics-dissected/
give it a look.
Hey,
good analysis over all, but I’d like to point out that Podolski is as far from “immense work rate defensively” as one can be ;=)
The reason why he will likely start regardless is mainly his vita on the national team, a term short of veterans, especially with Ballack missing.
He always exploded at international tournaments and has a magnificent goal scoring record thanks to his sensational blasting shot.
Lineup comments I’ll make to ZM article directly ;=)
Thanks. Who i meant was Mueller. Mistakenly lumped them both together.
wrong section
Schweinsteiger will step up to being figurehead in the centre. He’s had a variety of midfield partners at Bayern during the season – van Bommel, Altintop, Tymoschuk, Müller, Pranjic, and Ottl. Alongside the latter 4, Schweinsteiger had to take charge.
Playing with Podolski will be a test for Badstuber. Due to Ribery’s presence, he’s used to that side of the pitch being swamped at Bayern. But with Podolski essentially a second striker/less of a *name* than the Frenchman, and no Olic making darts towards the channel, Badstuber will have room for expression.
A few minor and probably somewhat pedantic notes:
In the Friedrich-Mertesacker partnership Friedrich plays the left centre half, Mertesacker the right one.
Khedira may be a deep lying midfielder on paper but he is quite adept at going forward and dominant in the air, somewhat reminiscent of the young Michael Ballack perhaps.
And finally I would link Oezil to Iniesta rather than Fabregas. Just like the Barcelona player he is creative and a great passer of the ball, his biggest strength is to make a lot out of very little space though.
Here in Australia we get to see the Bundesliga as well as Champion’s League and Europa Cup. So we have seen a lot of these players.
I think it’s a frightening prospect – there is so much skill and class in this team.
I just have to hope that they start slow in the first game against us because if they play to their potential we could be murdered.
Hey ZM!!! How many articles are you going to churn up in a day. Looks like there’s one every 5 minutes, not that i am complaining. They are fantastic read. And what about Spain? Is that the grand finale?
Khedira is a great player and i am sure ballack wont be missed. He was the reason why sttutgart won bundesliga 2 years ago. although i think he is best when he plays box-to-box, i am sure he will do very well in a deeper/more defensive role.
Also, i think lahm plays much better on the left, and i am not confident in badstuber/boateng who are both not upto standard defensively.
Cacau must start. period.
His finish in one of the warm up games recently was class. He seems to carry much more of a threat running at defenders than Klose. Also seems like he can run beyond defences too, something that Klose and his lack of pace may find difficult.
i second that
“Germany are depending on some talented youngsters who … are completely unused to playing with each other.”
Perhaps you should mention that Khedira, Özil, Marin, Boateng and Aogo (besides keeper Neuer) all played together the U21 WC last year. And Kroos, Badstuber and Müller played also some matches with the U21 after that. They may not have much experience on top level, but they are not completely unused to playing with each other.
…Özil and Marin both play for Werder Bremen, Badstuber and Müller for Bayern (alongside Toni Kroos in the youth team till last year)
That’s a good point actually.
Ozil, at least from the bit him I’ve seen in the Chamions League(being from Ireland I don’t watch as much Bundesliga as I should) is classy and potentially a game winner. He has a lethal passing game. I mean Germany were written off in 2002 and 2006. I reckon top four finish. Suprised if lowe dosen’t make Schweinsteiger push up and try and use him as a box to box or ball winning midfielder. He is lethal like this as opposed to lying deep unlike a Ballack type of player who could sit in front of the back four all day and spray passes if thats what was asked of him because he dosen’t have the legs anymore and being honest it may be to Germany’s benefit that he is out. Might liberate the team to move. Cant say I’ve heard much of
the other guy Khedira.But listening to the comments he seems to be a good player for getting forward which is always good!! I like Klose, anytime I’ve seen him. but when the Germans played in Ireland a few years ago (2006?) they started him on his own as a target man.He was good but had no real wing support and the team played way to narrow that day. Ireland should have been beaten by 4 or 5 on paper but ended up drawing.
Excellent stuff here. Nothing like this level of analysis in Ireland.
I found it disappointing that you only dropped Marin’s name and wrote nothing about him.
IMHO he is really promising, already our best player regarding technique and dribblings(one will be reminded of Hässler or Schneider at their best) and decent at getting crosses in.
Apart from that it was a very good read.
Has he any chance of starting? (I genuinely don’t know, assumed not so didn’t talk about him)
I think if Podolski fails to impress Marin will slide into the starting 11 fast, Jansen seems to lack fitness and form after his injury.
Also he is first offensive option from the bank, because he can play all 3 Positions behind the lone striker.
Against Bosnia he came of the bench and was one of the best players, so he seems to be in good form
I would say that this is the idea behind his nomination: The hardworking Müller and the fast and attacking Podolski will wear the opponents defense down, then the speedy and technically superb Marin will come into the game in the second half to either create goalscoring opportunities out of the play or provoke free kicks and penalties. So he could be considered a specialist rather than a starter, but also a crucial player for the squad and the possible success at the WC.
From what Löw said the other day, Jansen seems to be an option for left back rather than left wing at the moment, at least for the group stages where Germany have to play rather defensively minded opponents. It would not surprise me to see Jansen start (and do well) against Australia.
Marin will remain the first option as an impactful substitute, although I doubt that he will be able to oust Podolski out of the starting XI even as the tournament passes on. Yes Podolski has been abysmal for Köln, but he seems to get in form and you would not want to miss his experience of 70+ caps and three major tournaments come the big names in the knockout stages. Still, it is quite a wonder how Löw has been oversceptical about actually employing Marin, given that Marin could also play on the right wing. The only explanation I can think of is that he thinks that a midfield including Özil AND Marin would be too lightweight.
Anyway, nice to see Germany having so many attacking options. Kiessling seems to have fallen through, but otherwise, Löw will be able to change the complete formation and/or style of play by a single substitution over the course of the game. For instance, by bringing in Cacau for Klose, Löw set up somewhat of a 4-2-4-0 against Bosnia.
Many fans would like to see him start due to his great performance in recent friendly’s and good form in the Bundesliga. But as has been pointed by many he just instead will be used as weapon from the bench. Podolski has shown tendency of coasting late in games, so expect Marin to play regularly once that happens
(min 60).
Nice analysis.
I’m from Germany, and I agree with you in the most.
But I think a really important point in the German ply is the work of Khedira. He is no deep-lying midfielder like Schweinsteiger. He makes a lot of runs into the box, is very difficult to catch for the opponent is good with the foot and the head.
The problem will be the flanks, on the one side the left full-back. Badstuber is a solid player, but he dislikes to go forward, so Podolski has no help from his back, and there will be no crosses from the left, because Podolski is a shooter, not a crosser.
On the right in the midfield there is a duell between Müller from Bayern and Trochowski from Hamburg. Müller is in his first season, and he plays quite well. But I don’t think, that he is mature for matches against teams like Argentinia and Spain, which are possible opponents in quarter and semi-finals.
Trochowki was a long time only on the bank of Hamburg, also he is more of a left-midfielder, who wants to shoot with a very special and effective technique from inside. so the right is not his position.
Marko Marin is a very effektive and good player. But in my opinion he is more of a joker, who comes in when the opponents are already a bit tired, for example in half-time or after 60 minutes.
So no of these three solutions would be the perfect, so I would prefer another one. Özil on the right, who can cut inside, because Lahm is very agile. The playmaker role I would interpret a bit more like a deep-lying forward, so there could play Cacau, a good player you has an amazing shot and brings a lot of freshness in the game when he comes on the pitch.
1) Personally I would prefer Müller or Kroos on the right, although i rate Trochowski very high. He’s a good player, but like Schweinsteiger (in the past few years) constantly played out of position. He doesn’t have neither the pace nor the strength to play on the flanks on an international level and would probably perform best in a (deep lying) playmaker role, especially with his good long range shots and excellent technique.
2) Playing Cacau would mean to have all front four fluid and a lot of possession of the ball, all capable of long range shots. So I would guess that Löw sticks to Klose (or Gomez maybe) to add some additional threat to the offense (some muscle, aerial threat), and getting the centerbacks tired.
3) Agreement about Marin, he is the perfect sub.
1) But Kroos ist no winger, he is something like a playmaker. If he has to play on the flank, he should do it on the left, like in Leverkusen. Nice cut-ins, nice shots and he played more like a playmaker not unsimilar Steven Garrard plays for England at the moment. Müller is for me an inverted forward, best position in a 4-2-3-1 ist behind the lone forward, like he did for Bayern. On the flank he is not bad, but for me it would be better to have a creative and technical good player, so I would prefer Özil an Cacau or Müller or Podolski behind Klose (Gomez).
2) So what would be wrong with Cacau? He would be not instead of Klose but with him, instead of Özil, who would play on the right.
But this is not necessary to dispute about, because Löw made his decision, he will not test new players or formations any more.
Badstuber being more defensive-minded and the forward-turned-midfielder Podolski will probably have a good balance between defending and attacking on the left flank. Also remember Germany vs. Portugal at the Euro 2008, where Podolski had two assists passing (ok, not crossing) from the left.
If Podolski is on the left and cutting into the center, then why not put Lahm (who would have a great relationship with Podolski) at LB, with his superb crossing and ability to bomb into the space Podolski would leave. Then Badstuber can slot in next to his club teammate at LCB (his natural position) and can work with Khedira to cover Lahm’s space. This would leave Boateng as RB or if Marin comes in, Friedrich can slot in there.
In the last World Cup Germany played with Ballack and Frings in the centre and demonstrated how to successfully play with two “box-to-box” central midfielders (i.e. neither overly advanced or deep). Successful international teams tend to be those whose positional sense is spot on, perhaps there is something about the way Germans teach kids to play football because pretty much every major tournament since ‘98 they have been written off yet generally progress to the latter stages (‘00 & ‘04 being the exceptions – I think) playing a game based on strict positioning.
ZM, your opening paragraph is pretty much what people were saying in ‘06 and ‘08, if the two central midfielders (whomever they may be) are allowed to get a grip on the midfield they will give anyone a game. Personally I’d love to see a match up against Spain just to see how Xavi copes, but you may be correct – Ballack is their world class player and will be a huge miss.
I was leafing through the Sunday Times’s provisional squad lists and could not believe just how many relatively inexperienced players they had together in the squad. However, I’m pretty sure they have just won most of the under-age European Championships in the last year, and their own young players do get plenty of game time in their own league.
I think Germany will be too good for anyone else in their group and whoever comes second in the England/USA/Slovenia/Algeria group, so they look good for a quarter final, which is when even good teams get knocked out.
I’m glad the German team has put faith in its young talents – something to look forward to. Great last line by the way!
‘The loss of Ballack is a big blow. 42 goals in 98 games is an incredible record for a midfield player, and he has rescued Germany so many times throughout the past decade.’
I name him THE German player of the decade, but the decade is over now…
Weeks ago I was thinking about the squad. The right wing and the defence were the big problems. I thought Podolski should be tested on the right with Ozil or Kroos on the left wing and Muller or Ozil in the centre. But Podolski on the left and Ozil in the centre are fix positions in Low’s system and it looks good. The next question was: Why is Trochowski often starting on the right (in Hamburg he usually is the 12th man and plays left or right midfield)? I think he plays there to support Klose, but it doesn’t work.
As much as I like to see Klose scoring 5 more goals, now Cacau is the better option.
With Klose the system looks old-school, with Cacau modern and fluid. Normally, the Brazilian is a second striker, a man between the lines and I never saw him as a lone striker. But his movement is great and with Cacau the attacking midfielders have a buddy to play with.
The problem of the German attack is that 3 strikers are not in form. Klose (This man used to be ..), Gomez, and Kiessling, both miss a bus when they play for Germany. Take a look at Gomez’s goal against Hungary and you’ll see the only way he scores (with a little help from the goalie). Or take a look at Kiessling against Malta. It would be a failure to force the three attacking midfielders into supporting roles for one striker.
If you watch the Malta game, where half of the team was missing, you’ll see a 4-1-4-1 or christmas tree system with Khedira behind Kroos, Podolski, Cacau and Trochowski in midfield, from left to right). But, it looked more like plan C than plan B.
Today, Kroos will be no.1 sub for Schweinsteiger and Khedira. Who was telling me here that Kroos will be the successor of van Bommel at Bayern?
The defence is the dark horse. No concerns about Mertesacker and Lahm, Friedrich is also a solid and experienced defender (I think he will be the left centre back), but Badstuber, Aogo, Boateng, Tasci? all big talents but very young, all with Champions or Euro League experience. What if one of the centre backs gets injured (or send off) and you have to play against Argentina, England, or Spain?
Jansen is not an option on the left because he is more like a wing back. Important if you have to score and need an attacking full back on the left, but not the first choise at a quaterfinal.
The goalkeepers. No problem with any of them, but they are different types with different characters. Neuer is a modern goalie, but I don’t think his ability to make the game fast is well used by the team (Chelsea or Inter use this weapon much better). Wiese is a classic Oliver Kahn-like goalie, but Low prefers the modern typ and Wiese has problems to shut his mouth sometimes. Butt is the calm one, should be my first choise due to his birth place, but I think it’s good to have him as the third man.
Your line-up is okay, but I think Mertesacker and Friedrich switch positions, as well as Schweinsteiger and Khedira (Sch’steiger likes to move into the space between left back and left centre back in the build up play). And none of the midfielders is a destroyer. Ozil sometime looks like a second striker. If Klose is still out of shape, Cacau should be the first choise for his position.
This is a young team and they will make mistakes, but give them 2 or 4 years and you’ll see a Germany you havn’t seen for decades.
p.s. keep an eye on Marin, if you’re quick enough.
Maybe a few words regarding players on the bench and the striker situation.
Jansen had moments of brilliance in a couple of games for Hamburg and overall had a great season with them until he suffered an injury that made him miss Hamburgs abysmal season finish and ultimately the recent friendly fixtures. Despite this, Löw decided to bring him along and given his history in Germany’s national team as left full-back there is every chance that he will start – despite Badstubers campaign. Given his role at Hamburg, he would also be a much more defensively reliable left winger than Podolski or the other candidates (Mr.SuperSub Marin, SetpieceMaster Kroos).
U21 ‘09 winners Aogo and Boateng are also still in the running, as it had been pointed out for the latter in the article.
Kroos had a magnificent Bundesliga season but his probably strongest position is well occupied by Özil. Nevertheless you can see him gain playing time coming on as sub, watch out especially for his creativity from set pieces, something a bit lacking among the rest of the German team.
Trochowski has sort of played him self out of the team in the eyes of fans with his bad performances in friendlys, especially in comparison to Marin/Müller/Podolski. Nevertheless he is defensively sound and Löw still has him playing alongside team a, the potential starting line up, in practise. (Though Team A lost 3:5 to team B – thanks again to magnificent play by Marin, Cacau & Müller in team B).
Personally he would be the only decision I would really disagree with, should Löw start him. Klose, Podolski, any full back I’d accept, but Trochowski just doesn’t cut it in my opinion. Instead I am very much rooting to once again see a #13 with the name Müller on the back playing for Germany in a world cup. As they say, legends never die…
And in that regard, lets turn attention to the players up front in the 4-2-3-1.
Klose, who finally earned the #3 spot in Germany’s all-time goal scoring statistics (and passed German’s previous world cup coaches Klinsmann ‘06 and Völler ‘02) is badly out of form. Partly due to injuries he has not transformed well into the lone striker position that he is asked to play both for van Gaal’s and Germany’s side. Where as van Gaal only played him ahead of Gomez (and still behind Olic) at the end of the season, for Löw he is still the go to go guy.
In tests, both Gomez and Kießling (who had a great season with Leverkusen in the Bundesliga) were rather unspectacular. The fourth of the bunch however exploded in 2010 both for Stuttgart in the Bundesliga as well as for the national team. Cacau is in great form and seems to click extremely well with all the players expected to see playing time in Germany’s midfield.
My guess is Löw might still hang onto Klose against Australien in the first 45 minutes, which will likely be the fate of Kloses world cup campaign. If he does well you can expect him to keep his starting job for the world cup, if he doesn’t he might lose it to Cacau for good.
I honestly second the opinions of my fellow Germans here (e.g. hwk) though. If Podolski/Müller start we’d do well to see Cacau up front who can drift far better than Klose has recently.
Also very much second the switch ups regarding CB and DM. Schweinsteiger will do well to support whoever is in left full back position, where as helping out Lahm in right full back is usually is off less importance (potentially making things a bit easier for Khedira).
‘Personally he would be the only decision I would really disagree with, should Löw start him. Klose, Podolski, any full back I’d accept, but Trochowski just doesn’t cut it in my opinion.’
Troches problem is that he has to play the position that noone else wants to play (for Hamburg and Germany). If someone in the attacking midfield is injured, Trochowski has to play there…. And his shots? I always think: don’t, don’t, you can play a pass. No, he has done it again, 5 meter over the goal.
I agree with Klose. Lets try him in the first match, but don’t try him in three games. Cacau is in good form, and he deserves at least one game.
one important point for this young team will be their nerves. keep doing what the manager says and don’t lose your patience. i remember the game agains Argentina where Ballack and Schweinsteiger shot from long distance and the team not really knew haw to handle this tough opponent.
lose one ‘t’ at the end of ‘against’ is nothing to be ashamed of, but ‘how’ and ‘haw’? i must be an idiot.
If one of the Center backs gets injured, Badstuber can fill in, and have Aogo or Jansen or Lahm play LB. Badstuber was a CB by trade, but Van Gaal decided to play him on the left. This is also why Badstuber is reluctant to go forward.
I just wanted to show that the defence is the weak part of the team (if you search for one). Mertesacker is not great at the ball and the substitutions are very young. It’s not a problem in the first three games but against a team like Argentina, England (not England, we would beat them anyway), or Italy. The same in the front. The attacking midfielders are good, but against a good team you don’t get many opportunities and i don’t think we have strikers that need not many chances.
Özil is not a good finisher, Klose usually scores in the group games, Gomez and Kießling hardly score against teams like Malta and Hungary. So it’s up to Cacau, Podolski, and Müller. We’ll see.
Even with this young team I have no concerns about a penalty shoot-out. Players like Özil, Jansen, Schweinsteiger, Lahm, Klose, Podolski, Cacau, Müller, Friedrich, Butt (*lol) will score and all goalies are good on the line.
While it’s true that Germany do not have a in-form top class striker, they possess a number of secondary strikers and midfielders plus Lahm that can threaten the goal, both inside and way out of the box. Podolski and Schweinsteiger are both proven goal scorers. Don’t forget that Germany scored 26 goals in 10 qualifiers, only Spain and England scored more per game.
I agree, “.. but against a good team …”
It’s difficult to compare the qualification with the world cup, because the opponents are much weaker in the qualifiers and the German team changed over the last two years.
haha bit off topic but funny as. look up “Hans Jorg-Butt funny goals” on youtube
I remember.
but, you know this is one out of ~30.
just bad luck or a smart opponent.
Thanks very much for this very good article – as one user pointed out, it’s very hard to find something of similar quality in German media although there’s a vast coverage of the World Cup.
A few remarks: Ballack was not only the leading figure of this team, being the key player on the field, a traditional skipper giving commands to everyone and conducting the team. He was also the player which by far had the best tactical understanding, being with Löw at level at a minimum. Reportedly, it was Ballack who convinced Klinsmann and Löw to change their gambling tactics, after the 1-4 thrashing by Italy shortly before the World Cup 2006, in favour of a more deep-lying way of playing; reportedly it was Ballack who convinced Löw to change the system from fragile 4-2-2-2 to a more compact 4-5-1 during Euro 2008. I think Ballack will be missing as a tactical assistant on the pitch even more than for his experience and his individual skills.
Without Ballack, the loss of quality and the loss of balance in central midfield might perhaps be adjusted by Schweinsteiger and Khedira, if their cooperation is well fine-tuned. However, I think that as a big weakness it could turn out to be that Löw did not choose to call another central midfielder after Ballack, Träsch and Westermann all went out of the provisional squad with injuries. Germany goes into the tournament with virtually no substitute for Khedira/Schweinsteiger, which is a very courageous decision given the possibility of injuries (Khedira just recovered from injury in April) and the possibility of suspension (Schweinsteiger a hot candidate on this one). I have no idea who would play in central midfield in this case? Aogo? Kroos? Lahm, leaving the flanks entirely with average full-backs? Ouch. Having seen some Werder Bremen games last season, I definitively would not support a return of veteran Torsten Frings who really has not been impressive this season (and who’s a difficult character, hardly imagine him as a quiet team-supporting substitute three weeks…), but having at least one additional player in the squad who regularly plays some kind of this position would have been nice.
Regarding Marin, he’s highly rated in Germany. To be fair, he might be a weapon with his individual class and his cheekiness (at least at World Cup level), immediately provoking danger – the last preparation games, he came on as a substitute and made big impacts on the game, particular with a traditional German strength: going down in the box at the right time. His defensive work is suboptimal – but so is Podolski’s. I’d like to see him in the starting XI, but I doubt Löw will let him start, relying on at least some experience in the team.
But however, I don’t think that it will be decisive whether Podolski or Marin will start, because there’s one thing that leaves me insecure about the German team much more than anything. I know this is not the primary focus of ZM, still I’d like to mention that it is so hard to predict how Germany will perform because there’s a big question mark as regards its resilience in terms of mental strength. This used to be an asset of German teams throughout the years – this time I simply don’t have any idea how the young and inexperienced team would cope with unforeseen backlashes. There’s not only Ballack (and other central midfielders, see above) missing; there’s above all the suicide of goalkeeper Robert Enke in last November (which, strange enough, is absolutely no issue in current media’s coverage).
I would not be surprised if Germany would crumble tactically – just as they did, in fact, under Löw during Euro 2008 – having this time no possibility to rely on Ballack’s extra class and some traditional German resilience.
‘a traditional German strength: going down in the box at the right time.’
is this traditional German? or traditional football?
Robert Enke was not a big leader in the team. I don’t think it’s rude to say, that the national team won’t have any problems (not like Enke’s club Hannover 96). AND I think it’s a good sign, that this is not a topic in the Geman media.
Aogo/Kroos/Lahm as DM alternatives are solid but obviously would not play if compared with Ballack, Frings, Rolfes. Badstuber also played there a lot in the youth systems. Löw had picked Träsch as back up, and I am sure he also considered Westermann as one. Both got injured though and judging from the build up the ship was already sailed regarding Hummels. Personally I liked the DM’s in Dortmund as well, I expect them to get a good shot after the world cup though that might depend on Rolfes recovery and Ballacks future.
Fring just didn’t fit at all with the mentality Löw would like to see in the team. He was in great form but with his friend Ballack missing, and his questionable media campaign things didn’t work out for him.
Badstuber is CB alternative. Take a guess why Bayern is looking very closely at potential new full back players. You can expect Badstuber to push either van Buyten or Demichelis out of the starting line up. Contento will be a great sub and could very well start but someone with experience would be preferred.
As far as Ballacks tactical skills are concerned, credit where credit is due, but don’t sell out the newer players just because they are younger.
As far as the suicide of depression plagued Enke is concerned, it just has such a negative connotation that no media will play this up if avoidable. Obviously it had a big impact on everyone, most likely the most to the coaching squad and the older players that played along with him for years. But it is the elephant in the room that you want to avoid – much easier for the media to ride the Ballack injury instead and they sure do so especially out of Germany (though with so many injuries for other nations Germany is let off the hook a bit it seems).
You’re quite right in pointing out Ballack’s importance regarding his tactical understanding and resilience. Still, Löw is not an idiot either, and let’s don’t forget that the new generation of players had had a better tactical education that the majority of Ballack’s teammates throughout his Germany career – particularly headless chicken Frings. Now players like Khedira, Schweinsteiger, or Lahm may not have the authority to stand up to Löw and make him change the formation. But maybe that’s not needed – on the pitch they are independent enough and able to adapt their style to the opponent over the course of the game quite well.
I would not expect them to crumble mentally, either. The backbone of this team is 50 % Lahm, Schweinsteiger et al., players who already picked up some honours for Germany, and 50 % last year’s U-21 EURO winners like Neuer, Khedira, or Özil. That may not be valuable experience you get from actually winning a World Cup, but that’s a pedigree, and a good basis for further success.
Anyway, this is not the team Ballack pushed to success singlehandedly in 2002 and that was overreliant on his ability to the extreme in 2004. The vast majority of the players enjoyed a different footballing and mental socialisation than Ballack in the nineties. Back then, Germany used to rely on individuality, leadership figures (of which Germany used to have so many!), and a clear pecking order. Now players like Lahm or Podolski who come of age now are rather sceptical in regard to vertical hierarchy and loud authority. No wonder they all had problems with Ballack over the last 2-3 years – remember the incident in Wales?
What Germany lacks in leadership figures, they make for with team harmony and homogeneousness. From what we have heard from the team camp, the atmosphere is great, particularly because nobody demands any special treatment. And once the situation becomes serious on the pitch, there are still Lahm, Schweinsteiger, and Klose whom I expect to be back in form soon. So not having Ballack on the team may yet turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Or so I hope
.
Oh, and if either one of Ballack and Khedira is forced out, Löw can either change formation to 4-1-4-1 or bring in Kroos or Trochowski (rather offensive solution) and Aogo or Badstuber (rather defensive). The latter two are trained holding midfielders, by the way.
Main weaknesses will of course be Mertesacker and whoever plays at left back – not so much defensively, but rather easy to put pressure on. Mertesacker is not good at the ball and rather error-prone when left with little space. On the left, Badstuber, a centrehalf playing out of position, is not quick enough to come forward, leaving a gap between Podolski and him (although in practice, Schweinsteiger may be able to close that gap). That said, Badstuber has got a good cross and a nice shot. Jansen is quick both physically and mentally, but rather undisciplined in defence. Aogo may yet lack the required quality, particularly over the latter stages, although once he comes forward, he’s also able to bring a dangerous cross in.
To expose these weaknesses, Germany must be put under constant pressure. Once Khedira has the ball, it gets very difficult to recover possession against them.
Hambug – Hamburg
Mmhhh, hambug… http://static.rcgroups.com/forums/attachments/1/6/0/1/3/a2970114-48-drooling-homer-simpson.jpg
Ok, that’s Ghana, Australia and Germany. I’m waiting for that article on what will be the eventual World Cup winners now
Come on dude, don’t jinx us. We’ll be lucky to get out of the group! Seriously, did you watch any of the comedy against Cameroon? Anyway, I’ve gotten my son into Panini stickers last week – the tradition lives on!
You know how we are don’t you. Play badly against weak teams in unimportant matches, play well when it matters. Hows about beating Romania 5-0 followed by losing to Lithuania 2-1
my money’s on serbia to be beaten finalists, going down to brazil.
No way bro, let’s be real here. Hey ZM, WE WANT SPAIN!!!!
As usual a great analysis by ZM and I concur with it.
Some additional points.
1. I don’t think the teamwork would be a weakness. Anyone who had watched the team against Bosnia and Hungary would have noted the almost telepathic understanding in the midfield and the final third. The passes were so fluent and rapid that sometimes it was like watching a pinball machine and the Bosnian and Hungarian defences were ripped apart to pieces and lucky no to concede half a dozen more goals.
2. The main weakness of the team is in the defence especially in the CBs and LB if Badstuber plays. Both CBs are prone to mistakes and also slow and vulnerable against fast and skillful forwards. Badstuber is an excellent defender but he’s no fullback, as seen in the CL matches. However it must be said that Nueur is an excellent keeper would might emerge as one of the keepers of the tournament.
3. Another potential weakness is the defensive formation. Khedira while being a holding midfieder, tend to be very offensive minded. This could spell trouble when faced with counter-attacking teams or teams who could play good possession football like Holland, Spain or Brazil. I am not fully convinced that players like Podolski,Kroos, Marin and Trochowski would pull up their sleeves and do some pressing and closing spaces when face with such teams.
4. The striker position is another problem with Klose being nowehere near his old form. But this can be easily overcome if the others can score or play Cacau instead. Podolski’s form been wretched for Cologne too but in the two friendlies he played pretty well. Ozil for all his skills, wasted more half a dozen chances in the 2 games.
5. On the otherhand, I have never seen a more attacking and exciting German team since the 1980 European Nations Championship winning team.When it comes to offensive ability there are few teams (apart from Brazil, Spain and Holland) better than this Germany team in this World Cup. Players like Khedira, Ozil, Marin,Kroos, Trochowski,etc could tear apart any defence with one touch football and pace.
6. I think Mueller will get the not ahead of Trochowski and Kroos since he’s better defensively and also more versatile. The same goes for Marin, who will be a super sub.
7. How far this team can progress will depend on how fast they can gel. I do think they can progress up to Q-finals and possibly semifinals. But the team will only realise their full potential from 2012 European Championships and the 2014 WC.
I guess that´s all looking rather fine here … might argue about Klose and Troche, but expect them to take minor roles rather soon when things start over. There´s just so much potential pressuring from behind. The only nominal position I worry about is LB; but again, there are some options, and it should not turn out to become a major weakness.
Being not the biggest fan of Löw, I remain anxious of him daring to go for fluidity, while being able to revert to a calmer, more rigid play should a match become precarious.
The prospect of just dropping all the out-of-form strikers and going a bit 4-6-0 leaves me nibbling my nails.
Love the article and absolutely adore the site, but Özil’s name is spelled incorrectly! Unfortunately the umlaut (two dots) over the O is not optional. If you want to spell an “Ö” without special characters, you should use “Oe”. So Özil would be Oezil. These are both correct spellings. Thanks!
And Mueller, and what about the ß in Kießling, and Löw (or Loew). does any English speaking person know about the umlaut and the ‘translation’ (ä => ae, ü => ue, ö => oe)?
i really want to know.
Let’s not be nitpicking here. Özil is a Turkish name anyway. Oe is the German transcription of the Ö – why should it be the English one? Also, it’s not like us Germans are so 100% correct all the time when it comes to Swedish ås, Danish øs, Icelandic th-thingies and of course names from Greece, Russia, Georgia or Japan which are in a different alphabet altogether.
1. Proper transcription is a rule of writing, not a stylistic choice. The poster above you about is correct about Kießling (transcribed, I believe, as Kiessling) and of course Loew. Most English-language journalists probably don’t know these systems offhand, but there are plenty of available reference materials to aid thorough journalists.
2. You Germans should indeed be more careful about transcription. Proper transcription also displays respect to the speakers of the language in question.
3. Languages with non-English alphabets are romanized via synthetic systems much like those that dictate transcription, but the rules of romanization are often complicated by ambiguous standards or by political concerns. Consider the romanization of Chinese if you want an interesting story.
transcription aside, badstuber seems to be germany’s weakest link at LB. Not that he’s a bad player, far from it, but ask cannavaro to play RB and he’d struggle. with podolski ahead of him, he’s gonna get little protection. not sure who plays right side for serbia, but if it’s someone quick and tricky, i expect crosses to be coming in towards zigic all too easily. if it’s england vs germany in the second round, johnson/lennon could destroy germany’s left-hand side.
really looking forward to seeing (a turkish/brazilian inspired) germany play though
Indeed. I expect to see Lahm on the left. Boateng is a rising star and Badstuber behind Poldi is suicide.
Badstuber did better than Boateng this season. And keep in mind he played behind Ribery who is not known that well for his defensive skills either ,=)
But then again I am a Bayern fan so have seen many games of him and been following him for a while. So my attempt at objectivity might be failing me
Boateng definitely did play a great U21 tourney last year and will be joining ManCity next season so probably a lot better known to international viewers.
Possibly Milos Krasic, CSKA Moscow. Quite dangerous actually. But funny enough, Badstuber is defensively the strongest of the players who could start there (save for Lahm switching sides).
Only one that really destroyed him as left full-back this season in the Champions League was Valencia from ManU in the second leg of the quarter finals. He did okay in the CL finals against Inter and played well as center-back in both semi-finals against Lyon.
In the Bundesliga he had a bad game against Leverkusen when facing Barnetta (Switzerland) and his national teammate Kroos. This was right after the ManU game, I am sure he’d love to erase that week from the season – but then again seeing how he came back, it was an important experience for him.
yeah don’t get me wrong, i really do like him as a player, i think he could become an outstanding central defender. but in wide areas, one on one against a fast and skillful winger, i think he’ll find it tough, just as he did against valencia at old trafford. i fear krasic will cause him lots of trouble if he plays right side.
against inter he did do well defensively, but he was up against eto’o, a striker playing out wide, not a natural wide man. also, when he had to step forward in possession (as he surely will against the likes of ghana and australia) his use of the ball was really poor.
interesting that lahm could be moved across to left-back, but i don’t see it. germany’s right sided midfielder, probably mueller, will play very narrow, so i think they’ll need lahm out on the right to overlap. he won’t be so effective playing behind podolski at LB. i’d love to see jansen in there, at least in the group stages, with badstuber competing with friedrich for a place alongside mertersacker, but i’m not sure if jansen’s fully fit?
When it comes to guarding an especially dangerous opponent on either flank I’d argue that Boateng is ahead of Badstuber. He has successfully shut down the likes of Robben and Ribery in the past and even at the World Cup it doesn’t get much better than them.
I really hope to see Kroos and Özil playing together, probably will be a fantastic combination. I am a bit concern about the defense ability of this team though. Anyways, I believe they can at least reach the last 8.
I am a devote fan of yours, ZM. Lots of great analysis! Great job!
Now I have to say that in the last days a few shallower pieces have surfaced but, what a h…, everybody understand that you got to produce 32 of those before Friday. Vamos, ZM!
With regards to Germany, I am sorry but don’t agree with the following statement in your second paragraph: “…because Germany actually have a rather talented first XI.” Please don’t misread me, I love the Bundesliga. Truly competitive, public friendly. I’ve been there this season, Allianz Arena. Very good spectacle. Have also followed the national team in all their preparatory matches this year. And I can’t help but keep watching and not finding the quality players. Not finding the talent. Not finding the ideas. Of course, this has only gotten worse with the loss of Ballack. The fact that today´s Klose (a sad shadow of what he was four years ago) and a rather simple Podolsky are the top forwards of Germany’s starting XI says it all.
What it worries me even more is the creeping feeling that Germany is also lacking a good dose of what always has been their trade mark, namely fighting spirit. Nobody saw much of that in Munich, against Argentina. Many would argue that was just a friendly bout. OK friendly, but at home in a packed Allianz? Meeting the Argentinian cockies? Matter of fact and Robben plus some flashes of Lahm apart, I didn’t see much of that spirit either in the Bayern team playing the CL final.
All the same, WC is WC and historically the German football machines (had sworn not to use this cliché and here I am) have an unmatched record of progressing to the bitter end. In addition, group D looks very affordable and skipping England one can think that Löwe’s side has an almost safe slot in quarterfinals. However and to conclude where this started, I will dare to say that were Germany 2010 to reach the final, one more time, never again further proof will be needed that a football machine can be assembled without football players. OK, I concede, one player. Philipp Lahm.
DT, that’s a bit rough, don’t you think? Die Mannschaft’s main problem with Ballack’s injury is that
now their team is left with no real holding mid. Incredible how this position is turning out to be so crucial for all top teams (Barry, Senna, Gattuso, Ballack, Hargreaves, Melo, Gilberto, Cambiasso etc.). As pointed out by ZM earlier this year, Spain blossomed in 2008, once they figured it out. At his age, Ballack was really irreplacable, providing grit, muscle, inteligence and makelelism aplenty. Without him, Schweini will have to take a key role and I’m not so sure he’s ready and capable. Both Krasic and Jovanovic have the nouse to drive the other back (not Lahm) crazy.
@DT:
A very ignorant post which shows that you clearly don’t know this team at all. Unfortunately Loew is still keeping some of the most talented players on the bench (e.g. Kroos, Marin) but still this team has a lot of potential if they manage to get used to playing in that formation quickly enough.
I don’t know whether Müller will play on the right or not. I know he did it against Argentina but I’m not so sure about the World Cup.
What’s suspect is the defense, at least if the announcement of Löw to play both Mertesacker and Friedrich instead of Tasci are to be correct. Although Mertesacker and Tasci didn’t work that well, Tasci is still by far Germany’s most talented and best defender.
It is indeed an exciting German team and they are all a bunch of great guys. It’s also a question of philosophy if you like coming up. If Germany have no success at this world cup, and that means something like not reaching quarter finals, then we might see people like Löw and Bierhoff, who have really changed the face of German football, out and instead the old school crew of people like Matthäus (in the form of Sammer maybe?) back in, which would be disastrous as for them football is still about running 90 minutes and sweating blood.
Don’t compare Sammer and Matthäus.
1. Sammer is the technical director at the DFB and is responsible for the new blood.
2. Matthaus has not many friends in Germany anymore (self-inflicted), but how much do we know about him as a manager? we know about his women, about where he worked, but not that much about how he works. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want him as the next Bundestrainer, but maybe he should work at the Bundesliga for a few years.
3. Low is the best manager the DFB could have, but he will leave someday and somebody will do his job. Peter Neururer would be a bad choise, but Sammer? I don’t think he is an old-school manager.
Hi Mahdi, yes it would be a shame if Löw has to leave, even though many people in Germany don’t like him (probably because for them “football is still about running 90 minutes and sweating blood”
) and Sammer is rated really high. I actually can’t understand why. Maybe I’m wrong but the decline of Dortmund and Stuttgart is something I connect somehow to him.
Can you explain why you think Tasci is the most talented defender? For me he looks great on the ball (and opening the game) and his positioning is very good (not as good as Mertesaker’s) but he isn’t really fast and in duels he is not the strongest in my opinion. He is getting fouled very often, but when it comes to international referees it might not be enough to fall on the ground an complain.
Contrary to popular opinion, Mertesacker is not really positionally that sound. Or not as sound as a player of his speed and quickness needs to be.
At club level, the unpredictability of those around him (Wiese, Naldo) certainly clouds his judgement.
Brillaint article. Marko Marin is another world class talent along with Ozil. He is tailor fit for the super sub role on a wing.
Again, it must be clarified that:
1) Kroos is not an option for RW, that’s between Mueller, Trochowski and Marin. Kroos will, because of the imbalanced squad composition and lack of any backups for Khedira and Schweinsteiger, a utility player. Primarily, he would be played in CM were Schweinsteiger or Khedira to be absent. He would also be Oezil’s replacement in the 4-2-3-1 but would only play wide if Loew switches to a more compact 4-4-2, like Leverkusen usually plays. Kroos is not a winger, although he is quite capable of performing as a traditional side midfielder.
2) Loew’s failure to include ball playing defenders in the team is one of the biggest worries for this team. Tasci is capable but his cameos for Germany have been far from perfect. Boateng can play that role well but is forced to play as a fullback while players like Hoewedes and Hummels were left at home. A Mertesacker-Friedrich partnership will put added pressure on Khedira and Schweinsteiger and could very well deter their offensive game.
‘Hoewedes and Hummels’
In Germany a lot of people talk abaout Hoewedes and Hummels (because they have a lot of fans due to their teams Schalke and Dortmund).
And maybe it’s right that they are very good ball playing defenders, but what about experience? no Champions League, no Euro League, only games for the youth national team.
if they would play for different teams with a smaller fan base, everyone would say: they are too young and too green.
especially, if they should play a holding midfielder and not centre back (their usual position).
Not every player has or needs CL experience to play in a WC. If a player is good, he is good. The performances speak for themselves.
Friedrich played as a fullback earlier in his career, and, while lacking the required dynamic, came forward with the ball often enough. From what I’ve seen against Serbia, part of Löw’s plan may well be that with Germany in possession, Friedrich pushes forward from central defence into midfield and sometimes even attack, producing momentary dominance in the respective area of the pitch, much like Demichelis did for Bayern against United earlier this season (wonderfully described in a ZM article I cannot be bothered to dig out
). This may be quite useful against Australia who are bound to flood the midfield. Friedrich is a good passer alright, not quite Rio Ferdinand, but no liability either. The real problem is Mertesacker – I cannot recall a good game of his over the last couple of years, especially where he contributed to the build-up well.
Höwedes is a fairly traditional centreback, although, to be fair to him, he’s very reliable. Hummels – well, to be honest, I haven’t seen enough of Borussia this year to judge him. You’re forgetting Badstuber who’s very good at the ball and has got a very precise left foot. He’ll probably play at leftback, though. It really would be interesting to know why it has not worked out for Tasci yet…
Friedrich no longer has the legs to play as a fullback, which is why he is being used in the middle, for club and country. He was never great at getting forward as a RB either. He is a solid consistent CB but not a ball playing defender needed to partner a player like Mertesacker. Both are too similar, slow, not the best at building from the back and prone to errors. That is a key weakness in this Germany team.
Hoewedes is more than just a traditional CB, he is highly versatile, has good leadership qualities and is a goal threat. Same with Hummels, who is also very good on the ball and can play in DM/CM when needed, probably the best German CB at the moment. Germany could use him now, real shame.
I don’t really agree with the title of this piece, ‘Germany more aesthetically-pleasing than usual’. In the last World Cup in Germany they played some of the best football of the tournament. Against Costa Rica they arguably played in the best opening game of the last few World Cups. Some brilliant goals scored and although it was reported Klose and Poldolski didn’t get on they certainly linked up well on the pitch. Scoring 8 goals in the group stages albeit against fairly weak teams they showed how well their attack could penetrate defences. Against better teams their luck ran out when against Italy they hit the post and created quite a few chances, however Italy’s defence was hard to break down and the Germans could feel unlucky as they may well have won the World Cup if they had not played against such a strong defence.
At Euro 2008 Germany played with Podolski on the left and had Gomez as a lone striker and with Podolski being moved forced the team into quite a different way of playing. Instead of cutting inside Schweinsteiger would so well in the last World Cup Podolski would run the flanks. When this formation really flourished was against Portugal in the quarter-final when Podolski and Schweinstieger (who played on the right, I may be wrong) played a beautiful one-two on the left before Schweinsteiger ran-in to poke home a superb passing goal. This year they look to be similar in shape with just Cacau most likely up front. With youthful creative players such as Ozil, Marin and Kroos in the team it could be a great tournament for them.
Your first statement holds much truth. I don’t know why it’s gone unnoticed but Germany played very very good football at the last tournament with creative players like Schneider, and Ballack, Klose, and Frings being in their peak years.
At Euro 08 they only showed glimpses but hopefully this tournament is a turning point. I agreed with Cris about Hoewedes and Hummels that should haven been picked. Loew is going with so many inexperienced players he might as well bring the former two into contention, who are for me far more reliable on the ball than both Friedrich and Mertesacker. And Hummels can play the sweeper role and brings something very few players in the world can. He may just bring the role back. I would have loved to see a backline of Boateng-Hoewedes-Hummels-Lahm.
i think the difference between Hummels, Hoewedes and Badstuber or Aogo is the fact that Schalke and Dortmund had a season without any european competition. all the others (besides Kroos) have played Euro League or Champions League. The players from Bremen and Hamburg two years in a row. The young palyers from Dortmund and Schalke are normal Bundesliga players without this (daily) experience (except for the under 21 national team). That’s the reason why Löw stays with Mertesacker and Friedrich, both as good as Hummels and Hoewedes and both played WC before.
Right, but for what it’s worth, both Hoewedes and Hummels have experience with the youth national teams, with which they have been quite successful. Again, quality is quality. You either have it as a player or you don’t. In the case of Hummels and Hoewedes, they have it. The same was apparent with players like Oezil and Lahm before they ever played in Europe.
Dear ZM,
I took the liberty and quoted you in a comment on indirekter-freistoss.de
Hope you do not mind, but your analysis here is spot on. Thanks.
No problem, Well done on the Eurovision win.
hello zm, you have made some rather questionable statements
“Lahm, the closest thing Germany have to an established world class player”
constant world class performances over the past years – both on the left and the right side. no fullback in the world can has done this before.
“On the right wing will be Toni Kroos”
unlikely – played on the left side for leverkusen and in the center for the national teams.
likely: will come from the bench for özil. (or for schweinsteiger/khedira if löw has to change to a more offensive tactic.)
“None of those three [kroos, müller, trochowsky] prefer the right, but are forced into that position because Low likes Lukas Podolski to fill the left-wing position.”
müller said at the beginning of the last season, that he preferred to come from the right side…
all in all an enjoyable article but out of the ordinary somewhat lacks detail and research
Good stuff, outstanding really.
@insertusernamehere – don’t agree on Mertesacker. His build-up and vertical openings are in a class of its owns. He always seeks to pass high-risk, mid-field instead of slowing things down by seeking the out the left- or right-back defender.
Sweet, starting XI as predicted – Müller gets to show his skills from the get go ;=)
Please, really want to see Kroos and Marko Marin play. No Gomez…
so gooood explane…:)