Re: Ze German Thread

[urbaNRoots]

How can a defense with individuals like Hummels, Neuer, Lahm, Gundogan, Bender, Mertesacker be so bad at defending?

Low gives his all on making this team strong in attack, but forgets about defence, there's no balance at all.

Even in attack Reus, Klose, Ozil are playing badly.

[rwo power]

I guess it is because Löw selects a new defense each match. There is no stability whatsoever.

[Valkyrja]

Hummels needs a faster partner in defense, not Mertesacker ffs. Howedes or Boateng should be given a chance. Klose is too old for NT, hopefully Gotze will take his place.

[VivaStPauli]

Hummels is the fast partner in defence, TBF, but if you want two fast players, partner him with Boateng, he developed great last season. Höwedes might also be an option, though Schalke suck defensively ATM.


All in all Germany suffer from exactly the same problems as Louis van Gaals Bayern did: they don't train for defence, so the defence sucks. This is curtailed when Schweinsteiger is on the pitch, who is a one-man-army of assistant coaches and motivational trainers, but with him gone, there is just no coordination. Like with the 3rd Paraguay goal, Lahm drifts inside, completely exposing his flank - usually, one of Khedira, Piggy, or Müller would've been there. Yesterday there was just cold, empty space, uncaring, like the non-existent athmosphere of Pluto.

This, of course, makes the CBs look shitty. But just like Demichelis didn't suddenly become a bad player when LvG took over Bayern, Hummels and Mertesacker still are great defenders. Löw doesn't train defensive composure enough, he switches the back four up too much, and Schweinsteiger was missing.
Khedira did not convince me, the time might be ripe for Schweinsteiger-Gündogan partnership. They both aren't any worse than Khedira defensively, they also don't run significantly less.

What (sort of) surprised me was Reus - he was kept rather quiet, and wasted two great chances. Podolski looked much more lively, and physically threatening, he kept bullying his way through midfielders and defenders like they were school children, it was awesome.
Löw seems to be right on that one, at least: Podolski still got his place in the NT. And I'm glad he does. I love the kid, and at times he's borderline genius, for a dumb guy. Cut the ball inside for Benders equalizer, and kept harrassing the Paraguay defense. I liked his performance.

I don't agree on Klose being too old btw, he did his part. Could've maybe scored once, but all in all lacked service. He's still fast and makes smart runs. He'll be with us for the WC, though I still wouldn't mind Reus or Götze as a false 9.

Müller, btw, genius as always. At times invisible, and suddenly a brilliant strike. Awesome technique to control and finish, all the while looking awkward, as if it was all by accident and he was struggling not to fall over. I love that guy.

[Adit]

Hummels was a total disaster last game..Hummels failed to mark his player for 1st and 3rd goal...Nothing low can do about. He is no where near elite as a defender.

[VivaStPauli]

The entire team collapsed when challenged defensively, though. I agree that Hummels was bad, but that wasn't even near the biggest problem.

[rwo power]

I'm just saddened that it is always the poor GKs who have to suffer from Löw's defense experiments

[VivaStPauli]

And Neuer actually made some immensely great clearances, showing his world class anticipation. But that doesn't help you at all if your defence collapses like that.

It's the same old story. No Schweinsteiger, no stability.

[urbaNRoots]

Klose was not clinical enough last night but that was mostly because the season hasn't started in Italy yet... however he still made some fantastic runs off the ball, I think he's fine and if he's the same in 2014... he's a starter for the world cup imo


Kießling needs to be called up instead of Gomez, the guy does everything Gomez does but better. Löw is simply clueless, he won't do it

[rwo power]

German NT call-up for the upcoming Worldcup qualifiers:

GK: René Adler (Hamburger SV), Manuel Neuer (Bayern München), Ron-Robert Zieler (Hannover 96)

Defense: Jerome Boateng (Bayern München), Benedikt Höwedes (Schalke 04), Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Philipp Lahm (Bayern München), Per Mertesacker (FC Arsenal), Marcel Schmelzer (Borussia Dortmund)

Midfield: Lars Bender (Bayer Leverkusen), Sven Bender (Borussia Dortmund), Julian Draxler (Schalke 04), Mario Götze (Bayern München), Sami Khedira (Real Madrid), Toni Kroos (Bayern München), Thomas Müller (Bayern München), Mesut Özil (Real Madrid), Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund), Sidney Sam (Bayer Leverkusen), André Schürrle (FC Chelsea), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern München)

Forwards: Mario Gomez (AC Florenz), Miroslav Klose (Lazio Rom), Max Kruse (Borussia Mönchengladbach)

The matches:

06 Sep 2013 at 20:45 GMT+2: Germany vs Austria in Munich
10 Sep 2013 at 20:45 GMT+2: Faroe Islands vs Germany in Torshavn

[urbaNRoots]

Neuer - Lahm, Mertesacker, Boateng, Schmelzer - Khedira, Kroos - Müller, Özil, Reus - Klose.

Let's go!

[rwo power]

I hope that Manuel Neuer can finally be happy over a clean sheet again.

[urbaNRoots]

I don't think he'll manage that unfortunately. Kroos and Khedira duo is weak defensively and Mertesacker/Boateng duo probably will need time. I don't know, maybe it will be work.

Let's hope everything goes alright with a comfortable win.

[rwo power]

Well, one can but hope (for a clean sheet). Otherwise, I hope Jogi Löw is right - no matter how many goals Austria score, we should score more ^^

[jibers]

Why is Stefan Kiessling ostracised?

[rwo power]

Why is Stefan Kiessling ostracised?

That's something only Jogi Löw knows.

[rwo power]

And Miro Klose with his 68th goal for Germany

[rwo power]

Rep. of Ireland U21 vs Germany U21
Euro Qualifier in Sligo - Kick-off 20:45 GMT+2





12.) 0:1 - Moritz Leitner
22.) 0:2 - Kevin Volland
24.) 0:3 - Kevin Volland
83.) 0:4 - Philipp Hofmann

FT - Rep. of Ireland U21 0:4 Germany U21

[urbaNRoots]

Neuer - Lahm, Mertesacker, Boateng, Schmelzer - Khedira, Kroos - Müller, Özil, Draxler - Klose.

#pray4Faroe

[rwo power]

Julian Draxler starting for Marco Reus. Nice!

[juventus101]

Yea, with Reus, Gotze, and Podolski all out and Kroos playing as a CM for Schweinsteiger whose also out, this is Draxlers best chance to impress. He's playing good, but id still keep him where he is in the pecking order.

[VivaStPauli]

Of course keep him where he is, except maybe move him ahead of Schürrle. I liked how Draxler played, but he's still 19, we're in no rush. Özil, Müller etc. got to break into the team with 19 years old because the generation before them never really had good technique, there is no reason to bench players like Reus, Müller or Özil for the likes of Draxler. Younger isn't always better, Müller etc. just were better at that age because the previous players weren't that great. The next generation of German talent will probably be 23 or 24 again before they break into the first team. We just don't need to rely on teenagers anymore, we've got a deep enough talent pool now.

[Arquitecto]

I've never hidden my distaste for the hype for Draxler. Aside from his eye for the goal, composure in wide situations and a few tricks, he just doesn't compare to Germany's finest talent and even when his seniors were at his age.

I don't like his footballing IQ, predictability, and other minor factors to which aren't exactly cause of his nascences.

Schalke members like Goretzka and Max Meyer are just more impressive despite showing a lower maturity than Draxler.

No need to inflate the kids head by starting him ahead of Reus etc.

[urbaNRoots]

[urbaNRoots]

[VivaStPauli]

We suck so bad, can't wait for Löw to get sacked.

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