We’ll have to wait and see what type of team Löw will present to us in the friendly against Belgium and the following WC qualifiers. What attitude they’ll have, what type of football they’ll be playing and of course his squad selection should give us an idea about what to expect in the future.

Sammer will probably always be a candidate for the job, as long as he is as closely connected to the national team through his sporting director role. But I don’t see reason enough to doubt Löw as much as to replace him with anyone. That would be a nervous overreaction I think.

As much I missed Schneider during the tournament (I still remembered I almost let out a huge gasp when it was known that he would not take part), I am afraid given of his age, his days on the national team could be numbered.

Regarding Löw’s limitations. I got the feeling that WM06 was a watershed in terms of attitudes and belief, over any particular ability. Klinsmann had the charisma to fully use the unique atmosphere of being a host. He was so proud and wore his heart on his sleeve. “Wir sind ein Team” was the mantra and we sensed he really believed it.

Löw has since had the difficult task of trying to recreate this atmosphere, or at least build upon it. However, as you say his tactical nouse perhaps goes beyond what can be fathomed in the short period of major tournament. He doesn’t seem to have that absolute charisma that is sometimes needed to carry a team through troubles.

That said, of course Germany did well and it isn’t all negative. It’s just I think that at the moments I think Löw and those around him no he and the team has limits – I think in 2006 the Germans really didn’t believe there were any limits.

It’s painful to realize that of the 7 goals conceded maybe only 3 were genuinely earned by our opponents outsmarting our defense. The rest were blunders – some comical, all painful. Everyone knows that Jens can’t be in goal anymore, except maybe the man himself, who while conceding that this is his last EM, has said he will decide about the WM soon. I wish he would just go.

Frings may not make the cut, but I expect to see Ballack there in 2010.

I have always had the feeling that Low was an option so that Klinsmann could cover his ass and not have the legacy of starting something and leaving everyone in the lurch. Even today he keeps insisting – “Low was always much more than an assistant coach”. I mean, it is a thankless job – when you fail you’ll get fired and when you succeed you’re doing what is expected and German football is praised. Not to mention the fact that you have Beckenbauer breathing down your neck all of the time – which for me is the real reason Klinsi said he was done.

I suppose Bierhoff’s newly created role of manager was meant to bolster the depth of the coaching bench, but how come he didn’t pipe up enough on the faltering defense side?

That being said, wouldn’t Bierhoff or Sammer – guys who have led this national side to past glory – be better options? Wouldn’t they be in the best position to handle the psychological issues at play here?

I look forward to your feedback.

@ diana
i don’t think will see schneider, borowski, neuville, friedrich, lehmann, klose, fritz and odonkor in the near future. i don’t know about ballack and frings, both are 31 and i don’t think they will make 2010 if germany qualify.

I have to admit though, that I wondered whether Löw could be the equivalent to a great player who misses a penalty. Someone who usually does a great job, but once he is confronted with a unique pressure situation only big tournaments can provide, he loses it and – like the aforementioned player would send the ball into the stands – the coach would make a lot of bad decisions. But I’m probably a bit too negative here.

We had a lot of young players on the squad and a young coach on the sidelines and I expect both to be stronger going into the World Cup in 2010.

When it came to the crunch, Löw stopped using the players who had come to the fore since he had been in charge – Jansen, Gomez, Fritz. Whilst th first two had poor performances, it doesn’t really explain why some others weren’t dropped.

Therefore it’s disappointing that 2 years later a near identical team was actually playing worse football. Watching the Sommermärchen film, there was a definite feeling that 2006 was a watershed for this young side – but perpaps not.

Michel, I counted you mentioned 12 names who will make a breakthrough in the next 2 years. But the thing is that, I was reading an article (it got the quotes from Bild) and Loew was saying they will integrate new players but there will be no radical changes – http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=553020&cc=4716

Speaking about the so-called ‘winning mentality’ Jan, AFP has an article of Germany being from that to the ‘runner-up mentality’. The article look critical to me as I was reading it but, a lot of things to think about – http://sport.sg.msn.com/Football/article.aspx?cp-documentid=1532988

Sigh. I still remembered the day after the match against Turkey, the analysts on our pay-TV were discussing the match and what Germany has that England lacked and one of them was saying that the Germans enter a match having the will to win. But then again (given I had read about the so-called ‘winning mentality’ and its associations in German football), English football is always widely followed here and whatever the Germans does are being admired. Or so this is how I see it.