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Can Löw Learn From His Bad Habits?

November 20th, 2008 | By: Nick | 10 Comments »

I am glad we lost. There I said it.

Fabio Capello showed up with an energetic and compact English team. Jogi Löw on the other hand came down with a first-half Germany display reminiscent of the 1-2 loss to Croatia. We were often unmotivated and at times outplayed. Some may say that this was the German B-Team, but without Michael Ballack and Phillip Lahm what are we left with besides the 1-2 scoreline? On the bright side, the loss gives Jogi some things to consider before he experiments with bad habits again.

Rene Adler had an unlucky night, but was squarely at fault for the opener. Tim Wiese could do no worse and it was reassuring to see that he was ready when called upon. In the end though, neither keeper looked extremely comfortable, giving credence to those who want to see Manuel Neuer in goal sooner rather than later. The upshot is that we have plenty of talent in the goalkeeping department to sort through… unlike England.

If Adler was culpable for the first goal then Heiko Westermann was sure to blame for the second. Once again he was beaten in central defense; once again this directly resulted in a goal. Maybe shifting him to the wing is a better idea, where his mistakes would be less costly. After all, his danger to the German team is proportional to how far he is from the German goal. Speaking of right-back, Arne Friedrich showed once again how slow yet lucky he is. More than once he was saved by a well-positioned Per Mertesacker. One wonders if a swap of Friedrich and Westermann would do the trick?

On the opposite flank Marvin Compper had a relatively quiet debut. He was faultless, but then again he was no Phillip Lahm. Compper might just make a fine center-back, but as for the backup left-back position it should now belong to Marcel Schäfer. In the few minutes he was on, Schäfer’s pace and play could have been easily mistaken for Lahm’s. Perhaps Jogi will be wise enough to start him next time instead of waiting till the end.

The same can be said for Marko Marin. His introduction provided an attacking midfielder other than Piotr Trochowski for the English defense to worry about. Marin almost dribbled through once, but his share of the ball was affected by Bastian Schweinsteiger’s insistence to stay around the flanks. Although this tactic might work with Ballack in central midfield, it sure did not work with the black-hole pairing of Simon Rolfes and Jermaine Jones. Ballack and his buddy Torsten Frings must be sharing a good laugh now as neither Rolfes nor Jones managed to redeem their starting positions. To be fair the two headless wonders were intended as defensive midfielders and for the most part acted as such, but even Thomas Hitzlsperger would have been a better playmaker than either of them. (A conclusion that one has to give Jogi some credit for.) Thus, it was no surprise that Germany’s strikers were devoid of service for most of the game.

Indeed, we had a classically muted Miroslav Klose and a Mario Gomez who still looks unsure of himself for whatever reason. Luckily Scott Carson and John Terry combined to give half-time substitute Patrick Helmes his first international goal. Credit must be given to Helmes, as one can’t help but imagine what Gomez would have done in Helmes’ stead. Most likely Gomez (with the self-doubt evident on his perplexed face) would not have bothered to trouble Carson. Even if he had, Gomez probably would have missed a completely open goal and then just stare at the rebound off the post. To be fair, Lukas Podolski came on and did not do much either. Thus, the only thing that is certain besides Gomez’s sad international form is that Helmes has just moved up the striker pecking order.

All of this is speculation of course because we really do not know what on earth Jogi Löw is thinking (or doing). What could possibly have motivated him to start with such a conservative lineup? Arguably, it’s the same thing that makes him nominate Clemens Fritz time and defensive failure again. It’s needless to say that the result would have been different if Jogi started anything resembling the lineup he ended up with. (For one thing your girlfriend who supports England would not be rubbing the result in your face.)

If Jogi has learned anything tonight, it is that being half awake half the time will not win you a World Cup. It can’t even win you a friendly at home to a England C-Team.

Tags: Friendlies, Germany National Team News, Highlights, Players

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Comments

By miele | November 20th, 2008 at 2:04 am

Don’t feel so bad, that was in no way an England C team, and u guys got caught at a bad time. In fact, Daryl of England blog is right, the Barry-Carrick midfiels seems to be even better than Gerrard-Lampard. Which is saying something.

And what was up with Gomez, get over it already!

Posted from Australia

By Aurelie | November 20th, 2008 at 7:19 pm

I agree, don’t feel bad. I bet it is not the only thing your girl is rubbing in your face. Plus Germany showed a lot of promise and the coach is not a complete idiot like our Dom-Dom

Posted from United States

By Joshua | November 21st, 2008 at 12:37 am

Germany indeed looked uninspired out there on the pitch. It looked to me throughout the game that the Germans were there to play a friendly and the young English team were there to play a grudge match (both against Germany and England’s no-show starting squad).

You are spot on about the German midfield–or lack there of–during the game. I think Frings and Ballack have little to worry about unless either a.) Loew calls up some different talent to try out b.) the German “B-sqaud” midfield starting playing with more confidence and inspiration. I thought Schweinsteiger got around the pitch well, but he had little to work with. I was dissappointed with Klose, Gomez, and Podolski’s performances, and I hope to see them take some better runs at goal next game. If they aren’t willing to, then find someone who will. Helmes seems mighty happy to make the runs, and follow through on balls the other forwards would have let go, this dedication netted him a goal. Hopefully, he gets more opportunities in the future.

It wasn’t a good way to end 2008 for German squad, but I expect 2009 will be much better as the qualifying matches should provide them the motivation to play well. I am still not sure about Loew, but we will see…

Posted from Australia

By Jean Pierre | November 21st, 2008 at 9:29 am

want to swap coaches? i offer domenech;p

Posted from Netherlands

By Phil | November 24th, 2008 at 11:51 pm

I dont care if they lose every other game, but they must, *must*, beat England.

Posted from Canada

By LEO | November 28th, 2008 at 10:58 am

I think Low is not a coach for a World Champion team, therefor I doubt Germany can achieve something with him, anyway Icould write a book about this horrible match and the coach mistakes but to sum up, I think Low and Rolfes helped England win, and don’t forget the second goal came from an unnecessary fault of Rolfes.

Rolfes made Schweinsteiger play as Frings during th3 whole match, as the guy from leverkusen walked the pitch the 90 min. , and Low made like 8 changes and didn.t take Rolfes out, Clearly in modern football the defensive midfielder is THE KEY to every team, and against england germany didn’t have such a player, I think if Rolfes had been in red he would have been the man of the match for england…

anyway to su up:

Rolfes, Jones, Gomez, Friedrich, Compper NOT WORLD CUP MATERIAL

AND: MARIN CAN’T BE IN THE BENCH

AND: REMEMBER ROBERT HUTH? WHY NOT?

By jocamryn | December 1st, 2008 at 12:14 pm

DUMP Ballack!

We have time to regroup and with some extra scheduled friendlies, we can overcome the “Kleine Kaiser’s” absence. He’s undermined the leadership and is starting to become a distraction. Get rid of him NOW! and let him “finish his career” in england. NO ONE is bigger than “Die Mannschaft”

Posted from Germany

By ALI ELRAYAH | December 3rd, 2008 at 3:10 am

Mats Hummels , Danial SCHWAB ,

By Ali Elrayah Omer | December 3rd, 2008 at 3:22 am

I think Jogi must nominate Mats Hummels from BVB & Danial Schwab from Freiburg , Because The problem still in central deffence . we need to play very fast , iWant to ask mr Jogi about wings there is more alternatives
Celozzi from Ksc , Andreas Beck Hoffenheim ,Sacha Riether Wolfsburg , and the goalkeaper Tim Wiese No 1 , Then Manuel Neuer 2 , Rene Adler 3
Strikers ( no problem ) I prefer that is the priorty ( Stefan Kiesling , Miroslaf Klose , Lukas Podolski , Patrik Helmes , Then Mario Gomez ,
Yours Faithfuly

Thanks Ali Elrayah From Sudan Is Biggest Country in Africa .

By Ali Elrayah Omer | December 3rd, 2008 at 4:08 am

Refer to Previous Article , What is the Faverable Squad must in world cup 2010 in south africa ,
Firstly Gaolkeepers :
1/ Tim Wiese ( Werder Bremen )
12/ Manuel Neuer( Fc Schalke 04 )
23/ Rene Adler ( Bayer Leverkusen 04 )
Secondly Deffenders :
2/ Steffano Celozzi ( Ksc Karlsruahe )
3/ Marcel Schafer ( Wfl Wolfsburg )
4/ Mats Hummels ( Bvb Borussia Dortmund 09 )
5/ Heicko Westermann ( Fc Schalke 04 )
17/ Pier Mertesacker ( Werder Bremen )
16/ Philip Lahm ( Fc Bayern Munchen ev)
19/ Sascha Riether (Wfl Wolfsburg )
21/ Marco Russ ( Eintracht Frankfurt )
Thirdly Metfield
8/ Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen )
15/ Thomas Hitzlsperger ) ( Vfb Sttugart )
13/ Michael Ballack ) ( Chelsei )
7/Bastian Schweinsteiger ) ( Fc Bayern Munchen ev )
6/ Simon Rolfes ( Bayer Leverkusen 04 )
14/ Piotr Trochowski ( Hsv Hamburger )
10/ Marco Marin ) ( Borussia Monchen gladbach )
18/ Cristian Gentner ( Wfl Wolfsburg )
Finaly Strikers
22/ Stefan Kiesling ( Bayer Leverkusen 04 )
9/ Patrik Helmes ( Bayer Leverkusen 04 )
20/ Lukas Podolski ( Fc Bayern Munchen ev )
11/ Miroslav Klose ( Fc Bayern Munchen ev )