Despite the surprise resignation of Bundestrainer Jürgen Klinsmann after last year’s World Cup, a resurgent German national side continues to impress. Chris Williams reports...
Another qualifier, another victory. As the German team left the Millennium Stadium on Saturday evening, another three points in the bag, thoughts must no longer be on qualifying for Euro 2008 - rather, they must consider actually winning it.
Just two years ago it would have taken a brave German to suggest their side were realistic contenders for the World Cup. At that time, an emphatic 2-0 defeat away to Slovakia was the latest in a succession of disappointing results that would eventually lead to a chorus of demands for Klinsmann and his incompetent coaching staff to go.
Times have changed. Klinsmann may have departed, but his assistant, Joachim Löw, remains. Far from being incompetent, he has silenced critics and built upon the sense of belief re-instilled in the team by their outstanding World Cup performance.
Wales is not a place top sides relish going to, but on Saturday Löw’s men exhibited supreme confidence as they comprehensively controlled play, punishing their opponents’ mistakes without ever seeming troubled.
Confidence appears to be spreading among fans, too. Germans can be a pessimistic bunch, but belief has returned to the terraces – a 44,000 sell-out crowd watched the home qualifier against minnows San Marino, while 6,000 fans made the trip to Wembley for last month’s friendly.
Is this German side the real deal, or are fans and media alike getting carried away?
Sceptics will point to a fortuitous group draw as the reason behind Germany’s successful qualification campaign.Whereas France have had to contend with a resurgent Scotland, the Ukraine and world champions Italy, Löw’s squad have encountered a host of mediocre or underperforming sides, with the Czech Republic the sole threat.
With two teams progressing, qualification for Euro 2008 has always been, they say, a formality. But as the old adage goes, you can only beat the teams placed in front of you, and – a small hiccup away at Cyprus aside – beat them the Germans have.
Eight games into their qualifying campaign, they sit comfortably atop Group D with 22 points, more than any other team in Europe.
But it is the manner in which they have won games that has most impressed: Germany’s 2-1 victory in Prague actually flattered the Czechs, while the 13-0 win away to San Marino set a new qualifying record. Pummelling the whipping boys of European football doesn’t necessarily translate into a championship-winning side, but nevertheless you’d be pushed to imagine England or Italy achieving the same feat.
In friendlies, too, the Germans have been convincing, even when the side has scarcely resembled Löw’s first choice XI. In contrast to England, injured star names are neither cause for concern nor grounds for excuse.
“We’ve learned a lot in the last two-and-a-half years. A new generation of players has emerged, but also a new philosophy and way of approaching games,” explains centre-back Christoph Metzelder.
“I think we’ve succeeded in emphasising the playing system above the individual players, so we can cope better with injuries and suspensions.”
So it has proved in recent games: injuries to Lukas Podolski and Mario Gomez have hardly been noticed as Bayern’s rejuvenated Miroslav Klose has formed a solid striking partnership with Schalke’s Kevin Kurányi, while Germany’s young midfielders have excelled in the absence of regulars Ballack, Frings, Schneider and Borowski.
What's more, moved from the left-wing to central midfield against Wales, Bastian Schweinsteiger displayed a panache and understanding well beyond his years.
The acid test will be whether Germany can continue their impressive run at Euro 2008. One need only consider the example of the Czech Republic in 2000 – crashing out at the tournament’s group stage having won all their qualifiers– to appreciate that success now does not necessarily equate to success when it matters most.
Difficulties will present themselves against the cream of the crop. Schweinsteiger can not expect the amount of time on the ball against top sides that he enjoyed against Wales, while the full-backs appear vulnerable against pacey opponents.
That said, the future looks bright for the German national team. Players and fans have renewed faith in the management, who have established a solid set-up, while the Bundesliga continues to produce a wealth of young talent that should ensure future success.
Given his current form, perhaps the only major concern for Germany is Jens Lehmann this week stating his intention to prolong his international career until the 2010 World Cup...
Goal.com - Editorial/Comment - Germany After Klinsmann – Riding High With Löw
Germany riding high
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