German National Team News & Discussion Thread - EURO 2012 & Beyond [R]

Awfully quiet in here today.

Part of me wishes all of our starters were healthy for the France match, and Loew put their bloody starting positions on the line to boot.

Unrealistic? Yes. Exciting? Very much so!

What do we think about the news that Jogi is still considering both Hanke and Marin for the EM squad? I've always been a big fan of Marin, but I don't really know where he would fit at this point with such a crowded midfield. Hanke can be left at home.

He's just asked about them by journalists and all he said is, that the door isn't closed for anyone - that means exactly nothing. Hanke could be a replacement of Cacau but Marin has no chance considering form and position.

I obviously didn't know the context of his comments.

But Marin's form looks to be on the upswing, no? Should he recover his form, I would not be against his coming back to the fold. He is so young so there's plenty of time. Though this is doubtful for the summer.

He has an upswing yea but it's an upswing from "out of team" or "lucky on the bench" to "happy if changed in" and "sometimes start". He's active onb the field lately but rarely effective in his actions despite that one good goal. We even have better dribble players with Reus, Özil and Götze than him. It's a bit unfair but I can't see him offering something special for the team.

That's a bit unfair, his main problem this season were injuries but now that he is fit he is a starter.

His lack of effectivity is certainly a concern and that's an area he hasn't really improved in the last 2-3 years.
I do however disagree in regards to your comment about "better dribble players". When Marin is in form there is no other player in the BL who beats 2, 3 or more players in his dribblings more easily than him.
Someone like Robben might do this too but in his case it's more about using his raw pace/speed to get past players (kinda like CR).
I think Ribery might come close to it but in theory I honestly see noone better than Marin in just this discipline.
That is however also one of Marin's big problems. A dribbling is often not the best option and yet he still chooses it and that's what already caused him problems in the NT back in the day.
Marin is someone who dribbles easily past 2 or 3 opponents and then makes the wrong choice in the end (takes on another player, sloppy pass etc.) which destroys everything he achieved through his great dribbling.
That's what makes Özil, Götze etc. so great and sets them apart from Marin, it's their decission making.
Marin also lacks a certain goal threat, it's actually gotten worse. He was never a big goal scorer but he used to be more of a goal threat (not worse than Özil for example) and now that seems to be totally gone though this could be a confidence issue.
I always remember a comment by Xavi (yes, the football player Xavi) about Marin who said that Marin has everything to play on the highest level and was overall impressed by him.
Marin has certainly the talent and ability to play at the highest level, the question is if he will ever find a way to use those abilities in an effective way.
I don't see any chance for him in regards to the EC but he is still young and someone like Bernd Schneider took quite some time to become a NT-quality player.

Marin didn't dribble past 2-3 players since years. Really he was exceptional before the EC 2008 but more because the general lack of talent back then. I see him clearly inferior to the guys mentioned.

I thought Hanke would make it into the squad actually, he fits the NT's tactics pretty well and knows how to play counterattacking football. Personally, I always preferred Kiessling or Hanke over Cacau, who seems like a midfielder who can score 10 goals a season.

Marin is a very talented player, he reminds me of Arshavin in the sense that he can produce magic sometimes, but most times is simply too lazy or hesitant to do so. He's definitely not the player I was to see for the Euro, but he' 23 years old - there is plenty of time.

He still does it all the time, just look at some recent games of Bremen. The problem comes once he is past those 2-3 players and just loses the ball because he keeps on dribbling or missing the right timing for a pass and that's why most of his dribblings won't be remembered because they simply lack the end product.

Erm, no. He was exceptional because he outshone players like Özil in his age group and was until that time the better player.
The thing is that Özil used to have similar problems with his output but he developed his game and became more and more effective and by the time of the u21 EC he was the more complete player.
It should however be mentioned that in Özil's last season at Bremen (right before the WC) Marin actually played a far better 2nd half of the season than Özil and was showing what a player he could be.
The thing is that Marin hasn't found any consistency in his performances since then. Raw talent is certainly not his problem but there is more to football than talent.

Exactly, the period between 18-23 years is perhaps the most crucial for players willing to establish themselves. Marin has failed to do any of that.

http://www.bild.de/sport/fussball/podolski/poldi-schon-klar-mit-arsenal-22879862.bild.html

Podolski set to join Merte at Arsenal, I am all for it - would be a great move for him he's fast, good scorer and strong.

Perfect fit.

Good to see!

I wonder if this is true.

I'd love to see him move on from Cologne, and he obviously looks to be built for the EPL and he could form a great partnership with RVP who is a multifaceted player from whom he can learn lots.

His mentality will be the main thing in question. So excited to see what comes of this.

Shame Arsenal are in a dreadful period right now.

I am so happy.Wenger has finally decided to buy a quality player that we need for our small squad. I dont know where he will play but I don't care.Gervinho and the Ox are on the left wing and we don't have a good number ten so maybe he will switch to two strikers- Podolski and van the man( who will leave next summer for free).
It is amazing how many Germans Wenger has bought in the last year. I mean the 16 year old defender Siemann, Serge Gnabry, Eisfeld, Mertesacker and now Podolski. Thats five in a year. In 2-3 years instead of Francenal, they will start calling us Gersenal.

Never heard of the other players, but this has greater implications than you might think. Wenger is one of the best scouts, in history - he knows good talent when he sees it and given he is purchasing young germans speaks volumes about the quality of our system.

But, Podolski can't solve their problems if RvP leaves. RvP is possibly the best real striker in the world right now - Podolski can't fill his shoes. He can however, add incredible attacking dimensions if he finds his stride there - this season has been explosive for him and he looks determined to win everytime he plays. However, this could all go to hell if he does not score for the remainder of the season.

Trochowski has no bussiness in Poland. No pun intended.

A Podolski-RVP duo would surely light the PL up, even if just for a single season. That said, it will also be interesting to see what RVP does in the summer. If they bring in Podolski that would be a good replacement, though RVP is the best striker in the world atm and cannot possibly be fully replaced. If Robin does leave in the next 3-15 months, not only must they bring in Podolski or an equivalent striker, but they should be looking at a good CM as well. Ramsey has been killing the play in midfield and the current alternatives (Rosicky from what I saw lately) are unfotunately not much better.

I don't think this is the actual German Player of the Year election, even though they make it sound like that in the article. It's "just" some newly invented award (at least I've never heard about it before) for the "German National Team Player of the Year" and the winner is voted on by the members of the NT fan club, i.e. regular people. The latter is stated in the article.

The actual, official German Player of the Year award on the other hand has existed since 1960 and can not only be handed out to players who are part of the German NT, but every German player plus everyone who plays in the Bundesliga. Robben and Ribery won it in 2010 and 2008 respectively, for example. The winners are decided by kicker magazine and other journalists. The current title holder (for 2011) is Neuer.

It should be called Bundesliga Player of the Year award or maybe it is ?