The ideal 23-men squad should be consisted of....

He was one of the better players yesterday for BvB. Frankfurt were just ruthless and precise.

Hummels is a real threat at set pieces and it could be proven decisive in tight games when a team just needs one goal to win

I sometimes wonder why our giant CB Merte does not score more as he's often the tallest on the pitch ...

Forever could you please send those ratings to Herr Low ?

I sent them to him already but I do not think it will help.








That might be because they were sent in a box with dead flowers and a turd.

Thanks Cris Low surely will appreciate

Sadly he'll maintain Westermann, Tasci .. and we'll just have to pray

Or little hope if we lost by a great margin against Argentina with BIG errors and dire showing from his favourite CB ...

And if they play a good match, will you revise your opinion?

Of course Dage that's why I will pray before

Now, i would still prefer a 4-5-1, but not exactly a 4-2-3-1. Instead, i think a 4-3-2-1 Christmas tree may be a even better idea:

----------------------------Neuer/Adler

--Lahm--------Mertesacker-------Hummels-------Badstuber(Castro)

---------------------------Khedira
-------------------Schweini--------Ballack

------------Ozil---------------------------------Jansen
----------------------------Gomez

Apparently, Ozil can play at his best position at AM if we play a 4-2-3-1. BUT the lack of option at RW and the emergence of Khedira make 4-3-2-1 better.

With Jansen on the left flank, i think with Jansen's strength, explosiveness, pace and decent crossing ability, Gomez already have some good services from the left;
With Ozil at RW, he can cut in and shoot with his left foot. It is rather like Messi's role for Barcelona.

A 4-3-2-1 is actually what Barcelona have been playing. They have Yaya Toure, Iniesta and Xavi......we have Khedira, Ballack and Schweini, maybe few levels down but this isn't bad at all imo

For 4-4-2, i think Gomez has shown that he needs a second striker who does a supporting role beside him like he does in Bayern this season. Someone like Olic, who's mobile, fast, agile and high work-rate.

Thomas Mueller will be my choice at the SS position. He has very high work-rate just like Olic, not as fast but he has even better finishing than many other strikers we have. His mobility and off-the-ball movement will create space for Gomez. Thomas Mueller should able to do a decent job at the Baggio/Bergkamp/Rivaldo/Del Perio role


I don't think Kroos at RM will be the BEST idea. But good set-pieces are desperately needed in this team, and he can switch position with Mueller during the match. His good crossing from the side also allows Gomez to take advantage of his aerial ability.
My only worry is: Kroos may need more time to adapt playing as a RM. He didn't play well at all when Adrion used him as a RM for the U21. But a player of his class, i think it won't take him too long to adapt.

Even Kroos lacks pace n explosiveness on the flank, i think he can still provide the team with good early crosses like Beckham does. Thats the worst he can possibly do at RM

[LINEUP-4-4-2]Gomez, Thomas Mueller(SS), Jansen, Ballack, Schweini, Kroos, Badstuber/Castro, Hummels, Mertesacker, Lahm, Neuer/Adler [/LINEUP-4-4-2]

I think Mueller is even more mobile than Kiessling. He is like everywhere on the pitch; and his finishing and off-the-ball movement are slightly better imo

I think the kid has really high ceiling. He certainly needs time, but he is also unpredictable n fresh.

To be honest, i think Klose, Gomez, Mueller, Podolski and Kiessling........whoever starts, doesn't make huge difference to me.

Helmes(poor form), Cacau(lacks quality), Hunt(lacks quality) and Kuranyi(lets wait until Loew is gone, few months away!) will be another story.

I rarely see Mueller misses sitters.....i think thats why i m very confident that he'll be a secret weapon or big hit as a forward.

While Kiessling is still leading the scoring chart, i've seen so many times that he misses one-on-one oppotunities.

Of course we're now talking about more suitable player do all the support for Gomez. But to me, Kiessling is more of a targetman type and a bit similar to Gomez in that extend.

Like Sheringham and Shearer, Bergkamp and Henry, Del Piero and Trezeguet, Podolski and Klose,Raul and Ronaldo, I think one SS + one CF will be better than 2 CFs on the pitch at the same time. And in this national pool, out of Klose, Poldi, Helmes, Kiessling, Mueller and Gomez......i think only Podolski and Mueller can play SS well enough, since mobility n work-rate will be the key to this position

If Jansen is playing i probably won't be able to watch the WC as I will have killed myself...lol

....although i do like some of your other choices.

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11881_5938292,00.html

Kuranyi is better than Cacau

Rafinha needs to...

just curious, who will u guys prefer? helmes or kuranyi?

Helmes still yet to score a goal this season n has limited playing time due to the strong showings of kiessling n Derdiyouk

While Kuranyi ranks 2nd in the topscorer chart so far. But i think both players are just gonna be the 5th striker anyway

My team:


1) Rene Adler
2) Gonzalo Castro
3) Arne Friedrich
4) Jerome Boateng
5) Heiko Westermann
6) Sami Khedira
7) Bastain Schweinsteiger
8) Mesut Ozil
9) Stefan Kiessling
10) Toni Kroos
11) Miroslav Klose
12) Tim Wiese
13) Michael Ballack
14) Marko Marin
15) Mats Hummels
16) Philip Lahm
17) Per Mertesacker
18) Mario Gomez
19) Thomas Muller
20) Lukas Podolski
21) Marcel Jansen
22) Christian Traesch
23) Manuel Neuer

----------------------------(1)

--(16)----------(17)-----------------(15)-----------(2)

------------------(7)----------------(13)
----------------------------(10/8)

--------(20/8)------------------------------------(21)
-----------------------------(18)


backup:

GK) Butt, Rost

DF) Schaefer, Howedes, M.Friedrich, Tasci, Huth, Beck, Badstuber, Aogo

MF) Reus, Gentner, Hitzlsperger, Trochowski, Rolfes(seriously injured), S.Bender

FW) Kuranyi, Helmes, Cacau, Thurk, Hunt

Hummels will be out for about 4 weeks after that collision yesterday.
Respect for playing with a broken jaw for 10 minutes.

Lots of interesting questions to ponder about Germany's strikers.

Cacau has been red-hot the last couple of weeks after finally managing to claw his way back into the starting lineup. 7 goals in 3 games, one of which was against Barca in the Champions. Didn't see that much, but did catch a glimpse of the highlights. Was impressed with the little I saw of Cacau. Man, that boy can run. Looked like a man possessed out there. Also managed to score more goals in one half last week than Poldi and Klose have scored between them the entire season.

Kuranyi continues to play well for Schalke. I think both Loew and Kuranyi need to bury the hatchet. These guys are adults and are supposed to be professionals. If Kuranyi has fessed up and apologized for his actions, which I think he did, there's no reason for Loew to continue to exclude him. Based on his performance this year, he's earned a ticket to South Africa.

Gomez has played well since November. No concern there.

Kiessling has cooled down a lot of late. It seems his strike partner Derdiyok has been grabbing the headlines and the goals of late for the Neverkusen.

Here's my strikers for South Africa: Gomez, Cacau, Kuranyi, Kiessling, and one other.

Kicker has an article lampooning Poldi and Klose as Jogi's "one goal strike force." At the end of the day, I'd expect one of these two not to make it to South Africa and the other won't be a factor.

Özil and Kroos both not in good form. Marin clearly outshines them at the moment.