your Best German NT starting XI

[The Old Lady Hertha]

--------------Hildebrand------------
------Mertesacker-Metzelder--------
Friedrich---------------------Lahm--
---------------Ernst----------------
-------Frings-------Schweinsteiger-
--------------Ballack---------------
-----Kuranyi---------Podolski-------

Doesn't look that good of a team..... :(
Feel free to critique and create own lineups if you disagree... VIVE DEMOCRACIE!

[Germanshepherd]

Hildebrand? Metzelder? Friedrich? Ernst?

Are you drunk?

-----------Podolski---------Asamoah--------

--------------------Ballack-------------------

Hitzlsperger-----------------------Schneider

--------------------Frings--------------------

Lahm----Mertesacker----Huth---Owomoyela

---------------------Kahn-------------------

I know the Central backs are relatively young. But its still over a year to go.
Alternative for Schneider could be Deisler. Alternative for Hitzlsberger could be Schweinsteiger. Ballack and Frings could change positions.
Metzelder has a long way to go.

[PileD]

Hildebrand? Metzelder? Friedrich? Ernst?

Are you drunk?

-----------Podolski---------Asamoah--------

--------------------Ballack-------------------

Hitzlsperger-----------------------Schneider

--------------------Frings--------------------

Lahm----Mertesacker----Huth---Owomoyela

---------------------Kahn-------------------

I know the Central backs are relatively young. But its still over a year to go.
Alternative for Schneider could be Deisler. Alternative for Hitzlsberger could be Schweinsteiger. Ballack and Frings could change positions.
Metzelder has a long way to go.

A good idea, on the bench (reserve) Hanke, Scholl -injured after 1 game, so he must play only heavy games -, Deisler - same like Scholl -, and Woerns and so on.

[Germanshepherd]

A good idea, on the bench (reserve) Hanke, Scholl -injured after 1 game, so he must play only heavy games -, Deisler - same like Scholl -, and Woerns and so on.

Oh yes, someone like Scholl on the bench would be a nice.

I really hope Robert Huth is getting match practice somehow next year. He does well everytime he plays in the national team or at Chelsea. I have no doubt in him.

[The Old Lady Hertha]

Oh yes, someone like Scholl on the bench would be a nice.

I really hope Robert Huth is getting match practice somehow next year. He does well everytime he plays in the national team or at Chelsea. I have no doubt in him.
Huth is really good in the air and I think he has proven that he doesn't need match practice to be effective.

Friedrich is fine at right back- Owomoyela I think would be better on the left side.

[The Old Lady Hertha]

Hildebrand? Metzelder? Friedrich? Ernst?

Are you drunk?

-----------Podolski---------Asamoah--------

--------------------Ballack-------------------

Hitzlsperger-----------------------Schneider

--------------------Frings--------------------

Lahm----Mertesacker----Huth---Owomoyela

---------------------Kahn-------------------

I know the Central backs are relatively young. But its still over a year to go.
Alternative for Schneider could be Deisler. Alternative for Hitzlsberger could be Schweinsteiger. Ballack and Frings could change positions.
Metzelder has a long way to go.

Putting Schneider in is not good I think; he has stunk for the German NT and I wouldn't trust him in a million years after his shameful performance in Euro 2004.

[scorpio81]

when fit and on form...

in other words, based purely on ability :D


_________________kahn

owomoyela___huth______cmetz___lahm

_________frings_________balla________
deisler____________________schnei/hitz

_________podolski________lauth


id really like to see this starting XI in june 2006!!!

[Germanshepherd]

Friedrich is fine at right back- Owomoyela I think would be better on the left side.

??? Owomoyela is a clear right back. You would take Lahm out, to put instead Owomoyela (out of his position) there?

Dont think that would be a good idea.

[LordR]

-------Klose------------------Kuranyi-------

-------------------Ballack--------------------

------Schneider---------------Deisler---------
--------------------Frings--------------------

Lahm---------Wörns------Metzelder----Friedrich
---------------------Kahn---------------------

[mofo4life]

the best lineup so far, but Schneider as a left midfielder? :confused:

[Vfbstuttgartfan]

-----------------Hildebrand---------------------
Friedrich----Mertesacker----Metzelder------Lahm
------------------Ernst-------------------------
Deisler------------Ballack------------Hitzlsperger
-------Lauth--------------------Podolski--------

Bench :
GK : Rost
Defense : Babbel, Owomoyela
Midfield : Schneider, Frings
Attack: Hanke, Kuranyi

Note: This is the side i hope to see for WM06, not necessarily now.

[LordR]

the best lineup so far, but Schneider as a left midfielder? :confused:
He mostly plays left midfielder when Ernst isn't in the squad and Schneider does it pretty good, at least better than Frings or Schweinsteiger.

[SirManchester]

I'll tell you what the best line up would be:

------------------Kahn---------------------

--Friedrich----Metzelder------Huth-----Lahm------

-----------------Frings---------------------

---Deisler------------------------Schweinsteiger

----------------Ballack--------------

--------Kuranyi/Lauth---------Podli------

Then the rest of the youngsters.......

[Germanshepherd]

I dont get what some of you find in Friedrich?

He has disappointed in the national team almost every time he played there.

Owomoyela instead has been impressing. I see in his face that he is always ready for a fight. Friedrich looks like a mocked schoolkid.

[Vfbstuttgartfan]

Don't judge by appearances. Friedrich is the more solid, reliable one of the two.

[The Old Lady Hertha]

Friedrich can also play as a center defender just as well as a wing defender; perhaps a good idea is to keep Owomoyela in as right wing defender, move Friedrich to the center so that the center of defense isn't a bunch of REALLY young guys (Mertesacker and Huth) or a bunch of REALLY old guys (Nowotny and Woerns).

On kicker.de, as well, Friedrich has a much better rating than Owomoyela (3.20 to a 3.50), and he also plays for a much better team. It would be interesting if Hertha do get Owomoyela; he'd probably go to the midfield I'd suppose.

[SirManchester]

Friedrich and Hinkel are better options as right backs for now, especially Arne because he is just so damn consistent. He is a solid and experienced defender. He's captain of his team.

[shutoutj]

--------Kahn---------(He needs to go before the end of the year though)
Owomoyela-Huth-Mertesacker-Lahm
----------Frings---------------
Deisler--------Schweinsteiger-
--------Ballack---------------
--Podolski---------Kuranyi----

GK sub- Hildebrand
RB sub- Hinkel(if he can get back to his form last season, if not, then Görlitz when he recovers)
CB sub- Friedrich
CB sub- Metzelder(better option than Wörns, or, God forbid, Babbel)
LB sub- Pander
DM sub- Hitzlsperger
RW sub- Schneider
LW sub- Ernst
OM sub- Asamoah
ST sub- Lauth
ST sub- Klose

There you have a good lineup IMO and a sub for every position. People like Borowski and Wörns have no place in the Germany team, therefore I have excluded them.
Podolski is the "go-to" striker, who can outpace defenders and take through balls. I wouldn't start Lauth because I think Podolski is better and we shouldn't have two go-to strikers.
Kuranyi is the poacher. He may not be as gifted with the ball or fast as Podolski, Lauth, or even Klose, but we need someone who can be there to knock them in.

[SelfDeception]

The best current Starting 11 is this:


--------------------Kahn---------------------
---------------------------------------------
--Friedrich----Huth-----Mertesacker-----Lahm-
---------------------------------------------
-------------Frings--------Ballack------------
-Schneider-------------------------Kringe----
---------------------------------------------
------------Kuranyi--------Podolski-----------

The biggest suprise for you is likely Kringe. I liked his perfomances this season for Borussia Dortmund, and important he`s left-footed. He`s more offensive than Hitz, and can go one on one.

That`s my bench:

Hildebrand
Hinkel
Metzelder
Wörns
Freier
Ernst
Hitzlsperger
Schweinsteiger
Asamoah
Klose
Lauth

[The Old Lady Hertha]

Kringe is even less proven than Hitzlsperger and Schweinsteiger and Huth....I wouldn't consider him for now, but I would perhaps consider him for Euro 2008 qualifiers...he has performed quite well for Borussia Dortmund.