defensive Midfield

[Jaison]

It looks like Klinsi is taking 5 forwards and 7 mids, so with Basti and now Kehl likely out, who will our 7 mids be? According to Kicker, prior to the injury, the 7 were: Ballack, Frings, Schneider, Schweinsteiger, Borowski, Kehl und Ernst.

So now?

1. Ballack
2. Borowski
3. Frings
4. Schweini
5. Schneider
6. Ernst
7. ??

Does he recall Didi or Baumann?

[ForeverRed]

It looks like Klinsi is taking 5 forwards and 7 mids, so with Basti and now Kehl likely out, who will our 7 mids be? According to Kicker, prior to the injury, the 7 were: Ballack, Frings, Schneider, Schweinsteiger, Borowski, Kehl und Ernst.

So now?

1. Ballack
2. Borowski
3. Frings
4. Schweini
5. Schneider
6. Ernst
7. ??

Does he recall Didi or Baumann?

I don't understand why he's taking Ernst.....take a risk, take an exciting player like Trochowski for crying out loud and Didi for some security since there is really no other reliable option.

I hope this doesn't mean Frings being played in the DM role....then again, what other solution is there? Didi isn't a 90 minute man anymore...

This situation is getting more desperate by the minute man and my skepticism and cynicism for the finals is just not going away....

[smithfan]

oh my god! If Kehl misses the World Cup, we wiill be IN TROUBLE!!!

Oh God please...don't let this happen! We need him :(

[snoooop]

careful 'all-clear' signal for Kehl.

http://www.bvb.de/?%9F%2Ak%97%84%EC%5Dc%E6%86%98

[herewego]

Maybe we play without a real defensive midfielder.

With the given players and their abilities, I have always the problem to field our best midfielders, which for me are Frings, Borowski, Schweini, Ballack in a diamond 4-4-2, because Frings is very good on the right wing, but not as a def mid.

So to pick them all in the midfield we could talk about a 4-5-1 with a def mid behind them. But with strikers like Klose and Podolski, we should not leave one of them out.

Then let´s see, what other strength and weaknesses we have:

We are weak at the center back positions in a 4-4-2.

We are strong at left full back with Lahm or Jansen.

We are weak at right back, neither Friedrich, nor Owomoyela or Hinkel impressed the last year on that position.

Remembering Frings exellent performance as right fullback in WC 2002 and his good perormnces as right midfielder at Bremen this season, taking in mind, that Lahm is a very offensive gifted left fullback, who surely could play in midfield either and both of them gifted with good lungs, they should have the perseverance to add strength to offense and defense in a mixing role between fullback, midfielder and winger.

Taking in account, that our 2 not so good centerbacks could be the main poblem, I would like to see three defenders in the center if our opponents are in attack.
And fortunately we have a centerback who has often played right back in Friedrich, and another who often played leftback in Metzelder.

And with Mertesacker or Novotny we have two centerbacks whith vision and knowledge of game plans who could play at the center of a 3 in a line defense.
I would decide for Novotny, for his experience and his abilities in building up a game. But only if he is really fit. Otherwise, and maybe in later games of the tournament, when Novotny gets tired or booked out, Mertsacker could follow easily.

So my latest dream line-up would be a 3-5-2 which closes the gap in the defense but has also big offensive options and gives the possibility to field all of our best midfielers and strikers in a way, that also distributes all our players very well over all parts of the pitch.

In other words, let´s play the good old german possession game, occupy the midfield and keep away the opponents either from the ball and from our box.


............................Lehmann
-------Friedrich-----Novotny------Metzelder
--Frings-----Borowski-------Ballack------Lahm
-----------------Schweinsteiger
---------------Klose--------Podolski

[prymetyme]

is deisler defenetly out? or is there still hope?

[mofo4life]

he's out till october

[prymetyme]

damn,

good news here though
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=367283&cc=5901

[Bayerntone]

That is good news indeed!:D

[JeffS]

If he's healthy enough, Kehl should be first choice for defensive mid. As his back up, I'd go with Baumann.

[Neutral2]

If he's healthy enough, Kehl should be first choice for defensive mid. As his back up, I'd go with Baumann.

stay realistic, Baumann wont make it to the world cup squad for sure.