08.09.07 (Euro 08 Qualifier) Wales : Germany [R]

[squidward123]

11 days to go

[Hendrik]

Klose, Poldi, Gomez, Jansen and Schweini should return to the squad.

Seeing Portugal's recent results we have no chance to avoid being top seeded next year. Our Euro group's gonna be fecking tough :(

[squidward123]

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=558177&page=3

Read at the bottom of this page and it has details on seedings for those interested.

I also have another thought : These games should be considered as part of Euro 2008 itself as they pose a totally different test to the tournament. A tough test. The other day portugal drew 1-1 in armenia. Hostile away small grounds, with not the best conditioned pitches etc...I reckon some qualifying games are easily as tough as some tournament games.

[KumarsS]

I think (or at least hope) we'll see this starting XI:

------------------------ENKE-------------------------
-------------METZELDER-----MERTESACKER-----------
-LAHM----------------------------------------JANSEN-
---------------------HITZLSPERGER-------------------
-SCHNEIDER-----------------------------TROCHOWSKI-
--------------------SCHWEINSTEIGER-----------------
-------------------KLOSE-----------------------------
------------------------------KURANYI----------------

This is assuming Ballack, Frings, Lehmann and Borowski are still out.

On another note, Italy is the only tough thing about that projected group for us. I'd rather be in that one than with Holland, France and the Czechs.

[Sand im Kopf]

Schneider is suspended.

[MicFW]

Playing Wales at the Millenium stadium will not be a walkover. I guess they are likely to play quite defensively, waiting for counterattacks.

Don't let loose on me, but I hope we will win this one so that we can afford a draw in Dublin. I'd like to see the boys in green get the second qualifying spot, so they will need all the points they can get.

[squidward123]

Schneider is suspended.

why????

KumarS, I think schneider would have been much more suited to the role right behind the strikers.

[Hendrik]

why????

2 yellow cards=one-game suspension. Lahm at DM again then.



On another note, Italy is the only tough thing about that projected group for us. I'd rather be in that one than with Holland, France and the Czechs.
How about this one, also possible

Germany
Holland/Portugal
France/Italy
Spain

:eek:

[squidward123]

Hmmm...so what is the injury list right now.

From the last game :

Ballack
Frings
borowski
klose
gomez
podolski
neuville
schlaudraff
schweinsteiger
jansen
khedira
fritz
kehl

Also missing now are lehmann and schneider.

Who will be back for this game? Will khedira be back?

Is kehl injured again?

[MicFW]

Hmmm...so what is the injury list right now.

From the last game :

Ballack
Frings
borowski
klose
gomez
podolski
neuville
schlaudraff
schweinsteiger
jansen
khedira
fritz
kehl

Also missing now are lehmann and schneider.

Who will be back for this game? Will khedira be back?

Is kehl injured again?

Gomez played for Stuttgart, even scored a goal. He should be back in the squad, even if he might not be able to play 90 minutes.
Having Frings back would be very important - is that possible/likely? Lahm did a great job replacing him though.

[squidward123]

frings and borowski are both mid-september according to the bremen board.

I think that we will see lahm and hitzelsperger in the middle, with schweinsteiger and hilbert on the sides.

Klose will drop deep often, and kuranyi will play striker.

Pander should stay in defence.

[Hendrik]

How about we play both Pander on Jansen on the left side? Pander's set pieces are a brillant weapon, I'd like to keep him in the team. Jansen looks the better defender of the two, start him at LB. Schweini can play next to Lahm in CM. Whatever, as long as we don't have to see those scubs Odonkor and Trochowski again I'm happy.



Ballack - nope
Frings - nope
borowski - nope
klose - yep
gomez - yep
podolski - yep
neuville - fit but not part of the team anymore
schlaudraff - nope
schweinsteiger - yep
jansen - yep
khedira - yep
fritz - yep
kehl - chronical injury. even if fit he won't get called up as he barely played in the past year

[squidward123]

To be fair, trochowski has skill on the ball so he should be given more chances. Odonkor can piss off. He was total rubbish against england.

Yes pander on the left of midfield wouldn't be a bad idea. With the bayern duo in the middle and hitzelsperger as well in the midfield.

Klose can drop deep as he has creative instincts.

When is ballack meant to be fit anyway?

[nekkibasara]

To be fair, trochowski has skill on the ball so he should be given more chances. Odonkor can piss off. He was total rubbish against england.

Yes pander on the left of midfield wouldn't be a bad idea. With the bayern duo in the middle and hitzelsperger as well in the midfield.

Klose can drop deep as he has creative instincts.

When is ballack meant to be fit anyway?

Didn't Loew recently mention that Ballack would be in the squad against wales?

[MicFW]

Didn't Loew recently mention that Ballack would be in the squad against wales?

According to Spiegel online, Löw said that Frings will miss the match and that Ballack is very doubtful.

[Redsock]

Frings will be out for sure
Ballack is doubful but if he returns this week for Chelsea Low could
play him
I'm happy Klose, Gomez, Poldi, Schweini are coming back
Are you sure Jansen has already played and is fit ?
Think Low will continue to play Lahm in the holding role in midfield if Frings and Ballack are both unavailable
is Low going to communicate the squad list on friday ?

[ForeverRed]

I have no doubts about winning this game even with all these missing players. All the young players will keep looking to prove themselves and impress Loew. That plus the fact that our team spirit is at a great high at the moment.

And I would gladly welcome the group of death next summer. To be the best you have to beat the best and I dont think there is one team in the world that that we, at full strength, couldn't beat.

Overconfident? Maybe..but I believe in this team more than anything.

[DefenseWinsCliche]

Don't let loose on me, but I hope we will win this one so that we can afford a draw in Dublin. I'd like to see the boys in green get the second qualifying spot, so they will need all the points they can get.

:rolleyes:

the smiley above does not appropriately convey the disgust that I feel right now. But sadly bigsoccer doesn't have anything stronger.

How do you hope wish for a draw against an inferior opponent just so they can qualify. Are you half irish?

[nekkibasara]

:rolleyes:

the smiley above does not appropriately convey the disgust that I feel right now. But sadly bigsoccer doesn't have anything stronger.

How do you hope wish for a draw against an inferior opponent just so they can qualify. Are you half irish?

Maybe he doesn't want to see the Czechs in the tourney.

[squidward123]

I think this will be a tough game for the more inexperienced players as the stadium is a very intimidating place. But they can overcome it.


And I would gladly welcome the group of death next summer. To be the best you have to beat the best and I dont think there is one team in the world that that we, at full strength, couldn't beat.

Yeah, I think that other teams are more afraid of facing germany than germany facing any other team. I mean, look at germany putting out a second/third string team and winning 2-1 at wembley, while italy...lost 3-1 in hungary. We're going pretty smoothly at the moment.

I don't care what group we're in. The tougher the better as that makes the knockout phases easier with all of them out of the way.