[kickinthehead]

I read this very interesting article on Klinsmann where many of the qualities a good coach needs to have are questioned:

http://service.spiegel.de/cache/inte...415106,00.html

[Psychosis hsv]

i cant understand why klinsmann is treated so harshly? what has he done wrong? the guy has a big heart to make the choice that he made (lehmann number 1). earler favorites lke hitzfeld couldn't make such a decision.
he is shrewed and he knows today's soccer you need pace unlike his predecessors. soccer has changed over the last decade no pace no chance

[Lionhead]

Originally Posted by Psychosis hsv

i cant understand why klinsmann is treated so harshly? what has he done wrong? the guy has a big heart to make the choice that he made (lehmann number 1). earler favorites lke hitzfeld couldn't make such a decision.
he is shrewed and he knows today's soccer you need pace unlike his predecessors. soccer has changed over the last decade no pace no chance

Klinsmann hasn't done much wrong so far, but has he delivered on innovation of style and reducing the gap to teams like Brazil, Italy, Portugal or Argentina?

NO. Not much has changed since the days of Voeller, Ribbeck. He's largely relying on players which have already failed to impress in past tournaments (Neuville, Kehl, Schneider, Frings). He's talking about a "generational shift". This has never happened. Podolski and Schweinsteiger are shooting stars neutralised by this antiquated kick-run-kick style of the older players. Pace is important, but we're not talking about sprinters in a 100m race.

Lehmann or Kahn wasn't such a big decision. Both are world class. Hitzfeld didn't take the job, because he would have been judged on his success with Bayern and Dortmund and that's one thing Klinsmann doesn't have to worry about.

[Bayerntone]

If the Confed cup was a better indication of the style of play that Germany is going to offer because it was a tournament and unlike friendlies, matches were competitive, I think Germany has entered into a stage of noticeable transformation which is different from Voeller's and Ribbeck's era.

Pivotal players like Ballack, Klose, Kahn, Lehmann and Frings cannot be ignored because they have the skill and experience to calm down the young nerves. Yet you can also see the uprising stars: Poldi, Piggy, Lahm, Janzen, Hildebrandt, Borowski, Mertesacker, Owomoyela ...

So this is a new fashion Germany which is exciting and pleasant to watch.

[Cazlon]

Lionhead, i really don't get that line of criticism. What's Klinsmann supposed to do, call up the whole U21 squad ? Just how many realistic contenders are there, who are not included in the current line up yet ?

Youth development has been extremely poor over about a decade, improvements are just starting to kick in. Many Bundesliga club coaches outright suck and quite a bunch of German internationals have little or no competition at the club level. Klinsmann can't singelhandedly change that.

[Lionhead]

Originally Posted by Bayerntone

If the Confed cup was a better indication of the style of play that Germany is going to offer because it was a tournament and unlike friendlies, matches were competitive, I think Germany has entered into a stage of noticeable transformation which is different from Voeller's and Ribbeck's era.

Pivotal players like Ballack, Klose, Kahn, Lehmann and Frings cannot be ignored because they have the skill and experience to calm down the young nerves. Yet you can also see the uprising stars: Poldi, Piggy, Lahm, Janzen, Hildebrandt, Borowski, Mertesacker, Owomoyela ...

So this is a new fashion Germany which is exciting and pleasant to watch.

Don't fool yourself, Bayerntone! The confed cup is still a low rated FIFA spectacle. This hype created around the NT was nothing else but a bubble that burst when Italy crushed them 4:1! I noticed that you named in Kahn, Lehmann and Frings three players renowned for their temper tantrums. They're not even able to calm down their own nerves. As to the rising stars:
Poldi & Schweini yes. The rest: maybes or nos

[Zwanzigoetzel]

Originally Posted by Lionhead

Don't fool yourself, Bayerntone! The confed cup is still a low rated FIFA spectacle. This hype created around the NT was nothing else but a bubble that burst when Italy crushed them 4:1! I noticed that you named in Kahn, Lehmann and Frings three players renowned for their temper tantrums. They're not even able to calm down their own nerves. As to the rising stars:
Poldi & Schweini yes. The rest: maybes or nos

I don't agree. In general yes, the confed cup has historically been a tournament of second squads, but not last year. Close to all teams including Argentina and Brazil came with their number one roster so that as per my opinion it was indeed an indicator of where Germany stands compared to the "big boys".

As far as talents, I have to say that Schweinsteiger is the best we have got, followed by Podolski. I think that Poldi will really shine once he is playing with a international competitive team like Bayern.

[Bayerntone]

Originally Posted by Lionhead

Don't fool yourself, Bayerntone! The confed cup is still a low rated FIFA spectacle. This hype created around the NT was nothing else but a bubble that burst when Italy crushed them 4:1! I noticed that you named in Kahn, Lehmann and Frings three players renowned for their temper tantrums. They're not even able to calm down their own nerves. As to the rising stars:
Poldi & Schweini yes. The rest: maybes or nos

But the confed cup is still a much better event to test the strength of your armour than friendlies.

Kahn, Lehmann are known for their fits of temperamental outbursts which are most viciously directed at their opponents. Their experience can surely help giving the young lads how to man-marking and positioning their defense better.

They had a streak of poor forms after the confed cup. Particularly in Italy where they were crushed. But that was a good lesson leading to the urgent call for an experienced CB after the match.

[Lionhead]

Originally Posted by Bayerntone

But the confed cup is still a much better event to test the strength of your armour than friendlies.

Kahn, Lehmann are known for their fits of temperamental outbursts which are most viciously directed at their opponents. Their experience can surely help giving the young lads how to man-marking and positioning their defense better.

They had a streak of poor forms after the confed cup. Particularly in Italy where they were crushed. But that was a good lesson leading to the urgent call for an experienced CB after the match.

Point taken. Better than friendlies with Liechtenstein or Luxenburg anytime.

Nobody is better than Lehmann or Kahn when it comes to organising the defense. That's why it would have been better to take Woerns to the WC.

Lehmann

Woerns Metzelder

This could have been the reunited BVB warriors in defense.

[Bayerntone]

In the contest for the anchoring CB, I argued with some of the folks here about why Nowotny be denied of a fitness test and made use of some statistics to prove my point that the form of a healthy Nowotny has literally help Leverkusen for a super-surge in their league ranking.

By supporting Nowotny for the fitness test, I did not argue against the consideration of Woerns in Klinsi's roster. All I said, the options should be opened as widely as possible while there is still time. In that opinion poll on this board, I thought the voting was rather even. But in Germany, Woerns has won an overwhelming support.

I also favour Metzelder but he is so injury-prone which makes me worry how many matches can he sustained even his injured ligament could be recovered in time for the tourney.