Post-match: Germany vs Mexico World Cup 2018 17 June - Luzhniki Stadium

You are referring those 2012 days when we were transitioning from a counter attacking based team to a possession based team

 

I would say the pressing didn't actually work on Kroos. Apart from once, when he was fouled and handled the ball he was able to retain possession. Kroos' problem is his lack of mobility and not tracking back. He is very press resistant.

Khedira on the other hand lost the ball often and didn't track back.

Khedira brings nothing to the team.

It's, because Loew has the attack too high all standing in a line. The tactics are to get the ball to Kimmich and he crosses it in. There is little depth and movement. It forces the attacking players to be static.

 

It's fashionable to keep criticising Boateng. Leave a CB that exposed and every denfender in the world will look bad. Hummels and Boateng were't even being left one on one at the back, which is bad enough. They were being left 4 against 2. It was unbelievable.

At one point Loew had Reus, Werner, Muller, Draxler, Gomez, Kroos and Ozil all on the pitch. Where is the structure? Where is the space to move into? Sometimes less is more.

 

I did make that point in our match thread. Low was the biggest failure. Players can only follow the tactics and you can make good players look like crap by being exposed over and over again, resulting in them not knowing where to turn.

But in general play, he looked so clumpy and slow on the ball. Almost as if hes carrying too much weight, lethargic at best.

 

but some teams are able to do both, Germany seem stuck at only possession based team who can't counter anymore to save their lives.

and lol at how the possession based Germany who advance way too much are an easy target for counters yet can barely counter themselves. Becoming possession based has made this team slow in attack. There should be a balance between the 2.

we lack difference makers on the squad. Something we need to find and integrate as quick as possible..

 

Central defenders should not be playing the role of central midfielders. Loew's tactics meant Boateng was doing the job of the other midfielders, because the only central midfielder on the pitch was Kroos.

He wasn't at his best on the ball, but he was more than good enough for a central defender. The question should be why was Khedira (the central midfielder so bad). Why did the Germany completely ignore the left hand side.

Hummels is right. The friendly excuse cannot be used. Saudi Arabia exposed just how suicidal the tactics were. Saudi Arabia did this.

The set up for team was just amateurish.

 

I think Boateng was one of our better players today with some crucial blocks. He even looked better than Hummels who was very bad all through

 

Against a team like Mexico, there was no justification for setting up a team that doesn't come out with the required hunger and passion out there. Löw stuck with too many of his 2014 boys instead of playing with other players who can show more energy out there.

In terms of particular criticisms, here are my takes.

Khedira... It's safe to say that he does not deserve a starting spot any longer. He's supposed to protect the defenders and fall back quickly; he failed to do that.

Özil... What I saw was the same lazy guy who was rightfully berated at Arsenal for not making an effort out there. I thought he was very slow most of the time. On the Mexican goal, he made a schoolboy error by conceding the inside to Lozano.

Plattenhardt... He was there by default with Hector's illness, but I hope this is the last time we will see him in this tournament. He let his man away too many times for anyone's good.

Hummels... Slow, lacking balance on his feet, and too often out of position. I think it's time Löw sends him on the bench for someone younger and faster like Süle.

Müller... He can be such an enigma at times. When you think that Reus, Brandt, and Draxler did visibly better than him on the wings, you have to consider perhaps benching him for the good of the team. You also have to wonder if his woes at Euro 2016 still hinder him now. I want to see him coming back in action like a wounded animal.

In conclusion, I hope and expect several changes to be made for the Sweden match. Goretzka and Gündogan should replace Özil and Khedira for starters. At the back, Hector's return can't do any harm, but Süle or anybody else must take Hummels' spot. As for Müller, I already made my point above.

 

Plattenhardt isn't NT level player and never was, he got the job essentially by default. Halstenberg was injured for most of the season and lazy Low didn't want to go for anyone new, so he got the back up LB job.

and with Hector being dumped to 2BL next season and there is no guarantee that Koln will get promoted again. Seems like we have an LB issue on our hands. Even Hector like Boa and Neuer missed a ton of the season because of injuries.

would also be nice if we could get another RB that could push Kimmich even more as of now Kimmich is the RB by default too. Although his issues is that he advances way way too much, which seems based on Low's tactics of having as many players as possible attacking.

You get a lot of Kimmich is Lahm 2.0 discussions but although Lahm wasn't that great attacking wise compared to Kimmich at least he was great defensively and left a ton less space.

 

Has Löw ever considered playing with 3 defenders at the back? If Kimmich moves forward a lot, it sounds to me that he could do a job as a RWB instead of being a traditional RB. As for who would play as the LWB to complete the setup, that could be tricky because of the problems mentioned above. However, I wouldn't move it past Draxler's list of tasks if it comes down to that at the moment.

 

I thought these comments from Mueller were very interesting. The optimist in me takes some hope that Loew wouldn’t have started the players or formation he did with better intelligence. Not saying we don’t have issues, but credit to Osorio and his staff.

, Thomas Muller admitted that Mexico had outsmarted them with a vastly changed game plan. The players had been told Osorio's men would press high and keep possession, when, in fact, they pressed only deep in their own half and immediately went vertical.

 

we mostly played the 3 CBs at the CC but reverted back to 2 CBs once the old guard came back to the equation.

seems likely that if he goes to 3 CBs, that Hector would be the LWB.

this coach doesn't get that the 4-2-3-1 these days only works well in qualifiers vs minnows not vs WC teams. We need actual midfielders in the center not playing guys like Ozil or Draxler as the 3rd midfielders if we stick with 4 at the back. Othwerwise 3 CBs might be a better fit.

 

Kroos comments explain my confusion during the match. Time and time again I was stunned to see how many players Mexico left upfield. It was like they had an extra man running onto the pitch.

 

I cant recall Muller doing anything of note, not a single play, replace him with Brandt.

With the full backs, while one goes the other should stay, otherwise play with three defenders at the back.

Niether one of Kroos or Khedira was sitting both were too slow to react to the counters and were getting caught too far forward time and time again.

For Mexicos goal, the lack of cover meant Hummels had to go tight and was turned easily, and if Kroos showed the same effort as Ozil to get back the goal would have been prevented, again Ozil had to over commit as there was too much space on that side.

As a Man City fan, Gundagon is not the answer, hes slow and ponderous like Khedira even though when asked to play the Fernandino role, did well but he does not cover the ground well neither is the best tackler, as much as I hate to say it, Rudy needs to perform that role as we have no better in that position.

Referee was letting the play go, the German players did not adapt, they should have been stronger and stayed on their feet.

 

Neuer was solid, kimmich looked amazing going forward but leaves to much space. Hummers and boateng both look slow and clumsy. Plattenhardt was meh. Khedira cant cover Kroos and must be replaced. Kroos is great at what he does but needs someone to cover him. Muller and Draxler were invisible and Reus should start. Ozil is soft. Werner had a few opportunities but his touch and football iq is lacking.

 

Could be, but Brazil looked far from convincing, it took a absolute screamer from coutinio to score, Germany surely will improve from the lacklustre showing yesterday