Players who deserve a shot in next friendlies

I don't think Klinsman is really seriously considerating replacing Kahn as the number one but Enke I guess can be used for a possible third goalkeeper. Kehl deserves it more than anything, especially since that is a position we need a solid player in. If he is to become a starter for us in DM, he's gotta start playing already!

Kiessling as well, since we're still not certain on who the fourth striker could be...heck, if it was up to me Kuranyi wouldn't even be an automatic addition to the team.

 

Sebastian Kehl (he should actually start at the World Cup too!)
Malik Fathi
Stefan Kießling
Piotr Trochowski (would be an excellent Ballack substitute)
and maybe even Alex Meier

 

Kevin Prince Boateng (VERY talented Midfielder, reminds of Zidane in his Style of Play...)
Malik Fathi
Piotr Trochowski
Manuel Friedrich
Florian Kringe
Sebastian Kehl
Ioannis Masmanidis
Nando Rafael
Gonzalo Castro
Benny Lauth

list goes on and on...

 

Kehl (this is a given, he should be starting FFS!!)

Trochowski He's a player whos type we're missing on the NT currently. He could be a nice creative spark as a sub. Meier could be another possibility here.

Neuville (He's had a very good season, and on current form, I'd take him over Lauth or Hanke)

Fathi A good defensive minded LB. I would like him and Lahm as our LBs, and Jansen moved to a more attacking role (he's been outstanding for gladbach in this role).

Fahrenhorst At the beginning of this season, this would have been laughable, but he's been decent since returning to fitness. If Wörns gets left off the team (which appears to be likely), I wouldn't mind Fahne as a 4th defender, but certainly not a starter. I still have hope for Huth in the future, but right now is not the time for him.

Volz Assuming he regains his health, he should be looked at as our backup RB. He's had a very good season with Fulham. Hinkel's in no form to be on the NT currently, and Owomoyela, while a decent RB in the Bundesliga, isn't quality enough for the NT IMO.

Players such as Boateng and Castro would find it very tough to crack the NT this time around. I think the 2008 EC (and the EC qualifiers post WC) could be a more realistic target for them.

 

Boateng is very good but i think he should get some experience with the U-21s first. The kid's only 18(I think).

Fathi would be a very good sub for Lahm, and yes I also think Jansen should be moved up to left wing.
Kehl should be playing regularly, i don't know what is going through klinsmanns head right now.

Trochowski would be a very good substitute, and he deserves to be in the team much more than guys like Hamann and Engelhardt.

 

Good list. I particularly Piotr Trochowski should be in the final squad already...he is a young, fit "Mehmet Scholl" like player that is missing from the setup.

I am also still pissed that Bayern let him go.

 

Borowksi shall play from the beginning on on Deislers position, Kehl shall come in as a sub for Frings, lahm has to start as a left back and Kiessling shall be the fourth striker.

 

KEHL KEHL KEHL and FVCKIN KEHL!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Klinsi has released his list of the 28 players invited to the training session in Düsseldorf for Jan 30-31.

Tor: Oliver Kahn (Bayern München), Jens Lehmann (FC Arsenal), Timo Hildebrand (VfB Stuttgart)
Abwehr: Arne Friedrich (Hertha BSC), Andreas Hinkel (VfB Stuttgart), Robert Huth (FC Chelsea), Marcell Jansen (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Philipp Lahm (Bayern München), Per Mertesacker (Hannover 96), Christoph Metzelder (Borussia Dortmund), Patrick Owomoyela (Werder Bremen), Lukas Sinkiewicz (1. FC Köln), Christian Wörns (Borussia Dortmund)
Mittelfeld: Michael Ballack, Sebastian Deisler, Bastian Schweinsteiger (alle FC Bayern München), Tim Borowski, Torsten Frings (beide Werder Bremen), Fabian Ernst (Schalke 04), Thomas Hitzlsperger (VfB Stuttgart), Sebastian Kehl (Borussia Dortmund), Bernd Schneider (Bayer 04 Leverkusen)
Angriff: Gerald Asamoah, Kevin Kuranyi (beide Schalke 04), Mike Hanke (VfL Wolfsburg), Miroslav Klose (Werder Bremen), Oliver Neuville (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Lukas Podolski (1. FC Köln)

Good news (IMO): Kehl (yes!) and Wörns were invited back.

Bad news (again IMO): Fathi, Volz and Trochowski not invited, while Ernst, Owomoyela and Hitzlsperger are. What does Klinsi see in Hitz and Owo?

 

He is stubborn to have picked Hitzlsberger, Ernst, Huth, Owomoyela and Asamoah n Hanks

Apart from Fathi, Volz, Trochowski, I think Kringe; Odonkor; Tiffert and Kiessling should be selected as well.

 

Hitzlsperger and Ernst and Hildebrand etc were picked because they are already familiar with the training routine of the national team and have experience that way....I guess with so many youngsters in the team Klinsman doesn't want to go out on a limb and call up the entire U-21 squad, you know?

Here's some of the players listed that I hope do NOT make the final 23: Hildebrand, Huth, Owomoyela, Woerms (possibly), Ernst, Hitzlsperger, Asamoah (hasn't proven much this season), Neuville (won't repeat his domestic form onto the national level) and Kuranyi....just don't plain like his style and he always disapoints me....I don't see him stepping up against big teams.

 

I understand that, yet they don't bring much to the table. Hitz's spot in mid should be given to Trochowski IMO. Hitz doesn't offer anything (other than his left foot) that players such as Boro and Ballack do better anyways (plus, they also have cracking shots). Trochowski offers the NT a Scholl-like player that could be extremely useful.

Neuville and Kuranyi should be on this team by their form so far (not as starters, mind you). (Plus, we all remember how dangerous Neuville was in the 2002 final, it could be a very good idea to bring him along). Who would you pick at forward instead? Hanke and Lauth have been god-awful (which is too bad really, when in form, they can be dangerous), Kiessling's had some good games, but he hasn't had a better season than either Kuranyi or Neuville.

I wouldn't mind Asamoah I must say. He's an energy player, who could give us a boost in the late parts of games.

 

I'm with you Jaison...

as for the strikers I'm just very nervous about our strikeforce in general, as it has been over the past few years...I just feel as if our younger strikers are more likely to pose a threat but I totally understand the veterans being in there because of their Bundesliga form...they deserve it, especially Oliver, he's been integral to Gladbach's success this season.

On another note, watching the West Ham/ Fulham game now Volz isn't playing because he's injured I believe but he sooo deserves to be in the squad over Hinkel and ESPECIALLY over Huth.

I can't begin to tell you guys how much it frustrates me that Huth is in the damn team, I understand picking Woerms, Hildebrand etc because of their training experience with the national team but Huth is NOT getting any club playing time WHATSOEVER....this goes against everything in football and players working and playing hard to be in the national team...this guy doesn't play and still makes the national team and possibly even the WC squad?????????

GET THE FOOK OUT OF HERE!

 

I understand your frustrations! I thought Huth was supposed to be loaned to Villa or something, but I don't know what ever came of that. I think if he can get a loan and get more playing time, he could develop into a very good defender. He has the physique and physical attributes for sure.
If I had to pick 4 CBs to take, I'd go with Merte, Metze, Wörns and Sinkiewicz.

Forwardwise, yeah it's a little shallow after Klose and Poldi. Right now I'm inclined to prefer Kuranyi and Neuville as the 3rd and 4th forwards, but let's see what the 2nd half of the season brings. I Kiessling continues playing well, I certainly wouldn't mind the "German Crouch" getting a call-up.

In an ideal world, Hanke and Lauth would step up big time in the 2nd half, but I'm sceptical. Hanke's other big concern is that he would be suspended for the first 2 games of the WC.

 

Huth definitely shouldn't be in the squad. I'd take Metzelder, Mertesacker, Friedrich and M. Friedrich as CBs.

Neuville should be in the squad, he recently had some nice performances. I have to admit that although I'm not his biggest fan. Maybe Kießling should join him...Asamoah is very weak at the moment and Hanke...well - just look at his performances with Wolfsburg. He's awful.

Whatever Klinsmann does, I just hope that his main formation will be (for easier teams):

--------------goalkeeper------------------
--Lahm----Metzelder--Mertesacker--Jansen
----------------Kehl----------------------
----Deisler------------Schweinsteiger-----
-------------Ballack----------------------
-----------------------Podolski-----------
------------Klose-------------------------

(for stronger teams)

--------------goalkeeper-----------------
--Friedrich--Metzelder--Mertesacker--Lahm
-------------Kehl---Ballack---------------
------Deisler--------------Schweinsteiger-
----------------Borowski-----------------
--------------Klose----------------------

 

I like the 4-5-1 formation you have. You could also put Deisler or Schweini in the middle and have Boro or Frings playing on the side, but there are many possibilities.

 

yep, our midfield is really strong. I wish we could use all players It breaks my heart to see that someone like Borowski will probably sit on the bench

 

hehe...

I can't remember which english paper said it, but that's what they called him when Arsenal were interested in him.

Though Kiessling doesn't look nearly as freakish.




I think we found Stephen Merchant's (the oggmonster) long lost brother..

 

I couldn't agree more, Kehl should start at the WC.

 

I agree with Kehl why isnt he getting an oppertunity to start?

 

at least Klinsmann wants him to start against Italy. Hopefully he'll prove his talent.

 

Why not use Kehl in central defence if he's a strong defensive midfielder and thinks the defensive game very well?

Anticipation, timing, speed, and agility, are skills that we need to highlight in prospective national team central mids, not to mention tackling ability, one on one coverage skills, and the ability to move the ball upfield competently. I've often read that Kehl possesses many of these abilities.

Kicker score sheets have Kehl being used as a central defender; Bayern sometimes does the same with Demichelis. The reason I'm throwing this out there is because I've seen Kehl play and I've never been quite satisfied with his attacking skills, but if he compensates for that with strong defensive play, why not find a position more suitable for him and the National Team?

What do you guys think? Could Kehl do for us in Germany what Ramelow did for us in Japan?

 

Kehl does play defense as well, and he's quite good at it but he's just been so good in that role for Dortmund and Germany has a real problem finding a good player for that DM role, much like England.

Metzelder and Mertesacker should be good enough as the CB pair, with Kehl ahead of them it would work out fantastic.