Who will be Germany's defensive midfield dynamo at next year's World Cup?

This is a good post and I have been asking the same questions...

However when I got to the part about ismael getting a call up, I was lsort of schocked. Personally I think it would be a discgrace. Simply..the guy is not German. He is born and raised in france and been here for just a few years. This is not a club, its a country. To say its ok for Germany to pick this guy just because cb happens to be a weak spot is a joke. I am sure Klins and Bierhoff would never stoop this low thank god.

Anyhow...I think the German team is very strong. Like you said, the only major problems are centerback and defensive mid. Metzelder is getting back to his old self. Mertesacker has a lot of potential. Another option is Worns. He is experienced and reads the game well...however he is slow these days. With a quick defender like Metzelder...he might be the right option.

Defensive midfield for me has to be Kehl. I love his confidence..he is a true leader. Young but experienced. He is intelligent and contrary to what you said, I think he is quite good technically. Why Ernst gets picked instead is a joke to me. Ernst has proven nothing at this level..he is only a good bundesliga player. Hamann is another option but getting up there...I havent seen enough of him recently...is he even playing at Liverpool? Frings and Borowski are not natural defensive players.

 

Honest question/not trying to be argumentative: what do you think about Ferydoon Zandi playing for Iran? I know/assume he has Iranian parent(s) but wasn't he born and raised in Germany?

 

This is an excellent question, and has always been one of Germany's strengths.

Ballack is a much better player when he is able to roam forward safely with a D-Mid behind him. His best performances with the NT have come with Hamann filling that role (the same can be said of Gerrard at Liverpool).

As we know, Hamann, even if he is on the squad, is not a 90 minute player, and frankly I don't see an adaquate replacement.

I'm inclinded to think that Klinsmann may 'think outside the box' and simply not use a traditionally German D-Mid stopper setup. If you don't have a good option at that position, why not play to your strengths in another setup rather than playing to your weaknesses?

Anyway, my answer is that I don't see any good options here.

 

As i have posted in a similar thread lately, with the currently available players a straight 4-4-2 seems the best option.


-------------striker-------striker------------------
--------------------------------------------------
Schweini--Ballack---Borrowski/Trochowski--Deisler--
--------------------------------------------------
Lahm/Fathi-Metzelder---Mertesacker--Friedrich-----

Not necessarily a desirable formation, but there just isn't a defensive midfielder of the necessary quality at this point.

 

I would agree, flat 4-4-2 seems best at the moment..however if the defense doesnt get its act together, I would consider a 3-5-2...anyways, heres my ideal formation.

--------------------Kahn
Friedrich-----Mertsesacker---Metzelder---Lahm
Deisler-------Ballack----Kehl----Schweini
-------------------Podolski----Klose

 

I would definitely opt for Borowski. It´s true, he never really performed up to his skills on the national team, but he has the technical skill, he´s fast and intelligent.
Valerien Ismael would be a great central defender, not the right player for the defensive midfield position, though. Still, I regret that Klinsmann hasn´t taken his offer more serious. There are and have been quite a few naturalized germans on the national team: Gerald Asamoah, Fredi Bobic, Rainer Bonhof, Mustafa Dogan, Paul Freier, Maurizio Gaudino, Miroslav Klose, Bruno Labbadia, Martin Max, Jupp Posipal, Paulo Rink, Zoltan Zebescen, Mirko Votava, Darius Wosz and Sean Dundee.

 

Borowski is talented and a good player but no defensive midfielder.

If only Ernst could step up his game, we would be set.

Another option is Baumann from Bremen.

They played defensive midfield in the Euro and really did well in breaking up attacks against the Dutch. However for me he is a last choice unless no one else can do the job.

 

Yea Borrowski is better in a more versatile free roaming position, preferebly on the flanks with him drifting into the middle every now and then for a long distance shot, certainly not the anchor in discussion here.

Kehl has the ability, Sahin has the potential but that is wishful thinking right there. I don't think Klinsman will solve tthis problem in time and will be a problematic area during the tournament.

 

unfortunately we don't have a makelele or a demichelis and it is the most worrying position and frings is an all around midfielder but in the france game he played great cuz he had instructions to stay infront of the back 4 and had lots of support especially from Ballack

borowski is great but i think he need a micoud type of player bseide him like rui costa ,or riquelme ,a playmaker and we don't have that unless deisler keeps developing or maybe Broich in few years

 

I still want to see Kehl, and I am sure Klinsmann has that in his mind, too. Frings is allright, but he has to play his best to be the solution for this position.

No way, he is maybe a french men, bu never a german. Ridiculous proposal.

 

ERNST?

Ernst is overated ... Kehl or Frings are way ahead of him
Ernst screwed us at Euro 2004

 

Wasn't Ismael born and raised in Straßburg? While that town is no longer in Germany it is only a stones throw away, and has a long German tradition. I am not advocating his inclusion in the squad, but he does have a legitimate argument for inclusion.

If Klinsmann is not going to be able to find a suitable defensive midfield stopper then he should play two central mids and try to outscore his opponents. Ballack and Borowski would be a very competent pairing side by side, because they are both good offensive and defensive players. This would allow them, if they were disciplined enough, to take turns pushing forward while the other temporarily falls into a holding role.

 

This could be a very good option. They already played like this during the last game in France. Frings besides Ballack. So Ballack was a lot more defensive than usually but was still able to be effective up front.
Borowski has to be included in the squad somehow. He is just getting better and better.

No he doesnt. Do you know how many Africans there are in Straßbourg today? Being born in Straßbourg means nothing these days in relation to Germany.

 

First he wanted to play for France, but there were better.
So one day Ismael wants to play for Germany, the other day for Togo.
Typical mercenary.

 

[QUOTE="Eisenfuß" Eilts]First he wanted to play for France, but there were better.
So one day Ismael wants to play for Germany, the other day for Togo.
Typical mercenary.[/QUOTE]


to be fair to him, togo approached him to play for them and he flatly refused... i dont want him playing for germany, but lets not vilify him for something he hasnt done...

 

If the guy was raised in Germany from a young age, I might be open to it but otherwise, hell no....this is an international team not a club.

Anyways, I dont see how Klinsmann can ignore Kehl. The guy is exactly what we need.

Why waste a spot on a guy like Hitzlesperger when we need Kehl so much more.

 

Klinsmann will surely give him a chance at the test matches next year.

 

[QUOTE="Eisenfuß" Eilts]Klinsmann will surely give him a chance at the test matches next year.[/QUOTE]
I wouldn't be too sure if he didn't pick him for France.

That would've been the best way to get Kehl back...if they performed like they did in Stade de France, I bet it would have been Kehl who would've gotten the plaudits.

 

That's a difficult question!
Borowski is really strong this season, he definitely has to play a major role next year for Germany too. But he's probably a lot better in a more offensive role than as defensive midfielder.
Kehl has to get a fair chance after his convincing performances for Dortmund. Normally he should be able to fill the gap. And his technique is definitely a lot better than that of Ramelow or Jeremies who played that position before.
Second choice: Ernst or Frings. (neither of them would make it into my starting eleven)

 

I dont know, but I like Hitzlsperger. He has the right attitude. He played bad positions in the national team but never complained about it. His shooting skills are fabulous.

But its true, there probably isnt a spot for him.
My WC Squad:

Code:

------------------------Kahn-------------------
                (Lehmann, Weidenfeller)

Friedrich-------Mertesacker-Metzelder-----Lahm
(Owomoyela)      (Huth, Wörns)          (Jansen)

------------------------Kehl--------------------
                   (Frings,Ernst)

Deisler---------------Ballack------------Borowski
(Schneider)                            (Schweinsteiger)

-------------------Klose--Podolski------------------
                   (Lauth,Meier)

 

Wow, thats is an interesting squad.

Borowski over the pig? Lauth and Meier?

I dont think Lauth or Meier have proven enough this year...why not Kiessling?

I would also prefer Volz over Owoyomela.

 

Also, Sienkewizc over Huth seeing as how Huth is seeing NO action whatsoever with Chelsea.

 

was just watching the highlights on fsc and there was a break during the hamburg match where trochowski beat the offside trap and even though hes quite fast himself, sinkiewicz caught up with him from yards behind and knicked the ball of him superbly just as he shaped to shoot... superb defending, and a player of his value and speed would be a great addition to the squad over a lumbering lout like huth...