In the Summertime, When the Weather is Fine | UEFA Euro 2012 | Poland/Ukraine

I'm one of those stat head sports fans so I can't agree with this argument at all. They just didn't have a good day. There's a lot of good teams out there and it kind of puts in perspective how good Spain is that they've managed three finals in a row.

 

I can't help but think that this German side would probably get to the final of a World Cup as well if they found themselves in a group with Ireland, Cameroon and Saudi Arabia, and then had to face Paraguay, the US and South Korea in the knockout rounds. Fact is that side had a ludicrously easy run, that was far more of a factor in them making the final than the possession of a certain mentality.

Edit: Also, six years? Your timeline is way off, six years takes us back to the 2006 World Cup. At that point Germany is still in a comparatively barren spell in terms of talent, even with the emergence of Lahm, Schweinsteiger and Podolski. I'd actually suggest that the 2008 team marked the end of that era, with 2010 being the first senior tournament to consist of the new wave of German talent. I don't think anyone but the most deluded German fan would have predicted 6 years ago that the likes of Odonkor, Borowski, Hanke, Jansen and Huth were on the verge of taking over world football.

 

When Ancelotti was manager, there was talk that he wanted Pirlo to come to Chelsea.
Most thought he was crazy to add another geriatric to the team.
Look who's crazy now!

 

he wouldnt look that good here with all our matches...he would look slow as hell.

 

well to be fair, Deco wasn't that good anymore when we signed him.. I think there's a chance Pirlo does better, but yeah, let's not find out.

 

My timeline is actually off in the other direction--Germany started rebuilding in 2002 with grass-roots reform at every level of the nation's soccer infrastructure. The first showing of that 'new' Germany (replete with American fitness techniques and a new coach) was at the 2006 World Cup. They lost to Italy in Dortmund, but were applauded for making strides. Then came Loew, more exciting new players, more new techniques--these latest learned from studying the Dutch and Spanish passing and pressing games--and they brought more sophisticated teams to the 2008, 2010, and 2012 tournaments, making runs to the semifinals or final (2008). But the common theme is that this new, reformed Germany has great players yet doesn't win trophies. Why? You think it's luck and only a matter of time. I think they don't have the right mentality and I do not believe they will win in 2014 either. They've learned a lot from other countries but they seem to have lost some essential German qualities along the way.

 

I think you're exaggerating how quickly those reforms produced fruit in order to make Germany's failures seem more pronounced. The reform may have started in 2002, but the 2004, 2006 and 2008 teams were still built around players largely produced under the old system, and bearing those same qualities (functional, disciplined but ultimately somewhat limited). To illustrate, Thomas Hitzlsperger (!!) started every knockout round game in 2008. Correspondingly, not much was expected of those sides, so your claim that we've been told for 6 years that Germany were going to conquer seems bizarre.

It wasn't until their storming U21 victory over England that the hype starting building, and the core of that team that has moved on to senior level is still very young. They've 'failed' at two tournaments, but they have plenty of time to redeem themselves, and asserting that it's due to to a lack of a certain mentality (which mustn't have been missing when they won as U21s) seems awfully premature and frankly quite simplistic. There are far more obvious reasons closer at hand, as anyone who saw the embarrassing ease with which Balzaretti handled Podolski yesterday can attest to.

You're confusing me with another poster. I've not said that it's luck or a matter of time. There are no guarantees in football, and this Germany side may well not win a single thing. They have a long ways to go though, so condemning them for a lack of a certain mentality so early in their international careers seems ridiculous.

 

Had to feel sorry for her

 

Who would you honestly take right now:

Buffon
Casillas
Cech
Neuer
Hart

 

I think we're in a good place with Cech and Courtois being 30 and 20 years old respectively. But with the quota rules, I wouldnt be so quick to turn down Hart

 

I know...uber lame...no faith in the team. I didn't think Germany would be able to come back after being down 2-0 vs Italy in the 33 minute...but I also knew I had to keep the faith and that anything is possible...as slim as the chances may be.

 

Yeah, but I thought something similar when the chels went 1-0 down against Bayern with only a few mins to go. Any time you've got dangerous players on the pitch and they're on your team, you've always got a chance.

 

Keep in mind, Casillas has just turned 31, so as far as age goes, there's just one year of difference between him and Cech. It just feels like Casillas has been around forever.

 

http://www.talksport.co.uk/magazine...ey-gerrard-terry-and-more-rated-an-175206?p=7

The guy played one decent half the entire tournament, was completely overrun and invisible in the knockout game... and is labeled "undoubtedly England's best player."