Das Reboot and the Road to UEFA Nations League & EC2020

Interviewer: Mr Löw, what is your conclusion of your 2-0 win over Northern Ireland?

Joachim Löw: It was a very fast-paced, difficult 90 minutes here in Belfast; they tried to take the game to us in the first half and didn’t make it easy for us. At half time we had to correct a thing or two because our shape wasn’t ideal. We performed much better in the second half. We had a few hurdles to overcome, but that was expected because the team had never played in this way before.

Interviewer: What, specifically, did you address during the break?

Löw: Brandt, Reus, Gnabry and Werner were tracking back too much and failing to cover the space in the midfield. So I told them to stay more advanced because there were gaps that they could take advantage of. We needed to attack their defence with pace because they were overstretched. Furthermore, it was clear that the players were feeling the pressure, as they were trying to rush it by hitting long balls rather than playing out from the defence. I told them to stay calm, and the opportunities will come.

Interviewer: How pleased were you with the mentality of your players?

Löw: That’s something that we’ve talked a lot about over the past few days; we needed to show that we wanted it more than them, and that we were ready to go into tackles. The team did this very well. We failed to do this against Holland but today was much better.

Interviewer: Would you say it was better, or a sign that you’re now playing at the level you want to be at?

Löw: It was better.

Interviewer: Do you expect a little bit more from leaders such as Marco Reus?

Löw: Marco, Manu Neuer, Toni Kroos and Jo Kimmich have all been with us for a few years now – it’s time for them to take on a bit more responsibility by showing the other players they’re ready for the game, through their body language and demeanour on the pitch. Marco perhaps didn’t perform as well as he’s capable of, but he is an outstanding footballer and an important part of our team.

Interviewer: What’s the next step for the team?

Löw: Continuity is vital. But it’s not as easy as people may think. Compared to the game in Amsterdam, we are missing six or seven players, five of who started in the 3-2 victory. Beating Northern Ireland is a step in the right direction, but we still need to sharpen up certain aspects of our team. Improving our chemistry is a priority for such a young squad.

Interviewer: How far away are you from being world champions again – and how prepared are you for the European Championships?

Löw: The route to the top is never easy. We still have a few more months to improve. Holland needed three years to rebuild; we need time to get there. We have already shown how much quality we have, and the potential is there. We still have Sané, Goretzka, Gündogan, Rüdiger and Schulz to come back and when they are back, and our team is complete, we have a very strong squad.

 

THE BEST GATE STARTER: GNABRY WITH NINE IN TEN IN THE TOP 10
Already his debut set standards: three hits to the debut in 2016 - albeit against San Marino. Thus, Serge Gnabry set the DFB record, held by Fritz Walter, among others. In the recent 2-0 win in Northern Ireland, the 24-year-old offensive all-rounder scored his ninth goal in his first tenth place, putting him in the top ten.

For comparison: Germany's record goalscorer Miroslav Klose came "only" to five goals after ten internationals. "Serge makes it really great, he is footballing at an extremely high level," said coach Joachim Loew. "And his odds are overwhelming." In fact: The professional from FC Bayern Munich meets in the DFB-Dress every 86 minutes.

"But he is not only great because of that", praises Löw, "but because he makes the balls very firm in the front and uses our other players super well." In addition, Gnabry "really good running paths" and is always playable as a target player: "He moves well and smart, so Serge is set for me at the moment the last games were at a very good level."

Most goals after ten international matches
Richard Hofmann (Dresdner SC) 11 (from 1927 to 1930)

Karl Hohmann (VfL Benrath) 11 (1930 to 1934)

Josef Gauchel (TuS Neuendorf) 11 (1936 to 1939)

Klaus Fischer (Schalke 04) 11 (1977/1978)

Fritz Forderer (Karlsruher FV) 10 (1908 to 1912)

Edmund Conen (FV Saarbrücken) 10 (1934/1935)

Gerd Müller (Bavaria Munich) 10 (1966 to 1969)

Helmut Schön (Dresdner SC) 9 (1937 to 1939)

Hans Schäfer (1st FC Cologne) 9 (1950 to 1954)

Serge Gnabry (Werder Bremen / Bayern Munich) 9 (since 2016)

Two players of the DFB history even came in fewer than ten internationals on more goals than the one mentioned here: Gottfried Fuchs ended his career after only six missions with 13 goals, including ten in the historic 16: 0 against Russia at the Olympics 1912 in Stockholm. Ernst Willimowski achieved the same value with eight inserts (1941/1942) before the war also ended his career.

 

LOL.

This could be us but you playin pic.twitter.com/olO6598ZtG

— Kai Havertz (@kaihavertz29) September 10, 2019

 

not surprising about Kovac, hes ex Croatia NT coach.

 

it's too funny that Kuntz is much better tactically than the dinosaur Low.

 

lol and Daniel is part of Kuntz's staff, where as Low has bums as part of his.

no different than how Klinsmann was a bum that needed Low. Low was a bum that needed Flick, no Flick and downward spiral.

 

Bild (@cfbayern) asked Jogi Löw this question.

Löw: "I know that our expectations are always huge, and we have high standards ourselves. But you must not forget that we are in the midst of a transition and rebuild.
Not everything can succeed at the push of a button" https://t.co/KsJWjIEZ6s

— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) September 10, 2019

Löw: "We decided to form a new team with young players. We continue on this path, because we are convinced of it & rely on these players. We give them our trust, appreciation & support. I'm sure that we can get back to the top of the world with them. They have the potential"

Löw on Havertz: "Believe me, I know exactly what Kai can do and what qualities he has. He did not skip two U-teams for nothing and came straight from the U19s. But he has strong competition. We're carefully integrating him. Even a Leroy Sané needed his time in the national team"