08.09.07 (Euro 08 Qualifier) Wales : Germany [R]

Let's talk about this again when Germany is definitely qualified!

 

Hang on people, this thread is not supposed to be about which team I might choose to like or not. When I said "Don't let loose on me", I didn't really expect that anyone could object to having sympathies for a different national team than his own. I take it then that none of you ever root for any national team different than Germany?
By the way, I never claimed to be rooting for Ireland in that particular match. All I said - and careful reading might have told you so - that I could indeed live with a draw in that match in case we secure a victory in the game against Wales. Of course I'm happy if we win against Ireland, but I want them to go through as well. That's all I have to say about that.

 

Thank you. I also think we are likely to win it, and even if we don't we are comfortably cruising to win our group.

 

Don't get me wrong, I didn't mean to diss you or something but (again) as long as the German team isn't actually qualified I won't waste a thought on giving away points to other teams out of sheer sympathy. I want the qualification to be secured asap, afterwards Löw can use the remaining matches to check out new players or whatever...

 

this will be an easy one, no more giggs for wales. Fairly easy win for us, 3-0.

 

We shouldn't underestimate Wales like Cyprus, it will tough there
What are the news about Jansen and Fritz ?
I was happy with Pander shot, he has great abilities in set pieces corners and
free kicks but has really to improve his defending !
why can't he make a tackle

 

More than the 90.000 in the huge new Wembley stadium? I strongly doubt it
We shouldn´t underestimate them, but once we are able to dominate the gameplay for the first time in their stadium, it should be a easy win. Can anyone follow my logic here ?

Fritz and Ballack are not gonna make it, I also would put Poldi in vain.

 

I support Ecuador passionatly because my mother is from there and I spent 10 years in Galapagos. I still rooted for Germany when they played vs. Ecuador during the WC. I just wanted to see Ecuador play well and not get owned while hoping Germany would win the title.

I also root for any team that plays Argentina or Brazil.

 

nope. I absolutely can't stand every other country.

 

Poldi made his comeback for Bayern in a friendly against Zurich. It seems he was able to play the whole 90 minutes, without scoring a goal though. Nice to have him and Gomez back for the game in Cardiff.

I might be wrong, but I reckon the Welsh will leave us a lot of possession and barricade their goal, so the loss of Schneider's experience and creativity in midfield is indeed quite grave. Patience is a virtue we might need in that game.

By the way, here's the Wales squad for the game:

Hennessey (Wolves), Price (Derby), Coyne (Tranmere), Bale (Spurs), D Collins (Sunderland), J.Collins (West Ham), S Evans (Wrexham), Gabbidon (West Ham), Morgan (Peterborough), Nyatanga (Barnsley), Ricketts (Hull), Crofts (Gillingham), S Davies (Fulham), Fletcher (Crystal Palace), M Jones (Wrexham), Koumas (Wigan), Ledley (Cardiff), Parry (Cardiff), Robinson (Toronto), Bellamy (West Ham), Earnshaw (Derby), Eastwood (Wolves), Nardiello (QPR).

Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/6965500.stm

 

At least Poldi probably is not going to be nominated I'm afraid. That's at least what I read.

Yeah, it's most likely going to be similar to the match against Ireland after the World Cup.

 

I'd be pretty confident with this squad:

-------------------NEUER-------------------
--------MERTESACKER--METZELDER----------
-LAHM--------------------------------JANSEN-
----------------HITZLSPERGER---------------
-HILBERT------------------------TROCHOWSKI-
---------------SCHWEINSTEIGER--------------
--------------KLOSE--------------------------
-------------------------KURANYI-------------

 

The squad:

Tor:
23 Robert Enke
12 Timo Hildebrand
1 Jens Lehmann

Abwehr:
35 Gonzalo Castro
3 Arne Friedrich
24 Manuel Friedrich
2 Marcell Jansen
16 Philipp Lahm
17 Per Mertesacker
21 Christoph Metzelder
6 Christian Pander
40 Serdar Tasci

Mittelfeld:
34 Roberto Hilbert
15 Thomas Hitzlsperger
38 Simon Rolfes
7 Bastian Schweinsteiger
28 Piotr Trochowski

Angriff:
32 Mario Gomez
37 Patrick Helmes
11 Miroslav Klose
31 Kevin Kuranyi
20 Lukas Podolski

Gerald Asamoah, Stefan Kießling, Bernd Schneider, Oliver Neuville, David Odonkor, Mike Hanke and Manuel Neuer have to take part in a fitness test.

Trochowski dammit I would've preferred to see Streit given a chance.

 

Yep. link

 

I think Trochowski is fantastic.

 

the guy has SO much potential thats why so many of us are frustrated with him because he is showing it not often enough and hasnt developed much in the last 2 years.
One could even say that he played 2 years ago better than now.
I think thats also the reason why Löw keeps nominating him, he can probably see the big potential of Trochowoski in the training but the boy finally needs to use his talent and make the next step or else he is gonna be the next Lars Ricken.

 

Löw's descision to include Trochowski in the squad is understandable IMO, but only under the current circumstances (= deficit of good midfielders due to injuries). Otherwise Trochowski shouldn't even be called up until he starts improving notably for his club. Maybe he is a big talent, but I couldn't say when the last time was he really impressed me (if ever).

 

Shortage of midfielders but some of our defenders can play in midfield (Jansen, Lahm) so I'm not worried at all.

If all those players are fit come matchday this could be the line up:

------------------Mad Jens-----------------

Lahm--------Merte--------Metze------Pander

---------Schweinsteiger------Hizlsperger------

Hilbert-------------------------------Jansen

--------------Klose---------Podolski--------

 

On another note, I continue to be baffled at Oliver Neuville's call-up. As far as I can remember, he hasn't even played for us since the WC. Is he really undergoing a fitness test for national team duty?