My prediction: 2012: GK) Neuer, Adler, Wiese DF) Boateng, Lahm, Howedes, Traesch, Hummels, Mertesacker, Badstuber, Schmelzer MF) Khedira, Sven Bender, Kroos, Schweinsteiger, Mesut Oezil, Thomas Müller, Mario Goetze, Podolski, Marin, Schürrle FW) Klose, Mario Gomez, Thomas Müller ----------------------Neuer ---Boateng--Mertesacker--Hummels---Lahm --------------Kheidra---Schweinsteiger ---Goetze------------Oezil----------Schürrle ---------------------Gomez 2014: GK) Neuer, ter Stegen, Wiese DF) Boateng, Hummels, Howedes, Mertesacker, Lahm, Diekmeier, Schmelzer, Da Costa MF) Sven Bender, Schweinsteiger, Khedira, M.Goetze, Mesut Oezil, Kroos, Ilkay Gündogan, Marin, Schürrle FW) Mario Gomez, Thomas Müller, Samed Yesil ------------------------Neuer ---Boateng------Howedes-----Hummels------Lahm -----------------Khedira----Schweinsteiger --- Goezte--------------Oezil--------------Schürrle -------------------Thomas Müller
First of all, why on earth would you put Mertesacker in the squad let alone in the starting eleven? He is so poor and should never be called up again. Also, there is a central defender born in 1989 who is going to be world class soon. His name is Philipp Wollscheid and he is already better than Mertesacker will ever be. I do not care about Trasch. I would not take him.Koch will probably be knocking on the door for the World Cup as well. For goalkeepers, apart from Adler and Ter Stegen you could put Zieler,Baumann and Trapp. Schieber and Petersen could become world class in the next few years so maybe they could be in the squad. Marco Reus deserves a chance as well.Markus Mendler was brilliant on the right wing against Hertha and he is only 18 years old. He is a good dribbler. We could put him on the wing with gotze on the other wing and Ozil as the playmaker.Mendler will most likely never get a chance in the national team though. I dont see Draxler in the WC 2014 squad either.It will be tough for Jogi Low to pick between so many great players...
Wait...so next year Muller won't be starting for Germany? Marin hasn't been called up in about a year. I think people have given up on that hobbit.
How can you possibly see the starting XI in 3 years and full team? Especially as things change with time, it's basically pointless to play a guessing game. That said, I don't see Muller getting benched for 2012. As for the Euro, it will be the same team as WC10, bar perhaps a few changes. Offensively there will be the battle of Podolski vs Goetze & Klose vs Gomez. Interesting to see what happens otherwise. Schweini & Khedira to start in midfield, Ozil ahead of them. Lahm to play on the left rather then the right, Neuer in goal. The defense might be the biggest change. So far all I see is Boateng as a RWB because of the lack of quality full-backs. Beck, Castro & Co. are ok players, but not great nor ever will be imo. So I would put Boateng in that position. Schmelzer might be a good player in the future but Lahm according to Loew will start as a LWB, so he will only see the bench. The change may be in central defense, where Freidrich & Merte started in 2010. Freidrich I doubt will start, or even make the team unfortunately (I would like to keep him for experience). I would guess here that it will be any combination of Hummels, Badstuber, Merte, Howedes (& Boateng) that starts. Who plays there is anyone's guess. My estimation is Schweinsteiger, Khedira, Ozil, Muller, Lahm, Boateng, & Neuer all have their positions guaranteed. Klose, Podolski & Mertesacker could loose their starting XI position depending on the players that are going after their position. It will depend on many things. Freidrich will definitely loose it, I imagine Hummels will take his spot. So that means 7 starters from 2010, 3 could potentially loose their spot & 1 definitely will.
He is probably our best attacking player. Oezil might get all the attention because of his class, but looking at Mullers stats, he definitely deserves to have a position in the team just for him.
Yea Müller and Özil aren't going anywhere, that's for sure. Podolski should and probably will be replaced soon, depending on Löw's patience.
I watched almost all Germany games because of Oezil & Khedira. In recent games of Germany NT (Uruguay, Austria, Azerbaijan) Podolski wasn't doing worse than Mueller tbh. No love for Podolski?
Low football IQ relative to the younger generation, lacks tactical discipline, positionally weak, can be complacent, predictable in his play. Both Schürrle and Götze are better options.
Terrible passing and reading. Behaves like a buffoon most of the time. But still, amazingly powerful, quick, generally a team player, makes attempts at goal even if he misses most of the time. Overall, I think most still view him as bigger goal threats than both Schurrle and Gotze as far the NT is concerned. I'm not really done with Podolski. I think that he needs to leave Cologne and go to a club where he actually needs to push himself to succeed. And once he realizes his position with the NT is not secured anymore, maybe that will inspire him to further develop. But even if he doesn't, and he just continues as is (the previous league season was definitely an improvement), there's no way he'll be dumped from the 2012 team.
I understand how Goetze & Schuerrle could be a threat for a spot in NT soon. But what I'm trying to say is that base on Germany NT recent peformances against Uruguay, Austria, & Azerbaijan, Mueller was just as deserved to loose his spot as Podolski. Mueller is much younger though. Hopefully he can step up in today's game.
I see 2012 pretty much sorted out there will be a couple of spots open for the players to fight it out for. Neuer/Adler/Wiese - No Open spots Howedes/Hummels/Mertesacker/Boateng/Lahm/Badstuber - 2 Open spots Jansen/Schmelzer/Trasch/Aogo Khedira/Schweinie/Kroos- 1 open spot Bender/Gundogan Muller/Oezil/Goetze - 3 Open spots Schuerrle/Reus/Podoslki/Holtby/Grosskreutz Gomes/Klose - No open spots 2014 much to early to decide!
more for your google excelent article http://www.spiegel.de/sport/fussball/0,1518,779424,00.html Löw hat bis zu diesem Turnier 2008 abgewartet, die ersten zwei Jahre seiner Amtszeit dem Beobachten gewidmet. Dann hat er den Umbau der Nationalelf in seinem Sinne angegangen. Nur scheinbar schleichend, nur scheinbar sanft, in Wirklichkeit mit aller Konsequenz. Und auch mit aller persönlichen Härte, wie sie Frings, Ballack oder Stürmer Kevin Kuranyi erfahren haben. In solchen Fällen ist menschliche Wärme auf Löws Prioritätenliste weiter unten angesiedelt. 26 Spieler umfasste der Kader für die EM 2008 - lediglich neun davon haben reelle Hoffnungen, auch noch die kommende EM als Nationalspieler zu erleben. Vor drei Jahren gehörten noch Profis wie Jermaine Jones, David Odonkor, Patrick Helmes, Tim Borowski oder Clemens Fritz zum Aufgebot. Niemand käme heute noch auf den Gedanken, diese Spieler zu nominieren. Löw betreibt einen rigiden Ausleseprozess - die Wolfsburger Marcel Schäfer und Sascha Riether, die Hoffenheimer Tobias Weis und Marvin Compper, der Hamburger Marcell Jansen, die Leverkusener Gonzalo Castro und Stefan Kießling, der Bremer Marko Marin - sie alle galten einmal als Hoffnungsträger - sie alle spielen für die Nationalmannschaft keine Rolle mehr.
Podolski also amazing in wc 2006 & still awesome in WC 2010. Anyway, I think current form is more relevant to decide who should start. Even in today's game, I don't see how Mueller was better than Podolski that it is Podolski that deserve to be cut. Mueller gets the pass so easily.
That's a false equivalency and you know it. Compare them as individuals and current form is a bit of a moot point. Also you look at how Mueller shifted once Klose and Schurrle came in, he started to look positive again. He's suffering from the instability at his club at the moment which is understandable. Podolski not only doesn't fit in with the new crop but he's regressed as a player and for his age it's inexcusable.
I don't know how the team will look. But one thing is for sure. Jogi has the toughest job in the world.
Muller hasn't been that great for the NT recently, I do agree. He like Podolski need to step up, I've been dissapointed with both recently in the past few games.