They lost that with löw. Last time a german team believed in themselves like that was in 06. Look how they played against italy in a semi in 2006. Now compare that to 2012. This team is probbly more widely liked in germany that the ones from post-schön but they dont win like them.
I'm a fan, so I'll believe. Nothing is going to happen with Löw until after the WC anyways so I'll worry about criticizing him afterwards if needed.
My picks. Brazil and Croatia Spain and Chile or the Dutch Colombia and Japan Uruguay and Italy Switzerland and France Argentina and Bosnia or Nigeria Germany and Portugal Belgium and Russia Just can't pick in those two groups. If Bosnia are healthy I pick them but if they're missing any starters Nigeria moves ahead. Chile vs the young Dutch is also a total toss up in my eyes.
Watch the semifinal of 2006 and compare it it last year's - difference is so big - last german team who never stopped till the whistle blew. They passed the ball just as well as the italins, and that italian team was better than last year's too.
Sure, from a realistic point of view, our chances aren't that great, but like I said, now is the time to be a fan, not a neutral. There won't be any drastic coaching changes or anything before the World Cup so all you can do now is be a complete fan and worry about all the other stuff after the tournament.
No they're not IMO. And that tie against Sweden came down to CR7 exploits, Portugal would have lost that tie if they didn't have a player like CR7 IMO, especially the 2nd leg. Ghana and the US are more than capable of scoring goals against Portugal, but will they be able to isolate CR7 and keep him silent??? Yeah i know Portugal has other strikers, but let's be serious here, we know they aren't half as threatening as CR7.
Maybe not stronger than Ghana but US? How is Sweden not stronger than USA? Ibra is far superior to Altidore and I don't see a single USA-player that's significantly better than players like Kallström, Wernbloom, Kaçanikilic, Lustig and Toivonen. Except Adu of course. Furthermore, I think you are underrating the Portuguese CB pairing Pepe and B. Alves. And Patricio, who is despite being heavily criticized after the screw up against Israel, still a good GK.
Oh just let the Americans have hope for a few more months. Once Germany and Portugal smack them around they won't even have that hope.
This isnt all löw. I just used him to show the timeframe. Its the players tht came after klismann, too. And i dont wnt to be a fan.
Why is this douche here? Germany has great chances to win the World Cup. Certainly, there might only be one or two teams who have better chances, but on paper, Germany has just as good a chance as any of the favorites. Whether they'll make good on that promise is another thing.
I just don't get getting riled up about Jogi. I'm not happy with him and throw barbs his way, but he's our coach for now and has enough talent that he's almost used correctly a few times now. Maybe he will in brazil and our talent will overcome our coaching. If not that'll suck, but hopefully he'd finally be replaced if that happens, so silver lining, plus it's not like these guys are like Spain, preparing for their last run together.
Do you think we've seen a natural progression, a coherent and clearly visible progression of this team since 2010. On the national stage..not club. I think every time it seemed like we took a step forward, Löw ensured we took another backwards.
Just becoz Lahm isnt playing at DM as u wished (That will really screw up the balance of this team given the optuions we have at FB); Grosskreutz isnt our starting RB; or Goetze is still struggling as a CF? Many reasons behind............ Personally not a fan of Leow anyway, but i also think we dont have the personnel to win. our fullbacks like Jansen, Schmelzer n Westermann are not even standouts in bundesliga, very average or slightly below average players; Strikers are getting old n injury prone. n we dont have an ideal candidate as "false 9" since all of our AMs are creative/skilled/agile type but none of them is good at finishing, lethal in front of goal n able to score in various ways. Thats the personnel problem we are facing. Not trying to be Loew's advocate coz i never like him anyway, but i think the personnel we have limits his tactics. I think if we hv a better option at RB, or a better striker. Maybe the team can develop further Its strange that since 2004, we have yet to find a decent international calibre fullback after Lahm; Since 2006, we have failed to produce a decent striker after Gomez. Suarez can be our Suarez, mobile/skilled and also clinical inside the box, can score volley, long shots, inside the box n is an aerial threat..........but even Volland isnt playing at CF for Hoffenheim
Definitely a lot of things still to be worked out. Another way to look at it is that maybe we can get something much better out of the personnel we actually do have but it's the manager's incompetence that doesn't allow for it to actually happen. In other words, football is also opportunism. Tactical innovations come from such limitations if the right people are there to see it and take advantage. I think we have limitations but not beyond accomplishments, or notable progression.
I just don't get the point now. We're locked in with him til the end of the tourney at the very least. If the talent doesn't overcome his Jogi-ness and the DFB still brings him back I'll be there with you, waving my torch and pitchfork furiously, but right now? It serves no purpose, we can only hope Jogi stumbles into the right group of players who take it upon themselves to make it work between themselves. And for what's worth, he did finally try playing Mesut as the furthest most player like we should we be doing, so hope isn't even completely baseless in this case.
I think it speaks to the void he's leaving that we, as fans feel the need to fill it...with "competence". In my opinion, a traditionalist will rarely ever "evolve" or grow and Löw is a die-hard conservative and the changes we need I deem to be "radical" at least in the context of his thinking so I am completely cynical that they will come under him.
But our players are starting to grow up. They been shaped by tjeir clubs and rely less on Jogi than they do mutual understanding. With a young team you need a coach to create that but these guys have personal experience and prior chemistry to lean on.