After the knockout with Slovakia, the rain of criticisms for the Germans. Matthaus: “If you lose 2-0 and the best of yours is the goalkeeper …”
Worrying numbers. For some time now. The Nagelsmann effect has long lasted, too little: Germany is again in crisis. Lost, with Slovakia, the first game of qualifying, defeat that follows the two in the Nations League, the country is concerned about the real value of the team in the year that will lead to the World Cup. Now the knockouts are three in a row: the last time something like this had happened, two years ago, Flick was exonerated.
salts and go down
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In 2024, with the arrival of Nagelsmann, Germany had left after difficult years (eliminated in the first round in the last two World Cup). In 2024, however, only one defeat in 15 games arrived. Also good for the Europeans, with the elimination that arrived in the quarterfinals only at the end of the extra time with Spain (then champion) but with a sensational rigor that was not granted to the Germans. But now Germany seems to be down again: Flick has trained the national team for 25 games, getting 12 wins, 7 draws and 6 defeats, Nagelsmann is at 12 wins, 6 draws and 6 defeats in 24 outings. Almost identical statistics. “Maybe we should give up a little quality to give space to players with more energy and more desire,” said the technical commissioner at the end of the game. The team actually appeared discharged, without electricity, but not all of his considerations did not.
Criticisms and supports
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Former German national team goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has pointed the finger at Nagelsmann: “I don’t think that the team is missing badness, determination or hunger – he commented -. It seems to me that in certain field situations the players do not know what to do. For a young coach who has no experience and has never played at the highest levels, he is doubly. simplistic and banal “. More diplomatic Lothar Matthäus: “The performance of the German team has completely surprised me, almost shocked. Because in the end, it must be said: the score was lucky. If the goalkeeper Oliver Baumann was the best after a defeat for 2-0, the performance cannot be positive. They missed concentration, determination, passion … Germany was caught by a surprise team”. For him, not to convene only the technically stronger, but also the most determined is a practicable solution: “Two weeks ago I have drawn up a training with players with more strong mentality. I think of Andrich, Anton and Schlotterbeck, when he is in shape. They are more bad players who would transmit the right mentality to others”. Sunday, against Northern Ireland, a game that Germany cannot afford to make mistakes. However, which hides more pitfalls than opportunities. The media in Germany are in fact very severe: not even a 4-0 victory would sweep the doubts that emerged in recent months.
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