analysis
Everything should get better in September. National coach Hansi Flick had promised that. But in the debacle against Japan, the German national soccer team shows that it is in alarmingly poor condition nine months before the European Championship.
Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu was polite when he said that Germany still “is one of the world’s best“. Ílkay Gündoğan was honest when he claimed the opposite. The new captain of the German national team bluntly stated that the development of “worrying” towards “dramatic” is tending. While Japan won 2-1 against the DFB selection at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the 4-1 win was on Saturday evening (September 9th, 2023) in Wolfsburg “also deserved in the amount“, as Hansi Flick admitted.
The national coach broke his promise in the worst possible way. Everything will be better in September, he said after the disappointing games in June. But things got even worse. Gündoğan was also right about Japan “Better in all respects“.
Japan impressed – without having a player with outstanding qualities in the team – with good positional play, fluid combinations, speed, sharp passing, assertiveness in duels, and processes that seemed rehearsed.
Germany was convincing in some attacks after winning the ball in midfield, especially when Leroy Sané, the best field player, was involved.
The Japan game reinforces the doubts
Germany was hugely disappointed in their orderly build-up from the back because there was a lack of speed, dynamism and well-rehearsed processes. The innovation of Joshua Kimmich moving into the central midfield as a right-back when in possession of the ball in order to create outnumbered situations could not have been rehearsed yet due to time constraints.
But solutions against defensive opponents should still have been available. However, after Japan switched to a more defensive 5-4-1 formation for the second half, Germany were worryingly haphazard and were left without a good chance to score after the break. Players like Sané, Kai Havertz, Serge Gnabry, Florian Wirtz and Gündoğan were on the pitch.
“We always prepare the team well”said Flick later when asked why he was still suitable as a national coach. The documentary already raised doubts about this.”All or Nothing“, which has been available since Friday. Flick’s speeches that can be seen in it seem very superficial and ordinary. The game against Japan increased the doubts.
Völler moves away from Flick for the first time
In addition to the lack of solutions, there is a defense that is notoriously vulnerable. Flick denounced “individual errors“, of which there were plenty, but which are too thin as the only explanation for the flood of goals conceded and other great opportunities for Japan.
In September 2023, when everything should get better, there is nothing to suggest that the German national team will get back on track under Hansi Flick. In Wolfsburg, his superior Rudi Völler slightly distanced himself from him for the first time by avoiding a confession. The sports director advised, “to sleep on it one night“, before the question is finally answered as to whether Flick will also be responsible for leading the team against France on Tuesday (September 12th, 2023, 8:45 p.m. live on Erste and in the stream at sportschau.de).
Search for the right path
The actual plan to build a personnel and tactical framework with a view to the 2024 European Championships in Germany can hardly be pursued either way. Even if the idea of having another trained central defender in the back line when full-back Kimmich moves in makes sense, the selection of personnel with Nico Schlotterbeck was once again a mistake.
However, the fact that Gnabry hardly supported the Dortmund player on defense and that other offensive players were slow to find their way back after losing the ball fit the picture of a team that is wandering and desperately looking for someone to show them the way.