I actually want to put out a rule.
Any team seen playing the false-nine whose name is not Barcelona, should be given a one year ban from the sport of football.
I find it insulting and sickening and idiotic that teams still think you can walk onto the pitch in a professional football match without fielding a striker. It's absolutely incredible. But that is exactly what Joachim did with Germany against Ireland. He assumed that of course, with the talents he had in his team, they would come through and defeat the Irish.
That did NOT happen.
Ireland scored a good goal and Germany mounted up the pressure and turned the screw. You could say that the Irish were extremely lucky that the goal machine that is Muller did not put away what was a superb chance. For someone who has been as devilishly clinical as he has been, I was already assuming the net would ripple and the Germans would pick the ball out to finish off the game. Somehow he missed, and it was perhaps just the luck of the Irish for that day. However, I am not going to put this loss down as Germany just being unlucky. That would be utter nonsense.
I really thought the 60's hairstyle-wearing Joachim learned from the World Cup that you need to have at least a striker in your team. That is why Klose started against France and Brazil in those two matches, because his presence was needed due to the Germans struggling without him. Whether a striker scores or not is not the issue, it's about having that role in the team and occupying defenders. You look at what Benzema does for Madrid. In games that he doesn't score in, he will still set chances up for Bale or Cristiano. Something that would not happen if he was not in the team.
I can't do it. I just can't put Germany as favorites for next year's Euros. If they go in without bringing in Gomez from the depths of national obscurity and they go in with ten midfielders all ghosting in and out of the penalty box, then Portgual, France or even Spain can beat Germany. I just find it really odd that you would copy an ideology that has been proven to be naive and ineffective if the right tactics are used to go against it. Especially when you are chasing a game with ten minutes to go and you need a goal, passing for ages until the events of Revelations take place is not really ideal. It's about getting that ball in the box for your goal-hungry striker to try and make something happen. That is the football I know.
Germany will go into the Euros with the best team. That is not even up for debate. Their defensive pair of Boateng and Hummels is the best in the world, and their choices in midfield is simply incredible. But even with all that talent, it is not a given that they will win the Euros. You can have the best defense, the most superb midfield, but strikers are born to score goals and their role should never ever be underestimated.
