Germany are in trouble. The world champions got humbled at home by a team who have not been relevant since the late nineties. This spells disaster. Joachim Löw should be fed to the wolves, everything must be restructured before June. Blah, blah, and blah.
There is no need to panic because seem to forget that this is only a friendly, but Germany must take heed of the warning signs and work on what may be possible weaknesses and deficiencies when they try and go for the double crown this summer.
People need to understand what friendlies. There is a very big difference between an exhibition game where you can make as many substitutions as you want, the referees are far more lenient, and there is no trophy or medal to play for. It's about experimentation and an opportunity for managers to have rough idea of what their first team will look like in the summer as well as looking at as many new players as possible so they can pick the best squad for the tournament.
Were Germany taking the match seriously? Of course they were as they were playing in front of their own fans. But did they take it as seriously as England did? I highly doubt it as this match, whether a friendly or in competition, means a lot more to the English than the Germans. Some English people still think that the Germans that play football are somehow still responsible for the World War.
Yep.
The biggest positive that Löw can take away is how good Gomez looked and how he still fit into the team despite not featuring at the World Cup and being shunned from the national team. It's vital that he goes to France because strikers are a diamond in a deep rough these days, so if you have one, cling onto it with both hands and don't let go.
However, the defensive deficiencies have to alarm Löw. If there is a scenario where Boateng and Hummels are either unfit or suspended, that may be how their defense looks, and that's not something to be confident about. Playing that high-line and an open game that invites the opponent to come onto you and give them space, is not a clever strategy. This was England, a team who are good but don't have the same firepower and skill as Italy, France or Spain. So if the Three Cubs (or Lions) can do this to Germany, imagine what Morata, Benzema (if he goes) or Zaza could do?
These are things that can be fixed and worked on. A more balanced approach would be advisable for Germany. Keeping it simple and not overcomplicated. The loss of Bart Simpson (Lahm) still leaves a huge hole that they have been unable to fill. But there is enough quality in this team for them to win the tournament. Even though I don't think there are any favorites, based purely on players and skill, Germany will be one of the few best teams at the Euros. They just need to get things strategically correct. HH
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