Mario Gomez. Remember him? Tall dude, played in Euro 2012 and was once Bayern's main striker? Yep. He has made his return back to the international fold. And this may come as a shock to most, but Gomez is Germany's most important player.
Just to be clear. Gomez being the most important player does not mean he is the best. Hell no. Muller, Gotze, Draxler, Boateng, Neuer and so forth are much better than him. But if Gomez plays his role well and at least almost perfectly, this will be the recipe for them winning the Euros.
So what is Gomez's role?
We are living in a world where traditional strikers are as rare as diamonds in a desert. The game has changed, and managers just don't need these kinds of players. So even from the younger level, a lot of players who may have been strikers end up training up to be different positions like attacking wingers or false strikers.
But these roles are very important and I will forever uphold that you must have a traditional striker. It's important to creating chances and helps in the balance and attacks. That is where your boy Gomez comes in. He represents the forgotten target man striker who was staple back in the nineties. Even though his type of player might have gone out of taste, he will represent a very key piece for Germany's puzzle.
This isn't about goals even. It's how he links up with the amazing midfielders that Germany have. I think with him in that position it makes Germany more dynamic, giving them more attaking options. So they can either go small and play it on the ground with the more skillful players or go up in the air with the aerial ability of Mario G.
This is also a redemption story for Gomez. After disappointing in Euro 2012, never really hitting his stride in the tournament, this is a chance for him to put things right. I've always liked him as a player because of what he represents of a role that just doesn't exist anymore. He sleeps in the box, has a presence but can also play with the ball on his feet.
Seize thy chance Mario G! HH
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