Rhythm the key factor for Loew

Joachim Loew was in relaxed mood in Dublin this afternoon but the Germany boss knows that anything other than a win for his side at the Aviva tomorrow night would be a mitigated disaster.

 

Defeat is unthinkable for a team that have never lost a World Cup qualifier played outside of Germany and who have kept seven clean sheets from their last nine Word Cup qualifiers.  As Irish manager Giovanni Trapattoni often reminds us, this business is a results business.  

 

Yet Loew will be looking for more than a result. While Germany did win both of last month’s qualifiers, against Faroe Islands and Austria, their performance did come in for criticism and he is expecting an improvement starting tomorrow.

 

“We have a better rhythm than at the beginning of season when we played Argentina in a friendly and against the Faroes and Austria,” said Loew.  “Against Austria we lacked order, composure and tactical discipline.  We have looked at this in our theoretical units and on the training pitch this week.  We have had very good training sessions with the players.”

 

He has had to deal with withdrawals from his squad earlier in the week but clarified that Germany have “a full squad at our disposal”.   Loew went on to say that Bastien Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira will anchor the German midfield but that Bayern’s Toni Kroos will revert to the bench having started in the 2-1 away win over Austria last month.

 

Up front Miroslav Klose, who has never lost in a German jersey any time he has scored, will most likely earn his 125th cap and his coach was very complimentary about the striker as he nears that impressive landmark.  His experience, along the other senior squad players, is key for implementing Loews plans on the pitch. “125 caps is fantastic.  He has been written off at times by German media but not by me.  Klose has done a world of good for German football.

 

“Klose brings loads of experience which is true also of Schweinsteiger.  I expect these two to be the leaders on the pitch.  They must be ready to establish a clear structure and pecking order in the team.  Klose, Schweinsteiger and (Holger) Badstuber are able to get our tactical instructions implemented on the pitch.”

 

With the loss of skipper Philip Lahm and Mats Hummels, Loew will most likely start at the back with Dortmund’s Marcel Schmelzer and Heiko Westermann.  Westermann, the Hamburg defender, was a late call up to the squad and may be required to counter the physical Irish game.  “Westermann has a very impressive physical presence.  We will need to be good in the air and that will suit him.”

 

Looking back on Ireland’s participation in the Euros, Loew reckoned that Trapattoni’s team could take some positives  from the 4-0 defeat to Spain and not just from the sea of green in the stands in Gdansk.   “What I saw was that Spain only became dominant as match went on.  The thing is when they went 1-0 and 2-0 down the Irish team fought on, showing pride and gave their all for their country and the supporters who travelled to Poland.  The atmosphere will be more than enthusiastic.  It will be electric, no matter the score.

“I expect our team to offer resistance to the Irish might.  We won’t be able to orientate our style around the opponent.  The Irish game is fast.  Even with Trapattoni they play long fast balls up high into our end.  We have to break their rhythm.”