Flick increases pressure on the DFB team
The forced casting show for Qatar
By Tobias Nordman
03/21/2022, 8:07 p.m
It will still be a while before Qatar takes on the crown of world football. But national coach Hansi Flick does not tolerate any negligence on the way to the World Cup. He converts personal setbacks into opportunities. Newcomers and recently unconsidered audition.
The German World Cup mission starts this Monday evening, then those footballers who are currently the best according to the criteria of fitness, form and potential that Hansi Flick can (and wants to) nominate will come together. It is, as you might have guessed, an improvised mission. Because some break-in staff are currently out of service. The most important: defense chief Niklas Süle, driver Leon Goretzka, offensive all-rounder Marco Reus, top talent Florian Wirtz and storm hope Karim Adeyemi. Joshua Kimmich is also missing because of the upcoming birth of his third child – it is unclear when he will travel to the DFB team. Names that promise great things. And in Qatar something big is supposed to happen for Germany (not just the new energy partnership): the aim is to return to the world elite. At least.
Plan A of the national coach would have provided that the upcoming friendlies against Israel (Saturday, 8.45 p.m. in the live ticker at ntv.de) and the Netherlands (Tuesday, 8.45 p.m.) be used to find a framework that should ensure German football stability in Qatar. But because the most important pillars of the planned construction are not operational, plan A (b) comes into play: import and experiment. Sounds ambivalent, but does not necessarily mean something bad. Especially not for players like the Parisian luxury reservist Julian Draxler, who actually seems miles away in the fight for a place in the Qatar tour group. So offer, wait and hope. In times of Corona and quarantine, you never know what can happen before the first World Cup kicks off.
Especially since the tournament in Qatar begins in late autumn (November 21), i.e. in the middle of the time when the waves of infection are always particularly high. Just like last year, when FC Bayern, the team with the largest contingent of national players, was hit hard by Corona and quarantine. And so improvisation not only offers opportunities for newcomers and those who have not been considered, but also for the national coach, who can (or has to) try out creative solutions for key positions. For example in defensive midfield, where a fit Leon Goretzka next to Kimmich – who could possibly be used on Saturday as a father of three – would certainly be placed.
Musiala as a six-joker?
Who offers? The obvious option would be Jamal Musiala. The 19-year-old has already filled the role in Munich. Appropriately for Goretzka next to Kimmich. Flick, who is quite concerned with this thought, sees Musiala as having the perfect facilities for the central role. He not only has excellent technique and enormous speed, but is also “clever in duels”. Another possibility: Julian Weigl, who is allowed to audition for the national team again after a long time because he reliably structures the game of Champions League quarter-finalists Benfica Lisbon.
Anton Stach, the regular at FSV Mainz 05, is a complete surprise. He should show himself. Is it enough for the debut? If so, then probably against Israel rather than against the Netherlands. The game against the rivals should be the first big stress test of the current performance level of the DFB team (i.e. play in more, experiment less). Because “where the team stands”, the national coach “can’t say yet”, the previous opponents were too weak. Meanwhile, Flick does not yet have a place in the squad for Salih Özcan from Cologne, but he does have one on the watch list. However, the Turks are also courting him.
On the other hand, the occupation of the defensive flanks still seems completely open. The eternal problem in the DFB team. Again, both positions have to be filled again due to injuries: Jonas Hofmann is missing on the right. His counterpart on the left is also missing: The dynamic Robin Gosens has just returned to play at Inter Milan after a muscle injury. David Raum from TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and Freiburg’s Christian Günter are considered the most promising candidates for. For now. And then for Qatar? Returnee Benjamin Henrichs, on the other hand, can probably (for the time being) only introduce himself to Flick, who should already have 16 to 18 names in mind for the World Cup.
Who is playing next to Rüdiger?
The art of improvisation is also needed in central defence. Who will play alongside Antonio Rüdiger in Süle’s absence? The flexible Thilo Kehrer from Paris St. Germain is always an option and has already shown good international matches in different roles under Flick. Mönchengladbach’s Matthias Ginter, the recently very stable Leverkusen player Jonathan Tah and promoted Nico Schlotterbeck from SC Freiburg are also possible. Schlotterbeck hasn’t made his debut yet, but he should definitely make up for it.
BVB defender Mats Hummels is still not an option, and not just because he has just recovered from Corona. In general, it looks bleak for the chances of the German BVB stars. Only Marco Reus seems to have a place for sure if he gets fit. That Emre Can, Julian Brandt, Mo Dahoud or Nico Schulz will still make it to Qatar – currently hardly imaginable.
The demands on the national players are and will remain high. The national coach expects “that a development will take place” in the coming months. They will also be checked and any deficits will be clearly addressed. For the current course, the goal is as follows: “For us, the goal is to get stability. Every player has to work on himself, not only tactically but also physically.” Therefore, the nomination condition for the international double pack was the full ability to play in both games. “If we want to be successful in Qatar, the prerequisite is that all players are in top form.” And how success is defined for Flick, he has now made it clear again: “Everyone wants to be world champion. That is our big goal. We’re not stacking it too low.”