Pressure on Kroos increases: Chefchen suddenly becomes unexpectedly brisk


Pressure on Kroos is growing
Chef suddenly becomes unexpectedly brash

Needed by David

“I should play,” says İlkay Gündoğan with a view to the EM and nobody can contradict him. The Manchester City professional is increasingly becoming the head of the national team alongside Joshua Kimmich. Even the captain’s office beckons temporarily. This is bad news for Toni Kroos.

In addition to Joshua Kimmich, İlkay Gündoğan is the pass machine in the game of the German national soccer team. Always playable, always with extremely fine technique. The goalscorer, you have to call him that after his crazy months at the club, from Manchester City is something like the boss next to Kimmich and Goretzka. A little quieter, a little nicer. At Gündoğan it was never enough for the loudspeaker, the 30-year-old always preferred to convince with his performance. But at the press conference before tomorrow’s game against North Macedonia (8.45 p.m. / RTL and in the live ticker on ntv.de), the boss suddenly becomes brash: “I have the right to play,” says Gündoğan with a view to the EM, where the national coach Joachim Löw is spoiled for choice in the central midfield.

Unlike many other national players, Gündoğan can also convince with eloquence. Maybe that’s why he’s not a loudspeaker, he chooses his words carefully and calmly. Even at the press conference at noon. But the statements don’t need a higher level either, they sit that way. “I want to play,” said the midfielder time and again. “I have the quality to play and I am confident enough to say I should play.” When asked about his DFB colleague Antonio Rüdiger and his statement (“Ilkay is currently the best German player”), the man from Man City replied confidently: “Basically, you should never contradict Toni Rüdiger.”

Gündoğan speaks extremely relaxed and relaxed in the media group. Rightly. Nobody in the German national team has a run like him. The 30-year-old was less conspicuous in the game against Romania than against Iceland, but that was true for the entire team. In contrast to the club, he has “more freedom” with the DFB team and is “more involved in building up the game”. At Man City he plays even more offensively and therefore hits almost as he wants.

“Toni Kroos is still a world class player …”

“It is important that we are flexible in midfield and have the opportunity to let the ball run quickly,” says Gündoğan about the national team and thus also addresses the competition at headquarters. On the oversupply of players at the top level. “In the end, that’s only good for us, especially in the central positions,” he is diplomatically urbane. A regular place at the European Championship is actually a must for the “Premier League Player of the Month” in January and February at the current stage, also because of his experience. At the tournament, however, Löw then has to do without one of his world-class players: Gündoğan, Kimmich, Goretzka or Toni Kroos. Not the easiest of decisions.

While the first three national players mentioned convince in the World Cup qualifying, Kroos cannot score at the moment. He’s missing hurt. And it has become apparent to every observer, not only since the embarrassing World Cup 2018, that the man from Real Madrid can no longer bring the agility and intensity of Gündoğan, Goretzka and Kimmich onto the pitch despite his ball security. GGK advantage. When asked about this, the national coach takes his old star under protection at the press conference: “Toni Kroos is still a world-class player with an immense wealth of experience,” says Löw. “You don’t have to discuss everything now.” Maybe he’s right, because a lot can happen before the tournament.

But at least Gündoğan is not thinking of vacating his place. “I know what level of performance I can achieve when I play,” he almost whispers. “I like the feeling of leaving the pitch and feeling the satisfaction of having given everything.” Every coach likes to hear that. And Löw knows what he has in the England star. Because Manuel Neuer will have a break in Duisburg and Marc-André ter Stegen will be in goal, the national coach announced: “Gündoğan will be the captain if he starts playing.”

But nobody really doubts his place in the starting XI. Chef Gündoğan, who is increasingly becoming a boss, certainly not himself. Neither at the game in North Macedonia. Still at the European Championships in summer.

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