Hosts Qatar and Ecuador get the World Cup underway today, before the German national team begins its campaign against Japan on Wednesday (14:00 CET). Serge Gnabry and Thilo Kehrer discussed the upcoming opponent and potential tactics. DFB.de has summarised the most important answers from their press conference.
Serge Gnabry on…
…Head coach Hansi Flick: I have a lot of faith in him. We have known each other for a long time and he knows what I have in me, and that I prefer to play behind the strikers but up front is also an option for me. As for who will be on the pitch come Wednesday, I have no idea.
...his current good form: At some point, something just clicked for me, which is of course very nice for me personally. However it’s difficult to pinpoint what specific reason that was. Maybe it comes down to dwelling on not scoring for a while. When you score again, your confidence comes back. I hope that this continues.
…a Bayern block: Of course, it always helps somewhat when you’re well drilled as a team. Nonetheless, the core of the national team has been together for a long while, and everyone has their own quality to contribute, regardless of whether they play for FC Bayern or someone else.
…Thomas Müller: Thomas is always full of ambition and anticipation. You can see with him because he’s talking even more. He has done everything to get back into top form.
…the workload: That is a very important topic for me, as we have had so many games; it was nice to get a break. Our preparation has been very good, so I hope we go into our first match with a lot of energy.
…an option with Hofmann on the right: That would be more attacking variant. But I think it would work well, as I get on well with Jonas.
Thilo Kehrer on…
... the training sessions so far: Yesterday we trained twice, first with match practice and then tactical work
... his move to West Ham and the Premier League: I wanted to keep the rhythm of the game. The transfer paid off, I’ve played every game for West Ham this season. We haven’t got all the results, certain things have lacked. Nevertheless, I arrived there with confidence. There is a lot of quality in every team in England, so it was also good preparation for the World Cup for me.
... the high temperatures: We planned well to be here for a few days to get adjusted - the conditions here are the same for all teams.
... his position: I have also played centre-back as well as right-back. I think I'm relatively flexible and can also get involved up front. But first and foremost, my main strength is in defence.
... the opening opponents Japan: We know that they are a disciplined team, but they’re also technically skilled. They have quality and are a compact, dynamic team. We will need to have good balance in our play. I have a lot of confidence, even if mistakes happen. It all depends on our attitude. We know what we have to do to start the tournament well.
... today's curtain raiser: We haven't discussed how we will watch the game yet. We are very pleased that the tournament is getting underway - you can feel the tension, but also the anticipation.
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Hosts Qatar and Ecuador get the World Cup underway today, before the German national team begins its campaign against Japan on Wednesday (14:00 CET). Serge Gnabry and Thilo Kehrer discussed the upcoming opponent and potential tactics. DFB.de has summarised the most important answers from their press conference.
Serge Gnabry on…
…Head coach Hansi Flick: I have a lot of faith in him. We have known each other for a long time and he knows what I have in me, and that I prefer to play behind the strikers but up front is also an option for me. As for who will be on the pitch come Wednesday, I have no idea.
...his current good form: At some point, something just clicked for me, which is of course very nice for me personally. However it’s difficult to pinpoint what specific reason that was. Maybe it comes down to dwelling on not scoring for a while. When you score again, your confidence comes back. I hope that this continues.
…a Bayern block: Of course, it always helps somewhat when you’re well drilled as a team. Nonetheless, the core of the national team has been together for a long while, and everyone has their own quality to contribute, regardless of whether they play for FC Bayern or someone else.
…Thomas Müller: Thomas is always full of ambition and anticipation. You can see with him because he’s talking even more. He has done everything to get back into top form.
…the workload: That is a very important topic for me, as we have had so many games; it was nice to get a break. Our preparation has been very good, so I hope we go into our first match with a lot of energy.
…an option with Hofmann on the right: That would be more attacking variant. But I think it would work well, as I get on well with Jonas.
Thilo Kehrer on…
... the training sessions so far: Yesterday we trained twice, first with match practice and then tactical work
... his move to West Ham and the Premier League: I wanted to keep the rhythm of the game. The transfer paid off, I’ve played every game for West Ham this season. We haven’t got all the results, certain things have lacked. Nevertheless, I arrived there with confidence. There is a lot of quality in every team in England, so it was also good preparation for the World Cup for me.
... the high temperatures: We planned well to be here for a few days to get adjusted - the conditions here are the same for all teams.
... his position: I have also played centre-back as well as right-back. I think I'm relatively flexible and can also get involved up front. But first and foremost, my main strength is in defence.
... the opening opponents Japan: We know that they are a disciplined team, but they’re also technically skilled. They have quality and are a compact, dynamic team. We will need to have good balance in our play. I have a lot of confidence, even if mistakes happen. It all depends on our attitude. We know what we have to do to start the tournament well.
... today's curtain raiser: We haven't discussed how we will watch the game yet. We are very pleased that the tournament is getting underway - you can feel the tension, but also the anticipation.
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