Löw: “No-one is an automatic pick for the World Cup”

On the day before Germany’s World Cup qualifier against Czech Republic in Prague (KO 20:45 CEST), head coach Joachim Löw rallied his players for the difficult task ahead in this World Cup year. Mats Hummels also answered journalists’ questions after the squad’s arrival in the Czech capital. DFB.de have summarised the quotes.

JOACHIM LÖW ON:

…the expectations for the qualifying group: We had two main targets. We wanted to dominate the qualifying group from the start and to qualify as early as possible. And we wanted to bring in new, young players so that we could improve the depth of the squad and so have more possibilities in each position than last year. So far I think we’ve achieved both of those goals. In the Confederations Cup, we learnt a lot about the strengths and weaknesses of our squad. We are now in a situation, at the start of the season, where some of the players have returned but not all of them have featured a lot for their club sides. It’s not easy to solve that and get everyone up to speed in just a few days. We’ll have to try and keep a clean slate for October and November.

…the opponents, Czech Republic: They are without doubt the best team on paper in the group. They’re going to have to do something because they’ve got to catch up. They’ve got their backs to the wall and they’re going to try their best to get at least a point against us. They’ve always played well at tournaments and produced good players in the last 20 years. We have a lot of respect for the team.

…potential free ride: No-one just gets picked automatically for the World Cup next year. Every player knows they have to put in good performances to be on the plane. Everyone has to think about: What do I have to do? What goals do I have? What can I do to improve and do so that I can be on form at the right time? That is what I expect of the players. If we can’t do that then it’ll be hard for us at the World Cup. Other countries also have great teams. What has happened in the past doesn’t count for anything in football. Everyone knows they’ve got to be ready for a big test next year. The pool of players available is now even bigger because of the Confederations Cup success. But the decision on the final 23 isn’t going to be made today. Every player knows exactly what they need to do.

… the situation with Julian Draxler: Julian doesn’t feel at home in Paris. Personally, I thought that he had been developing well at a top club. Obviously, the situation with the Neymar transfer isn’t great for him but Julian can play on the left, on the right or through the middle. He has the mental strength to get through it but we’ll see how it’s played out so far in the winter.

… Benedikt Höwedes’ transfer: I’m immensely happy for Benni. I think that Juventus are a club who achieved a lot in Europe and are regularly favourites for the Italian title. Benni has always been a solid, reliable player who does a job for the team. If he plays at Juventus, Höwedes will be of note to us as I know what he’s capable of.

… the line-up against the Czech Republic: Mats Hummels, Toni Kroos, Thomas Müller, Jonas Hector, Joshua Kimmich and Mesut Özil will play. Marc-André ter Stegen will start in goal. Timo Werner could start up front but we’ll decide after training. It could be the case that our line-up to face Norway is quite different to the one that plays against the Czech Republic. Also, the players who played in the Confederations Cup might be in need of some rest but we’ll have to see after the first qualifier. We tend to be a team who have a lot more possession than our opposition.

… the attacking pecking order: I want to avoid having an order as we have very different types of players. Timo Werner is someone who performs better when he has someone to play off. Mario Gomez and Sandro Wagner are both these kind of striker and Wagner was excellent at the Confederations Cup. Stindl is the kind of player who gets in between the lines and Thomas Müller is someone who goes in between midfield and attack. I’m glad we have different types of players available to us.

MATS HUMMELS ON:

… his return to the Germany squad: I followed the Confederations Cup and enjoyed watching it a lot. However, I wasn’t upset about having a break this summer but I’m glad to be back in the national team set-up. We’ve had a big break without meeting up and now it’s great fun to see the lads again. I think we’ve got a very strong squad for these upcoming fixtures.

… Excitement for the World Cup:

I’ve not even thought about the competition yet as we’re still in the qualification round. I think that, to fully prepare for such a crucial tournament, you have to do more than just qualify. We haven’t qualified as of yet but we want to do that soon. I don’t think we’ll have qualified after Friday’s fixture. We just need to prepare well and win both games. After the draw in December, then we can fully concentrate on the World Cup but, for now, nothing is set in stone.

… the formation question at the back: I like playing in both systems but a back three can’t be too defensive. If you do it properly, a back three is a very attacking formation. I have no real preference. I’ve played in a back with the Germany and previously at Dortmund. Both systems have their advantages. Tomorrow, it’s most likely that we’ll play with four at the back.

… the Czech Republic: Even though they lost 3-0 when we played them in Germany, the Czech Republic played well. We had to save ourselves a few times from some difficult situations. I’m not expecting an easy match whatsoever. We know quite a few players from the Bundesliga. Logically, we don’t want to put ourselves in any danger tomorrow. When I was with the U21s, we lost against the Czech Republic and I don’t want to do it again.

… possible pressure on those returning to the squad: I have always thought that you have to prove your worth and I think it’s something positive. The team that became U21 European champions in 2009 have already been in such a situation. There are some extremely talented players waiting in the wings who make us stronger. We have a lot of quality that we can bring onto the pitch. At the end of the day, what’s important is that we have a strong squad and that gives us a chance going forward.

[mmc/bg]

On the day before Germany’s World Cup qualifier against Czech Republic in Prague (KO 20:45 CEST), head coach Joachim Löw rallied his players for the difficult task ahead in this World Cup year. Mats Hummels also answered journalists’ questions after the squad’s arrival in the Czech capital. DFB.de have summarised the quotes.

JOACHIM LÖW ON:

…the expectations for the qualifying group: We had two main targets. We wanted to dominate the qualifying group from the start and to qualify as early as possible. And we wanted to bring in new, young players so that we could improve the depth of the squad and so have more possibilities in each position than last year. So far I think we’ve achieved both of those goals. In the Confederations Cup, we learnt a lot about the strengths and weaknesses of our squad. We are now in a situation, at the start of the season, where some of the players have returned but not all of them have featured a lot for their club sides. It’s not easy to solve that and get everyone up to speed in just a few days. We’ll have to try and keep a clean slate for October and November.

…the opponents, Czech Republic: They are without doubt the best team on paper in the group. They’re going to have to do something because they’ve got to catch up. They’ve got their backs to the wall and they’re going to try their best to get at least a point against us. They’ve always played well at tournaments and produced good players in the last 20 years. We have a lot of respect for the team.

…potential free ride: No-one just gets picked automatically for the World Cup next year. Every player knows they have to put in good performances to be on the plane. Everyone has to think about: What do I have to do? What goals do I have? What can I do to improve and do so that I can be on form at the right time? That is what I expect of the players. If we can’t do that then it’ll be hard for us at the World Cup. Other countries also have great teams. What has happened in the past doesn’t count for anything in football. Everyone knows they’ve got to be ready for a big test next year. The pool of players available is now even bigger because of the Confederations Cup success. But the decision on the final 23 isn’t going to be made today. Every player knows exactly what they need to do.

… the situation with Julian Draxler: Julian doesn’t feel at home in Paris. Personally, I thought that he had been developing well at a top club. Obviously, the situation with the Neymar transfer isn’t great for him but Julian can play on the left, on the right or through the middle. He has the mental strength to get through it but we’ll see how it’s played out so far in the winter.

… Benedikt Höwedes’ transfer: I’m immensely happy for Benni. I think that Juventus are a club who achieved a lot in Europe and are regularly favourites for the Italian title. Benni has always been a solid, reliable player who does a job for the team. If he plays at Juventus, Höwedes will be of note to us as I know what he’s capable of.

… the line-up against the Czech Republic: Mats Hummels, Toni Kroos, Thomas Müller, Jonas Hector, Joshua Kimmich and Mesut Özil will play. Marc-André ter Stegen will start in goal. Timo Werner could start up front but we’ll decide after training. It could be the case that our line-up to face Norway is quite different to the one that plays against the Czech Republic. Also, the players who played in the Confederations Cup might be in need of some rest but we’ll have to see after the first qualifier. We tend to be a team who have a lot more possession than our opposition.

… the attacking pecking order: I want to avoid having an order as we have very different types of players. Timo Werner is someone who performs better when he has someone to play off. Mario Gomez and Sandro Wagner are both these kind of striker and Wagner was excellent at the Confederations Cup. Stindl is the kind of player who gets in between the lines and Thomas Müller is someone who goes in between midfield and attack. I’m glad we have different types of players available to us.

MATS HUMMELS ON:

… his return to the Germany squad: I followed the Confederations Cup and enjoyed watching it a lot. However, I wasn’t upset about having a break this summer but I’m glad to be back in the national team set-up. We’ve had a big break without meeting up and now it’s great fun to see the lads again. I think we’ve got a very strong squad for these upcoming fixtures.

… Excitement for the World Cup:

I’ve not even thought about the competition yet as we’re still in the qualification round. I think that, to fully prepare for such a crucial tournament, you have to do more than just qualify. We haven’t qualified as of yet but we want to do that soon. I don’t think we’ll have qualified after Friday’s fixture. We just need to prepare well and win both games. After the draw in December, then we can fully concentrate on the World Cup but, for now, nothing is set in stone.

… the formation question at the back: I like playing in both systems but a back three can’t be too defensive. If you do it properly, a back three is a very attacking formation. I have no real preference. I’ve played in a back with the Germany and previously at Dortmund. Both systems have their advantages. Tomorrow, it’s most likely that we’ll play with four at the back.

… the Czech Republic: Even though they lost 3-0 when we played them in Germany, the Czech Republic played well. We had to save ourselves a few times from some difficult situations. I’m not expecting an easy match whatsoever. We know quite a few players from the Bundesliga. Logically, we don’t want to put ourselves in any danger tomorrow. When I was with the U21s, we lost against the Czech Republic and I don’t want to do it again.

… possible pressure on those returning to the squad: I have always thought that you have to prove your worth and I think it’s something positive. The team that became U21 European champions in 2009 have already been in such a situation. There are some extremely talented players waiting in the wings who make us stronger. We have a lot of quality that we can bring onto the pitch. At the end of the day, what’s important is that we have a strong squad and that gives us a chance going forward.