German defensive problems for Ireland game!

eirebhoy

Squad:

Goalkeepers: 1-Jens Lehmann (Arsenal), 23-Timo Hildebrand (VfB Stuttgart)

Defenders: 3-Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), 25-Malik Fathi (Hertha Berlin), 24-Manuel Friedrich (Mainz), 2-Marcell Jansen (Borussia Moenchengladbach), 16-Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), 21-Christoph Metzelder (Borussia Dortmund)

Midfielders: 13-Michael Ballack (Chelsea), 7-Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), 18-Tim Borowski (Werder Bremen), 8-Torsten Frings (Werder Bremen), 19-Bernd Schneider (Bayer Leverkusen), 22-David Odonkor (Borussia Dortmund), 15-Thomas Hitzlsperger (VfB Stuttgart)

Forwards: 14-Gerald Asamoah (Schalke 04), 9-Mike Hanke (VfL Wolfsburg), 11-Miroslav Klose (Werder Bremen), 20 Lukas Podolski (Bayern Munich), 10-Oliver Neuville (Borussia Moechengladbach)

Of the 4 central defenders that Klinsmann brought to the world cup, not 1 of them is fit. Huth, Mertesacker and Nowotny are ruled out but Metzelder will start training next week after getting injured in Dortmund's opening game of the season a couple of weeks ago.
That leaves them with Metzelder and and M.Friedrich as the only centre halfs. A.Friedrich played the 2nd half in that position against Sweden but I'd be more happy if he lined up against us.

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Unearthly

Their central defense seemed like their weakest area anyway.

Won't really matter anyway cause we won't even have the ball

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Should be a high scoring game....

[Jackass]

Yeah, 17-0

eirebhoy

The latest news is that Metzelder has pulled out of the squad which means Germany are without all four of their centre backs from the world cup squad! Loew has not called up a replacement for Metzelder.

This means that Germany have one natural centre half in the squad, Manuel Friedrich. He's obviously going to start. The right back, Arne Friedrich (who many regarded as Germany's weak link) will most likely partner him. In fact he's the only option to partner him from the current squad. It gets worse for Germany. Arne Friedrich sat out the Hertha's UEFA cup game on Thursday because he's not 100% since taken a few knocks at the world cup.

"I am doing an individual training programme in order to regain full fitness after the World Cup and only a short break afterwards."

He was expected to start today's game against Hamburg but didn't even travel.

Germany are bloody screwed!

Bounty Hunter

this does sound like it could be a high scoring game with Klose, Podolski, Keane and Duff attacking very poor international defenses.

Mad Dog

Bounty Hunter wrote:

this does sound like it could be a high scoring game with Klose, Podolski, Keane and Duff attacking very poor international defenses.

Only difference is Klose and podolski are quality and the Germans will own the ball on Saturday so these 2 guys should have ample opportunities to test our very poor defense(with the exception of Dunne and Given) and I personally am not expecting anything else but a 2 or 3 nil win for the Germans but it will be down to their attitude and by how much they want to win.

Please prove me wrong Ireland :eek:

Bounty Hunter

im happy of one thing were the underdogs again! but there is potential because on their day Given, Finnan, Dunne, Duff, Reid, Keane and to a lesser extent McGready and maybe Doyle have the potential to shock anybody. We have the Germans in germany while they only have one fit CB in their squad, yet our players still have their own point to prove after Holland. They have to prove there worth, now that it really matters in what they should see as the hardest match of the group. The Germans however will probably consider the Czechs their real opposition.

eirebhoy

Germany have now drafted in their very own Gary Doherty.

Löw nominated Alexander Madlung (Wolfsburg) as the new CB. Well, he is cr*p, but he is yet the one-eyed among the blind.

ridicilous first Fathi and now Madlung, it seems you can become a NT if you start 2 BL Games in a row.:rolleyes:

Madlung is absolute ****. Absolute ****. He's best when they put him on for 10 minutes as Hertha's third striker :rolleyes:

I would actually have guts and actually bring back Woerns. If he doesn't accept, then Brzenska who at least can feign defending. :mad:

I`d say Madlung is on par with Huth, qualitywise. Hence he is pure crap.

But who cares, he most likely won`t play more then 5 minutes.

Madlung is ****!

I would have accepted Reinhardt or even Westermann....but Madlung!?!?!?!? WTF?:eek: :mad:

Well Arne is now the best central defender now...and he's a right back :eek:

Fathi wouldn't be too bad as a makeshift CB...but M. Friedrich now has to start and I don't like the look of it when Robbie Keane and D. Duff is around

Lets hope the strikers have their shooting boots (klose and poldi)

frings is gonig to play a key role in this game now that our defence is pretty non existent.

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=398316&page=4

eirebhoy

Arne Friedrich still hasn't trained because of illness. If he's out Germany are down to their 7th choice centre half, Madlung.

boy_wonder

I'm flying out to Stuttgart tomorrow and i'm travelling with bags of optimism(as always might i add). Even before these German injuries arose i was quietly confident of our boys doing a job.

Ok, on paper we might not look like world beaters but this is exactly what has typified the Irish tem over the years. Enough heart, pride, belief and travelling support we always seem to pull a performance out of the fire. This time last year we were doomed going to Paris, 2000 doomed going to Amsterdam so who knows??

Being underdogs suits us and the Holland match couldnt have come at a better time i reckon. Theyre scouts etc will see us as the laughing stock of the group and wont be ready for it!!

The travelling support. How many? 10, 15000 maybe more in the stadium and it will feel like a home game for the Irish with the noise we usually generate. It deffo has an impact on the players and seems to lift them. I think this has been a major factor in our result on the road (Stuttgart 88, italy 90, giants stadium 94, japan korea 2002, amsterdam 2000, paris 2005) and the home team doesnt expect this. Compare this to Lansdowne where a lot of the real supporters dont be in attendance. Lansdowne in recent times has been very negative and that vibe transfers onto the pitch. I know plenty of lads who wont go to home games as it disgusts them to pay €37 for an upper wing east stand ticket which goes straight into the cowboys pockets that we all know as the FAI.

So i think a surprise 1-0 or 1-1 could be on the cards. Maybe we'll see a looping header float over Lehmann into the goal at the Irish end (ala Houghton 88)

p.s. i'll try post some pics up next week from the trip.

AthAnRi

Roll back the years to Stuttgart 88. Ireland V England. England were heavy heave favourites in that game. We all know what happened after that.

HOUGHTON!

Fanny Cradock

::edit::

woops, unprecedented tripple post

Fanny Cradock

sorry!

Fanny Cradock

yes, bless that dour little hobbit of a scotsman.

anywho, it's a fair point about us preforming when we are the underdogs, but i fear that this may be a brücke too far. i fear that it may (note the indefinite) be a convincing german victory.

Roddy23

Defo think we can get something out of this game. I'd go for a 2-2 draw. Richie Dunne to have a stormer, and Keano to bag a goal. I thought the critcism (sp) after the dutch game was a bit much for a team without its best players.

Unfortunately I won't get to see the game, will be on a beach somewhere in France at that stage.