[audiollama]

Big, big surprises!

Goal: Lehmann, Enke, Adler

Defense: Metzelder, Mertesacker, Lahm, A.Friedrich, M.Jansen, C.Fritz, H.Westermann

Midfield: Ballack, Hitzlsperger, Rolfes, Frings, Schweinsteiger, Trochowski, Borowski, Jones, Odonkor, Marin

Attack: Klose, Podolski, Gomez, Kuranyi, Neuville, Helmes

(note: 3 players have to leave the squad after the training camp on Mallorca)


Wow, Löw leaves Hildebrandt at home. It looks as if Hilde and Schäfer should have sticked to their clubs before the season. Good choice with Adler. He's the keeper of the future, besides Neuer, and it isn't bad to give him that experience.

Neuville.. well, ok. He still is good for such a goal like in 2006 against Poland. The next big surprise after Adler is Marin. He played a great season for Gladbach, but only in the 2nd divsion. In my eyes this comes a bit too early, but in a way he deserves it more than the overrated Trochowski. Helmes in the attack is a huge chance killer, although he played better in the second half of the season.

 

[Rothose]

Well, it's not the final squad, 3 players will be sorted out before the Euro starts.

 

[Crackedpleasures]

Why leave Neuer out of the selection and pick benchsitter Lehmann as first choice? Neuer or Adler should play at the Euro, they are very talented so lack of experience should not be such an issue.

 

[audiollama]

You won't see something happening at any other NT. But the situation at the moment would have made it possible. Enke is also not in such a good form, that's why I would have left him out and Hildebrandt in. Right now, our third keeper is in the bet form of all 3.

@ Rothose: Yes, I've noted that below the team list. Maybe it'll be Marin, Trochowski... and Helmes? These would be the most obvious picks... on the other hand I doubt that it'll happen that way.

 

[Marvin]

Im happy with the keepers, didnt want Timo anyways.

Suprises are Odonkor and Marin, but they will both go back. 3rd to go back is hopefully Neuville. Id be happy with Helmes.

 

[RahzeL]

Germany has a wonderful team, but looking at the squad I don't see a single player who would immediately make the starting 11 of a top club abroad. (except the goalkeepers and Gomez maybe) Löw is obviously doing a great job.

edit: Ballack of course!

 

[Tigerheart]

First choice at big clubs abroad could be Adler, Mertesacker, Lahm, Ballack, Klose and Gomez.

 

[Tigerheart]

Marin and Odonkor are shit selections. Marin is young but he is far from beloning into the nationalteam. Just like Marv I hope Helmes edges out Neudorf in the end.

 

[RahzeL]

I agree with Ballack, Adler and Gomez.

There are many great CBs around and Lahm is overrated imho. Klose would be in the starting eleven, but his form is obviously horrific.

 

[Leinad]

Marin a shit selection? Oh plz get a clue...

He is together with Kroos the biggest football talent in germany. Marin played a great 2nd half of the season, played in all german youth teams (was also nominated best player of the european youth selection) and is clearly superior to Odonkor and Trochwoski, i'd bet he would even outperform Schweinsteiger if u give him the choice.
Its simply a selection for the future cause u will definitly see him as part of the NT in the years to come.

Btw you can be sure that Marin wont get cut. You dont invite such a young player just to kick him out 10 days later and if u listened to Löw when he was talking about Marin then u shoud know that he will stay in the squad.

For anyone who doesnt know Marin, here are some highlights:

http://de.youtube.com/watch?v=h43BSddtfMQ

 

[balla_basti]

Good point Leinad. I am absolutely sure Marin will be retained in the final selection. The Germans need a player who can offer something different and with Marin they have that. As Loew pointed out, Marin is good on one on one situations, he can beat his man and he can offer that sense of unpredictability that might just be enough to unlock a tight match. Provided he can live the hype that is.

One of the strikers needs to get cut and i think that will be Helmes because most of the German players want Neuville in the team. I think Loew wants a senior statesman in the team as well so Neuville will be retained i am confident.

I think the other to exemptions will come from midfield. Trochowoski i want personally to get cut because he has been woeful whenever i have seen him in a Germany shirt. And i feel the other will be any between Rolfes or Jones. It could be the former because he is too similar to the options we already have.

In any case any of Odonkor/Helmes/Trochowoski/Jones/Rolfes might be cut.

I will go with Trochowoski, Rolfes and Helmes.

 

[balla_basti]

What is surprising is that i see no one is at all complaining about the exemption of Stefan Kiessling. With Timo being left out, i think it's overshadowed Kiessling's snub. Loew i remember was saying that Stefan was having a good season. Was it the two match ban he picked up at the end of the season?

 

[MaoMoondog]

Bayer Leverkusen fell off short altogether with M. Friedrich and Castro left out too (and Schneider being injured). The team surely made some bad impression the last couple of weeks, but considering the nomination of Neuville I do not think this could be the reason. With Gomez and Helmes (good season finish) there were already two less experienced forwards in the squad - Neuville is the very opposite.

 

[Leinad]

I think it has two reasons that Kießling got cut.

First he plays as a mix of striker and midfield (some kind of offensive winger) for Leverkusen. Thats a position the NT doesnt have.

Second, he scores not enough goals. Löw is looking for a proper _5th striker_ and for such a one Kießling doesnt seem threatening enough in front of the goal or better said Neuville and Helmes looked a lot better in this regard.

I think especially Helmes gets underestiminated. Lets not forget that he was together with Gomez in the u21 and to that time he was clearly better than Gomez (yes i realise that he is a bit older).
Without his broken foot he would have had a good chance to break the 2nd league scoring record last season. I mean cologne was with him on the way to easily manage to win the 2nd league but after he got injured cologne went totaly ouf of form.
Now in the 2nd half of the season he got his former self back and is scoring lotsa goals like he always did for the clubs he played.
It has a reason why Leverkusen bought him and they have a good sense for great talents.
So thats why i'd much rather see Helmes gets taken to the EC than Neuville, he simply has a future and Neuville played more than enough tournaments.
I mean someone like Martin Max was never nominated despite scoring 17-18 goals a season and it was justified with his age.
Neuville needed a whole 66 games with the NT to score 9 goals.
Ppl rate him high cause of _two_ goals, the one against the USA '02 and the one against Poland '06.
Dont get me wrong but arent two important goals in 4 years enough to justify to nominate a 35 year old 2nd league player?
I wouldnt mind him if there wouldnt be any other options but there are candidates out there with a future so why not take them cause the 5th striker will prolly not play a single tournament and for someone with potential its a lot more important to collect some tournament experience, Neuville got really enough of that.

 

[Rothose]

Why are some people complaining about Marin ? Most of our midfielders are rather physical players who are lacking creativity. Marin and Trochowski are the only players wich can be considered as creative dribblers and such a player gives Löw more tactical options in the midfield. Considering Trochowskis horrible form in the past weeks, it is smart to invite another option for this position to be tested in the 26 men pre-euro-squad. One of the 2 will have to go home before the Euro starts i guess.

To talk about Kiessling : Löw never really liked him in the past and Löw also always preferred to play with 2 real strikers up front while Kiessling imho is more a typical 2nd striker which plays a little bit withdrawn or even on the wing in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-1-1 system. Therefore he wasn't included in the squad.

 

[_Kal_]

Balla, apparently you haven't seen much of Rolfes this season. He has been one of Bayer's most consistent players throughout the season alongside Adler. He will dispute for Frings when injured in the defensive midfield position.

Let us go over the selections though for every line:

Goalkeepers:

I am surprised that Timo was outset. If I had to pick between Enke and Timo, it would surely be Timo. Timo deserves to be the first keeper more than Lehmann who has been a bench warmer for the entire season. Timo kept goal for Valencia and although Valencia are struggling there, he made some great matches. Some of my friends hailed his performances over there. Enke wasn't even one of the best keepers in the Bundesliga. Anyway, unless Adler keeps goal for Germany, I find this position as one of the weakest, if not the weakest.

Defense:

I think the obvious choices are Lahm, Merte, Metze, Jansen. Westermann might break in for the out of form Metze. Otherwise, the rest of the defenders are going to play second fiddle to the first choice selection. I am worried though that we don't have depth in this line. It is the line with the least choices. Gone is the time when Germany had worldclass central defenders.

Midfielders:

We have some solid choices here. Obvious starters are Ballack, Frings, Schwieni. The remaining right midfield position which Schnieder held is open. My choice would be Borowski as he has been in-form lately. However, this line lacks a player of the caliber of Scholl, Hassler, Litbariski, etc. We don't have players with distinguished technical skills. I think that is the one reason why Low is taking a gamble with the selection of Marin. Ballack, Frings, Schwieni, Borowski, Hitzelberger, Rolfes are going to be in the team. They offer a very solid midfield that lacks a player like Ribery for example.

Offense:

Klose, Gomez, Poldi and Kuranyi are going to be in the team. That is obvious. The best partnership would be Klose and Gomez in my opinion. I have no idea who is going to be the fifth striker.

I think having Adler, Marin and Helmes in the team isn't bad. They might not start but they are going to surely be in the team for the next worldcup alongside players like Kroos and Neuer.

I think the players that should get knocked out are:

Odonkor, Trochowski, Jones, and Neuville.

 

[balla_basti]

I have watched Rolfes thrice this season and Jones the same number of times. I was pretty eager to watch Rolfes play after hearing much about his defensive cleaning up ability but i think i caught him in a bad game, the 4-1 hammering by Zenit, where although he fought a lot, he struggled with the counter-attacking pace of the match.

Jones i have been steadily impressed with. I dont know how he plays over a whole season but i saw him especially in the second leg match at the Nou Camp and he did quite a good job alongside Ernst. Won the ball, passed it quite well also. Solid if unspectacular.

I think based on what i have seen i would take Jones, but other people could be the better judge.

Also Kal, i dont agree on your defensive line. I dont think Jansen still has what it takes to start at international level, and i also know that Loew is a fan of Clemens Fritz. I am almost certain that barring a RM mishap, Loew will field Fritz as RB and Lahm as LB.

@ Rothose: I for one am delighted at the call-up of Marin, although i have never seen him play apart from youtube clips. He looks like the kind of player who tries to make things happen, and he can add that unpredictablity quotient to the team if necessary. I am almost certain he will be retained. As for Trochowski, i have been very very disappointed with him for the NT whenever i have seen him.

 

[Marvin]

Well Rolfes will never be kicked out form the team. He had his best season ever. Played really well.If you check Kicker, he has the 2nd highest rating for midfield after Ribery.
It seems you didnt watch the BL a lot.
As for Kal, 3 will go out and not 4, Jones is 100% in I would say.
Still Id prefer Piotr over Marin.
I just hope Helmes gets the nod over Neuville.

 

[Leinad]

if u prefer Troche over Marin then you havent watched the BL a lot either.

Troche was a very promising talent a very years ago but he never become effective in professionel football. Marin on the opposite had the same problem at the beginning of the season but he learned and is now very effective in his actions (2nd most assists in the league and now also some goals in the last weeks) and tbh Marin's dribbling abilities are already head and shoulders above Trochowski's who loses the ball far too often, not to mention that he didnt have a single decent game for the NT till now.

Tbh its a miracle that he is even part of the selection.

 

[Tigerheart]

People tend to forget that Marin is playing in an inferior league compared to all other midfielders...