The 1-1 draw in the Nations League against Hungary on Saturday was the next setback. After the fourth 1-1 in a row, a quick remedy seems difficult given the problems in almost every part of the team. National coach Hansi Flick described the lack of energy in Budapest as a “step backwards”.
Project “Back to the top of the world” falters
Five months before the start of the World Cup, the fine winning streak of eight games at the flick start is only a vague memory. Even more: The project “back to the top of the world” has come to a standstill – in all parts of the team. Not only in the constantly criticized storm, in which Timo Werner delivered a performance beyond the claims, Serge Gnabry was injured, Karim Adeyemi was late and Leroy Sané was not substituted on at all.
It was obvious “that there is a complete lack of conviction in the team,” Flick distributed a collective rebuke. As a warning, the 57-year-old added late on Saturday evening in the Puskas Arena: “Of course you also have to say that we have already allowed one or the other on the defensive, which simply shouldn’t be.” Stability and order were lacking without defensive chief Antonio Rüdiger.
DFB director Oliver Bierhoff’s eyes were on his former profession – the storm: “Every fan gets gray hair if they don’t take the chance.” Flick said, however, that too few opportunities had been created. “We just built up without conviction, we were too sluggish in our build-up. We made it relatively easy for the opponent to be compact,” he said.
The coach could not explain why this was so. Tiredness after a long season would be the best justification. The first defeat in the twelfth game under Flick was largely prevented by Manuel Neuer. “It’s usually the case when a goalkeeper is outstanding, then something is wrong in the game,” said Flick.
Neuer promised that they would “ignite a rocket” in the final act of the June four-pack in the Nations League against Italy. Flick is also in the mood for a win. “It won’t be easy either. But we still expect the team to put everything into it and then go on holiday with a win.”
First, the coach called a team evening. “I think we’ll just give the team an evening off. An evening off means that the team goes out to eat together and is then back at the hotel at a certain time.”
Source: Nachrichten
