In the World Cup qualifier against Romania, veteran Thomas Müller will return to the field and loudly direct the midfield. In defense, however, Hansi Flick has to take a risk and rely on the transformation skills of a Gladbacher.
From Christian Ewers
The European Championship was almost three months ago, the Löw era has long ended, and yet the failed tournament is still a point of reference for the German national team. This EM, in which the DFB team failed in the round of 16, has to be somehow forgotten and erased. That was read on Tuesday from the statement by Thomas Müller, one of the team’s spokesmen. “We are currently seeing a small upturn”said Müller, “in the style of play and in the result. We definitely want to build on that.”
Müller made a kind of government statement in a Hamburg hotel. It was aimed at the next two World Cup qualifiers against Romania on Friday and against North Macedonia on Monday. The FC Bayern midfielder said they wanted to inspire the fans with offensive football. “And of course also with results, because in the end we will be measured by them. And that’s okay too.”
Flick thinks a lot of Müller
Müller will be on Friday (8:45 p.m., live on RTL, TV Now and im stern-Ticker) are probably in the starting line-up of national coach Hansi Flick. At Flick’s first international matches in September against Liechtenstein, Armenia and Iceland, Müller was only a spectator due to an injury. He watched the 6-0 win against Armenia in Stuttgart from the stands. “I participated in a wave going through the stadium”, said Müller. “That was thrilling football.”
The national team now wants to join this evening. She is the leader of her qualifying group with 15 points and 17-2 goals. The first in the group is sure to take part in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – and Müller, 2014 World Champion, would like to fight for the title there again.
Flick is very fond of him. When Flick was still a coach at Bayern, Müller acted like a kind of ambassador for his coach on the pitch: Müller loudly passed on instructions – or, as he puts it with fine irony: “relevant information”.
“Radio Müller” as a loudspeaker for the team
In the younger national team, in which young talents like Florian Wirtz (18, Bayer Leverkusen), Jamal Musiala (18, FC Bayern) or Karim Adeyemi (19, RB Salzburg) are getting more and more playing time, Flick can find an experienced presenter like 32-year-old Müller good use. He loves doing what he’s nicknamed “Radio Müller” has brought in, because Müller is actually always on the air.
Flick could also use such a loudspeaker for the defense, this permanent construction site of the DFB. Mats Hummels, Germany’s best central defender, received a break from Flick and was not called up for the games against Romania and North Macedonia. Niklas Süle (FC Bayern) will most likely take his place and form the central defender duo with Antonio Rüdiger (FC Chelsea). Süle is physically more robust and also faster than Hummels, but not nearly as strong in the opening of the game as Dortmund.
On the right defensive position, Flick decided to experiment: As with the international matches in September, he will bet on Jonas Hoffmann from Gladbach, who is in the attacking midfield in his club. Hoffmann is not bothered by the forced change of job, on the contrary. “The more flexible I am and the more I can offer the trainer, the better”says Hoffmann, “that increases my chances of being there”.
Hoffmann: “I am the kind of guy who can adapt quickly”
In fact, Hoffmann would probably have no chance at Flick in his traditional position. The offensive in the national team is excellent – especially since Flick has also brought back Marco Reus, a fine technician who has his place (similar to Müller) behind the storm peaks.
The experiment with Hoffmann was successful against Armenia. Which may also have been due to the fact that Hoffmann was more of a winger than a full-back. Because Armenia rarely launched attacks, there was nothing for Hoffmann to defend; therefore he ventured far forward.
The question that Flick has to ask is: Can temporary jobber Hoffmann also survive in games against top teams such as Spain, France or Italy?
In any case, Hoffmann dares to do it. “I am the kind of guy who can adapt quickly”, he says. Gladbach has also benefited from his metamorphosis. Two years ago, while still under coach Marco Rose, he once occupied four different positions during a game, Hoffmann reported on Tuesday. Against Romania, Flick will probably set up the chameleon again. In the hope that there is again little to defend.
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
