Rough promises – rough deeds? With spab and joy, manuel neuer wants to get fans off their backs as quickly as possible against world soccer champions france for the huge world cup loss.
Thomas muller reported before the tricky test of strength with the new champions on thursday (20.45 o'clock) in munchen from a firm will to new powerfubball and one hundred percent training commitment. "With man and mouse" the goal was defended by a team outnumbered. "That was already a finger pointing that we want to shift the focus," said offensive man muller on tuesday at the team hotel at the english garden.
On the world cup analysis of national coach joachim low or the exact reasons for the historic preliminary round k.O. The world champions, who had been ruthlessly disenchanted in russia, would have preferred not to enter at all. The start of the new nations league against the equipe tricolore around world cup shooting star kylian mbappe offers the ideal chance to make amends from their point of view. "We want to play good and successful fubball. We know that we have a tough and difficult task. But the fact that we are up against such an opponent is the best thing that can happen to us now," said neuer.
A lesson learned from the summer misery: the fans' hearts must be won over as quickly as possible. "Of course, a few things were mentioned. The analysis was also about tactical details and the appearance of the team. We want to be more open with people and fans," muller promised.
For captain neuer, it's a good sign that the allianz arena with around 68.000 spectators will be sold out. "We naturally want to give something back to the fans. We will do everything we can to satisfy the fans," said the goalkeeper, who seemed restrained in his choice of words and body language at the pk podium.
The ex-champions apparently also see themselves in debt to low. In a "unique and eternally long pk", the national coach had to explain himself to the soccer nation, said muller. It is now clear to everyone that low will bring in other tactical starting points. "We'll follow that with everything we've got," promised the most experienced player in the lineup with 94 appearances. The new direction is defined: more defensive stability, less ball possession thinking.
"The defense of the goal will play a coarser role in the thoughts than in the past. We have a lot of quality on the ball, so we should have the ball a lot. But we can't make it look like we're not successful," said muller.
Low has obviously already set the tone for the tactical change in the first training sessions. Both goalkeepers and all 20 field players were also available to him on tuesday in the second of three practice sessions before the france duel. "It was almost arrogant. I wanted to take it to the extreme and perfect it even more," was one of the key sentences of his world cup analysis.
Muller defended lows' cautious personnel change with the newcomer trio kai havertz (bayer leverkusen), nico schulz (1899 hoffenheim) and thilo kehrer (paris saint-germain) and 16 world cup players in the current squad. "It's not like three months later 20 other players are just better," said world cup rider muller.
A sporting replacement is being sought for mesut ozil, who resigned in anger over the energy-sapping erdogan debate. The ruck number 10 was awarded to young star julian brandt without any desire of his own. "I want to grow into it. I have broad shoulders, I think I fit in," said the 22-year-old from leverkusen on the symbolic power of the legendary ten. In sporting terms, brandt is more of a forward. In marco reus, julian draxler, but also muller or ilkay gundogan low has a rough selection for the position. Tactically, however, he could also build on a double eight in midfield.
Muller vehemently countered reports of a cultural rift in the DFB team, which had also divided the team at the world cup. Neuer – actually the team's first mouthpiece – surprisingly stated that he was not aware of a "spiegel" report to this effect at all. Muller rejected the division into so-called "kanaks" and "potatoes. "Of course, we have players who have similar interests in their private lives," said the munich native.
There could be no talk of division or permanent frolics. "In failure there are many themes and details that are used or used to portray moods. I can deny that there are cracks in the team," muller affirmed.