Germans expect physical battle

STEVE STAUNTON may be the third man to assume the role of Ireland manager since Jack Charlton but the Englishman’s legacy was alive and well yesterday in the city where he masterminded perhaps his most memorable triumph 18 years ago.

Charlton’s up and at ’em approach to international football has been entombed for at least a decade now but it seems some foreign coaches still picture fierce physical battles where balls drop endlessly from the sky when it comes to facing Ireland.

That seems to be what German coach Joachim Loew expects tonight, even if Robbie Keane, Kevin Doyle and Clinton Morrison are hardly the typical target men so beloved of the traditional English game.

Facing the Irish forwards will be a new-look German back four that has been shorn of the services of World Cup stalwarts Christoph Metzelder, Per Mertesacker, Jens Nowotny as well as Robert Huth.

Arne Friedrich will at least be fit to play after shaking off a stomach bug yesterday and Loew has been busy tightening up his second-string defence and preparing them for what he feels will be Ireland’s route one football.

“We’ve had two or three training sessions so far, focusing of course on defensive work,” said Loew. “It was apparent that they were behind each other but that they have to get to know each other as well. They are suddenly wearing the same shirt after playing against each other in the Bundesliga.

“There were little faults and mistakes that became apparent in the (friendly) match against Sweden, despite the fact that we won it — there were still errors committed. We will also tell them what to expect when they play against Ireland.

“For example, they can expect many long, many high balls that the forwards will lay off to other players. But defensive work begins up front. It is an old truism that it is not just down to the back four.”

Despite their surgery at the back, anything less than a win in this Euro 2008 Group D opener will be a major shock to the Germans, even if this will be their first qualifying game in just under three years.

“Of course, we know that Ireland have some problems. We watched them lose to the Dutch. They came under fire from many quarters so they will have to reassert themselves and they know that they will be ready to fight. It will be very physical from the word go.”

Having approached the World Cup with the whole nation waiting for them to stumble, Loew’s problem is that the whole nation expects them to soar.

“Looking back on Euro 2000 and Euro 2004, you can’t say that they were very successful, were they, for Germany? In both cases we had a hard time qualifying for the event which shows that there is quality in Europe as well.

“Both the coaching staff and the players themselves are conveying the message that, while the World Cup was a fantastic thing, we have to draw a line underneath it. We need new thoughts for qualification and to instil a new euphoria in our players and not live on the old one.”