Low’s Germany Lacked Convinction At Euro 2020 – Babbel

Germany lacked a plan B at Euro 2020 and Joachim Low is to blame for their exit, Markus Babbel has said. He recently revealed that the idea that the nation didn’t have enough squad depth was a joke.

According to him, Low‘s team clearly lacked the conviction that they could go all the way even if they started well, and that cost them in the end.

He added that the coach insisting on playing three at the back throughout the tournament without a Plan B was very irritating.

His words, “They lacked the conviction that they could do it. The team started well, that should have given them confidence. You could feel that the English were afraid of us, but suddenly we became more and more passive, we couldn’t hold the ball as soon as England became a bit more aggressive.”

“The result was rapid ball losses and the atmosphere in the stadium gradually seemed to have made an impression.”

“Insisting on three at the back without having a Plan B irritated me very much. It’s always hard when players are not in their best position. Joshua Kimmich can play on the right, but in my opinion he radiated a high level of dissatisfaction. He wanted to play No.6.”

“Nobody can tell me that you can’t find a defender on the right. I’m laughing myself to death! It doesn’t have to be a Cafu that constantly initiates every attack. Closing the side is enough and Matthias Ginter, Emre Can or Niklas Sule would certainly have managed it.”

“Leroy Sane didn’t play in his favourite position either. He feels comfortable on the right side, with us he constantly had to come over to the left, which only increased his already cracked self-confidence.”

“The same applies to Thomas Muller. Muller has found his best position around the striker at Bayern. He still did well at the European Championship, but why don’t we let our boys play where they are best? You have so much time to prepare for a tournament like this and then you lack a Plan B.”

“It has to be based on the performances and not on the age group. The World Cup is coming up next year and we don’t have an over-aged or poor quality team. However, it has to become more dominant and self-confident again and appear completely different.”

“Flick has to do this in the short term. He has already impressively demonstrated at Bayern that he can do that. In the future, too, talented people will keep coming who want and will fight for their place.”

“That’s why I can no longer hear statements like Werner’s that it wouldn’t be so bad not to play from the start and that he would be a team player. He must get angry when he sits on the bench! If it is the case [that he is on the bench], then of course he has to put himself at the service of the team, but the hairs on the back of my neck stand up when I hear such statements.”

“As a Champions League winner, you have to claim to be in the starting line-up. ‘Gnabry has to stand in line’, should be heard from him instead.”