HAMBURG – After his enforced pause from the Germany bench with
injury, national coach Joachim Loew behaves like he has emerged from
a time machine.
While the hair of the 59-year-old slowly appears a little greyer, the
Loew which met the media on Thursday in Hamburg was reminiscent of
the younger, visionary coach from a decade ago which developed the
World Cup winning side of 2014.
Loew, in his 30-minute slot, looked ahead not only to Friday's
classic clash Euro 2020 qualifying clash with the Netherlands but to
a future which he believes bubbles with excitement and potential once
more.
A year on from the disastrous 2018 World Cup exit and what he
considers "well done upheaval" in his squad, Loew sees the
development of a new generation of players capable of winning titles.
Despite missing a few players due to injury, Loew thinks Germany meet
the Dutch "with a spring in our step" and a positive attitude.
"My feeling is the team is on a good path," said Loew, who has had
only three training sessions to prepare his squad and is missing
Bayern Munich midfielder Leon Goretzka due to a "bit of a bruise" on
his thigh.
Loew himself is returning from a sports injury which kept him away
from June's wins over Estonia and Belarus and responded with humour
to many questions.
"Serge Gnabry will play, Serge Gnabry will always play!" he stated,
using the Bayern winger in phase previously saved for Thomas Mueller
- now dropped from the squad, along with fellow World Cup winners
Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels.
Germany already defeated the Netherlands in Amsterdam in qualifying
and repeating that triumph would set up a table topping clash Monday
in Belfast against surprise Group C leaders Northern Ireland.
Loew will keep captain Manuel Neuer in goals, build a back three
around Niklas Suele and select an attacking trio "with three genuine
forwards" to supply pace - and goals.
A cruciate ligament injury to Leroy Sane opens a front line berth
which will likely go to RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner, even if
Borussia Dortmund's Julian Brandt is also an option to join Marco
Reus and Gnabry.
"Timo Werner has a very good run," Loew said of the player who has
struck five goals in three matches for the Bundesliga leaders.
Loew is relaxed with the next test against the improving Dutch. It is
the fourth meeting of the teams inside a year and the previous games
have brought "all highs and lows." The trend is at least positive for
Germany, the last was won 3-2 after a 2-2 draw and 3-0 defeat.
In the new boy group of Gnabry, Brandt, Werner, Suele, Havertz and
the absent Sane there are memories of the young Neuer, Mueller,
Boateng, Hummels, Mesut Oezil, Sami Khedira and Toni Kroos, who came
to prominence at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
"The lads are really determined to go on a successful journey with
each other," he said. "The team knows that it can achieve something,
not just now in the qualification and next year at the Euros but
rather beyond."
At the home Euros of 2024, the new generation will "perhaps be at the
high point of their careers," Loew predicted. "I compare it with the
team of 2010 which suddenly came together."
Back then, Loew was forced into rebuilding due to injuries to then
key player Michael Ballack and others. Four years later Neuer,
Mueller, Kroos and company lifted the World Cup in Rio.
First, however, Germany must secure qualification to the current
Euros. Two more wins this international window, and with results
elsewhere going well, could even seal the deal early.
Kroos holds the team for better than that which failed 15 months ago
in Russia and the 29-year-old will voluntarily give up his special
status from Loew which allowed him to rest out of games.
"I want to be consistently and properly there, and have to be, when
we look towards the finals," he said.
Loew has factored in "set backs" for his young team along the way but
is confident with the overall direction of travel.
"Everyone is capable of showing their individual quality, but our
unity and positional structure is our foundation," he said.
"If we do that, we're good. If not, we're not good."
The latest match against the Netherlands - going through a similar
transition - will be revealing.