Confederations Cup 2013

Add Khedira, Gomez, Klose, Schurrle, Holtby, Benders...the list is endless.

 

The Germans are usually quite arrogant, it cost them at the Euros imo - I think they're better than Italy. They need to cut that arrogance out, no doubt they've got a lot of talent. Not sure if they'll be suited to the conditions in some cities in Brazil as well tbh.

 

Germany actually probably have enough quality to win their Group playing their back-up players in all the games leaving their main players for the later stages.

If their best team is

Neuer
Lahm Hummels Badstuber Schmelzer
Khedira Schweinsteiger
Muller Ozil Reus
Gomez

Then they could use
​

Adler
Bender Howedes Mertesacker Boateng
Kroos Gundogan
Schurrle Gotze Draxler
Klose

Depending on how strong a Group they are in if its one like Uruguay, USA and Norway then they could use a B team.


They're probably the only team who could win a Group with two different teams playing their games.
​

 

The Germans being 'arrogant' sounds like one of the oldest clichés espoused from English punditry circles, I honestly don't see them as being any more arrogant than any other top international side.

German, Spanish or Brazilian 'arrogance' is much healthier than English self-doubt.

Rotation on that scale is counter productive imo, you should always rotate for your easiest group game but by and large you want your strongest XI playing together as much as possible.

 

It's less about an A or B team and more about slotting different players in that fit. The US actually play well against technical sides surprisingly, we're basically built to beat Mexico, but we do terribly against sides that can physically overpower us. So it would be a mix of the A/B sides. With Norway, they struggle against technical sides, so again it wouldn't necessarily be an A or B situation but rather a mixed A/B side. And then with Uruguay obviously you'd have to throw whatever you have at them.

 

Shouldn't be full blown rotation, rather as the previous post says just fitting players in, a team never usually hits its peak until the Semi Finals/Finals so you wouldn't want a team just starting basically when its a straight knock-out

 

I know was just talking more about their quality in depth, than them actually going to do anything like that. If someone did make big changes from game to game or that and got beat and ended up knocked out or whatever then the manager would get slagged to * and sacked. They'd probably only make 4 changes at the most from any game to another.

 

I would probably put Gundogan in before Khedira. Think he adds a bit more quality to the side.

 

So could Spain, quite easily.
In fact Spain have a far stronger back-up team than Germany.

 

Khedira is quality. I think Gundogan is a bit lightweight if he isn't in next to a specialised defensive midfielder like Bender. Likewise, Schweinsteiger has Javi Martinez at Bayern.

Think it's difficult to ask Schweinsteiger and Gundogan to provide a solid enough defensive shield when they're used to having a battler next to them.

 

Neuer
Bender Howedes Hummels Lahm
Khedira Schweinsteiger
Ozil Gotze Reus
Muller

 

I'm not a massive fan of Khedira in all honesty. No doubting that he is a good player, just not my cup of tea. Really like the look of Gundogan though.

 

Dont know about that Spain dont have the defenders.

Casillas
Arbeloa Pique Ramos Alba
Busquets
Xavi Iniesta
Pedro Torres Silva

Reina
Azpilicueta Albiol J.Martinez Monreal
Alonso
Fabregas Cazorla
Navas Villa Mata

V

Adler
Howedes Westermann Mertesacker Boateng
L.Bender Gundogan
Schurrle Gotze Podolski
Klose

The main differance would be the drop in quality of Spain's team from Pique, Ramos, Alba, Busquets, Xavi and Iniesta to Albiol, Martinez, Monreal, Alonso, Fabregas and Cazorla. The Germany team wouldnt drop much in quality as a lot of the positions are close like:

Badstuber/Mertesacker
Schmelzer/Jansen/Boateng
Bender/Gundogan/Khedira
Kroos/Muller/Schurrle/Reus/Podolski
Gotze/Ozil
Klose/Gomez

More than half the Germany team is up for grabs really, the only players with their roles already safe are Neuer, Hummels, Lahm and Schweinsteiger id say. Compared to Spain where Casillas, Arbeloa, Pique, Ramos, Alba, Busquets, Xavi, Iniesta and probably Pedro are all going to play. Its only a toss up between Torres/Soldado/Villa/Fabregas/Silva/Mata/Cazorla for 2 positions.
​