*** Herr Tubthumper's offizielle WeltMeister Endrunde Gewinde ***

[Triggaaar]

I think I see where you're coming from, that the 'German way' is more appropriate than the 'Spanish way', but I feel it is a lot more than saying it's a 'pressing, high-tempo' game.

I saw plenty of times when they passed the ball around, I just didn't think it was the basis of their style, where a team would pass it around while waiting for an opportunity, but I know you watch them a lot more than I do, so I take your word for it.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

If anyone wants to see the team arriving in Berlin and be presented at the fanmile it is live on ard.de very shortly.

The plane has just landed after flying low over the city.

 

[Goldstone1976]

If anyone wants to see the team arriving in Berlin and be presented at the fanmile it is live on ard.de very shortly.

The plane has just landed after flying low over the city.

Thanks, but no thanks, HT. I managed to persuade myself that I'd prefer Germany to win the final, and was ever so slightly content that they did. I admire the team a lot, and believe that English football can learn a very great deal from what the Germans have done over the last decade. But, watch them return victorious? Nah, it's still Germany

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Thanks, but no thanks, HT. I managed to persuade myself that I'd prefer Germany to win the final, and was ever so slightly content that they did. I admire the team a lot, and believe that English football can learn a very great deal from what the Germans have done over the last decade. But, watch them return victorious? Nah, it's still Germany

It's very inspiring.

 

[Machiavelli]

I was glad to see Germany winning with a pressing, high tempo, counter-attacking game. The sort that I think suits us (England) too, more than the keep ball game our players/pundits have been calling for, for over a decade.

Fine, they can counter-attack, and do it brilliantly when that option materialises, but when you have c66% possession, such chances don't materialise very often.

 

[Machiavelli]

I do not agree with your assessment here. They have many elements to their game which they use to great affect. And they do keep the ball, they are very good at this in fact. The 2nd half of the French game was closed out because of this. They kept the ball for long periods last night. Their game is based on their ability to keep the ball and their great ball control and technique in zipping it around to their team mates. This latter point underpins everything they do.

I'm going to have to agree with you on this too HT. The one thing that's stood out for me about Germany is that Low discovered that the average time between receiving and releasing the ball for German players was c2.7 seconds, which he deemed too long, and has worked to reduce that, such that it's now less than one second.
What Germany have demonstrated is that they're multi-faceted, and it's far more that they've built on the Spanish template, with pressing and tempo, rather than developing a system that's opposed to it. They're also so apparently a team, that play for a team. That said, I don't buy into the view that they have no stars; it's more that they're all stars, but none of them are egotists -- like Messi demonstrated to be, when he skied that last free-kick several metres over the bar, when a dangerous ball into the area was patently the better option.
As an illustration of Germany's quick release of the ball, look no further than Schweinsteiger in the final. Much has been made of how many times he was dumped to the ground, and his strength in picking himself up. I'd like to highlight the myriad of occasions when the ball was pinged at him (usually by the opposition), and he laid it off to a team-mate first time.