Hansi Flick does not want to be disturbed by the return of the Corona virus to the national team. The coach of the national team cleans up again before the training of the World Cup.
Frankfurt – nothing and no one can drive Hansi Flick out of his World Cup tunnel – there is no debate about the tired striker about Timo Werner and not the constant topic of Corona.
Before the national soccer team boarded the train to Leipzig for the Nations League duel with Hungary, the national team coach stepped out of the team bus with a bright yellow “Blabla-Car” sign on the windshield, in high spirits. During a training session at the DFB campus in Frankfurt, Flick first caught up with Marc-André ter Stegen for a personal chat as the current preferred replacement for regular goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
No whining, no whining about the annoying failure of captain Neuer and top scorer Leon Goretzka due to a nasty virus returning to the DFB circle. On the other hand: the national coach also got something positive from the corona vortex. As a stress test of the World Cup, so to speak. One should not be “tied down” by the unexpected effects of the pandemic, he said.
Run the WM test
“It’s a good preparation. We don’t know what will happen in Qatar. It can also happen to us there. We have to respond to it, we have to deal with the situation as best we can,” said the DFB head coach. Before the attack, he called on the group to set up 1 on Friday (8.45 pm / ZDF) against the inconvenient and Received high praise from the Hungarians.
Communication. That is the most important task for Flick before the final in the Nations League called for World Cup training, which should send a clear World Cup signal to Qatar after the classic against England on Monday at Wembley. Flick called several team meetings. Sometimes they are more important to him than the work on the training ground, as he surprisingly said.
He wants everyone “to be there, everyone to pay attention, everyone to participate”, the 57-year-old said. And Flick immediately asked for feedback from his players. The coach of the national team made it clear that the mind should be sharp for a short period before the World Cup starts in nine weeks. For example, striker Timo Werner, who has been criticized a lot in public – but also verbally insulted – has to work on his performance.
Goal: Win the group
The first step for Flick is to win the group in the Nations League. “That would be a statement,” he said, first among the heavyweights of Italy and England and Hungary who had rebelled. A victory in Leipzig against the league leaders – and DFB-Elf will have all the trumps in their hands before the final match.
Negligence is not included. With one point behind Hungary so far, a defeat would make victory in the group impossible. Even worse: suddenly, against England at Wembley, it could also be against relegation in the B-League. That would signal a dire World Cup for Flick, who is winless after 13 games as national coach.
You were reminded after 1-1 in the first leg in Budapest and 2-2 in the group games of the European Championship in the summer of 2021. “Hungary is a very unpleasant opponent, I rarely play against a team that defends discipline. Something must be done with the idea that we have opportunities and then use them,” said Joshua Kimmich.
Stick to Werner
Seizing the opportunity, that is the theme for Werner, who Flick will not drop as his number nine. The 26-year-old scored 8 goals under the national team coach. More than anyone. “He has shown that he is a threat to the goal”, said Flick, showing his commitment to the returnee from Chelsea to RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga. In any case, Flick does not want to lead the debate about strikers due to the lack of strikers of the type of Robert Lewandowski.
Flick reported after the last training session and concluded: “Everyone who trains, each one needs a goal”, Flick reported after the last training session and concluded: “It is not good to put everything in one person.” He then named Thomas Müller, Leroy Sané and Serge Gnabry of Bayern Munich. For Werner, the final pass often requires a better play.
Werner can be an important source of keywords for Hungarians. “One runs for the other,” said the RB striker before his home game with Leipzig clubmates Peter Gulacsi, Willi Orban and Dominik Szoboszlai. “I’m often allowed to hear them for the first time,” Werner reported. This temptation should end on Friday evening.