I had already 'declared' that I am a fan of Arsenal's Wales international Aaron Ramsey yesterday (even if the former Cardiff City player actually almost signed for the club I support in Manchester United). Even if it is not ahead of a World Cup qualifier, I will still say it. But whether he will be really playing against the Germans afterall is another matter. I will love to see him in action but, it will definitely be mixed feelings for me to see him up against the other national team I support after England. And he has been touted as the next most exciting prospect in Welsh football (like what I had typed yesterday) after Ryan Giggs (who is playing for United and has already retired from international football).
It is funny. I want to get excited at the prospect that Aaron Ramsey may play but, the other part of me is saying that I actually support Germany. Tug-of-war! With Wales' World Cup qualifying chances disappearing by the minute, a result against the Germans will prove that it is not really dead yet. Something which the 18-year-old Ramsey can attest to. Or sort of. He said, "I am aware of what the Wales fans want from me, but I do not think or worry about that. I'm only interested in working hard to improve my game. All I can do is the best I can when I do get selected. We all have to earn the right to be given a chance, we all have to impress the manager and show we are ready. But you have to take the opportunities when you are given them, I will have to grab the chance when it comes. I'm just trying to impress on the manager that he should pick me. We have to put behind us everything that happened on Saturday against Finland and concentrate on getting it right from now on, starting against Germany. I have not actually been told I am playing yet, I am just trying hard to impress the manager in training."
Aaron Ramsey has now being seen as the last hope as Wales look to get their pride back against the second-ranked Germany (that is according to the FIFA rankings). Already showing he can play on the big occasion when his first goal for Arsenal since his move from Cardiff City was in the Champions League against Fenerbache, a possible start against the Germans (or if what Wales coach John Toshack said is anything to go by, a possibility) will not be a tall order. That means coming up against Michael Ballack, the Chelsea midfielder who is also the captain of the German national team. The one person the British audiences know from the Premier League, apart from those who remembered Thomas Hitzlsperger and his time at Aston Villa and the kind of goals he scored which earned him the nickname of 'Der Hammer'. Which it is actually still being used back in Germany. As someone who watches the Bundesliga apart from the Premier League, I can vouch for that. The German media do like to remind from time to time of the nickname he earned when he was still playing his club football in England. The VfB Stuttgart captain did spoke to the media yesterday, and in perfect English too. It was his five years in England (2000-2005) which the goals he scored endeared him to the English.
But whatever Thomas Hitzlsperger had told the British and German journalists ahead of the qualifier against Wales, it will be later on in this entry. Wales coach John Toschack had revealed that his players have held clear-the-air talks in a bid to save their flagging 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign. There will be changes after the 2-0 loss to Finland, and it is definitely no laughing matter. To think the match against the Euro 2008 finalists later on today came at a time when there was plenty of soul-searching going on in the wake of the loss to Finland. It is actually April Fools' Day today. But then whenever the Germans come knocking...I let what The Times describe it: In recent years, Wales have responded to a poor display with a spirited performance and, bizarrely, Toshack will welcome a meeting against a top team because it will suit his preferred tactics of defending deep and looking for Craig Bellamy to chase the ball over the top on the break. While a heavy defeat would be embarrassing for Toshack, most recent meetings between the teams have been close and his position is not in question. It has always been close encounters against the Germans in recent times.
Just take the last two encounters for example. The goalless draw in Frankfurt in what was the final Euro 2008 qualifier for both sides, and the 1-0 result in Moenchengladbach in October in what was the World Cup qualifier for both sides (that is before Germany's friendly against their old rival England the following month). The match in Frankfurt came in the wake of Germany already booking their place at the Euro 2008 tournament, and Wales were just playing for pride (the Czech Republic took the other qualification spot in their qualification group, and this was after they beat the already-qualified Germany). I certainly did not saw the goalless draw coming which took place at the German financial capital (Frankfurt), even as a Germany supporter myself. It made me saluted how the young Welsh side did as they want to end the qualification on a good note. Later on when reading about Wales and Germany's past head-to-head records, I learned that it has always been tight between the two sides.
The spirit of the goalless draw against the Germans in Frankfurt was raised ahead of the World Cup qualifiers in Moechengladbach for Wales back in last October. The match in Moenchengladbach came at a backdrop of an imminent power struggle within the German national team (it reached its 'climax' with national team captain Michael Ballack's infamous newspaper interview which was only more or less settled weeks before the friendly against England). Unused substitute Kevin Kuranyi walked out halfway in the previous qualifier against Russia which sent Germany coach Joachim Loew fuming and declaring he would not pick the Schalke striker when he is still in charge of the national team. With me at the beginning of my sense of disillusionment at the German national team at that time, I actually did the unthinkable. I turned my back on them and was rooting for Wales instead. In the end, Piotr Trochowski's wonder strike in the second-half settled the contest. But how the Welsh did, it made me saluted them again.
But this time round, the match came at a time which Wales captain Craig Bellamy's emotional outburst after the 2-0 loss to Finland on Saturday dominating the proceedings in the Wales camp, and the German media took it as a sign that Wales have given up their World Cup qualification hopes and it will be easy for their national team in Cardiff. And Bellamy had said yesterday that he stands by the damning comments he made. Some observers said Bellamy's public condemnation of the team's display was the last thing a largely youthful Wales side needed to hear as they tried to become the first team from the country to qualify for a major football finals since the 1958 World Cup. Still, looking ahead of the match against Germany, he said, "We must do a lot better now than we did against Finland, and that was the motivation for what I said. We are all going to come in for flak, we have virtually gone out of another campaign but we have to get on with it." Bellamy said playing at the Millennium Stadium, where Wales matches attract crowds of around the 20,000 mark in a ground that can hold over 73,000, left his side at a disadvantage. But then, one cannot blame the fact that rugby is actually more popular than football in Wales and their rugby cousins often compete in major rugby tournaments. The forward (Bellamy) said Wales had to follow the example of Northern Ireland. Another team with a relatively limited pool of players, they routinely packed out the much smaller Windsor Park in Belfast, where Northern Ireland, roared on by their fans, beat Poland last weekend.
For all the apparent unrest in the Wales camp in the wake of the 2-0 defeat to Finland on last Saturday, Germany coach Joachim Loew (who until the 4-0 win over Liechtenstein was being under-fire for two back-to-back losses against England and Norway in two friendly matches, with the national team even receiving flak for how they did on both occasions) is not hearing anything of it. Europe zone group four leaders Germany have dropped just one point in their bid to qualify for next year's World Cup in South Africa and will be hot favourites to take a step closer when they face a Wales side still reeling from the disappointment of last weekend's loss at home to Finland. But even though Wales's hopes of even a play-off spot are now hanging by a thread, Loew is wary of a backlash as he has likened Wales to "a wounded fighter who wants to retaliate". He took note of the fact that the Welsh will be even more highly motivated in the wake of the defeat, "They will be highly motivated because of the defeat by Finland, and because they are now playing Germany there will be 20 percent more effort. Wales still have a chance, if not a strong one. But they must be very disappointed about what happened against Finland." He added, "In the past Germany have never won by wide margins against Wales, and in our last two meetings Wales have done really well. They drew 0-0 and only lost the next game 1-0 with a late goal. Wales were brilliant in defence in both their last games against us, throwing their bodies in front of everything. They can cope with disappointment, and they will be desperate to hit back. So all that makes them more dangerous."
Much has been said about the average age of the Welsh squad under John Toshack and that also got Loew's attention too. As someone who had already received flak from some corners in German football of his attack on the Bundesliga (Loew, that is) two weeks ago and saying that football is played faster in the motherland of football in England which something they should improve in Germany, "They have some young players, but they also have good Premier League players who are at Manchester City, West Ham, Tottenham and Arsenal so they do have experience." Joachim Loew might as well be referring to Ched Evans, James Collins, Gareth Bale and Chris Gunter (both play for Tottenham, though Gunter is on loan at Nottingham Forest at the moment), plus the current hope of Welsh football in Aaron Ramsey. Evans plays for City, Collins is at West Ham and Ramsey, Arsenal. Wales captain Craig Bellamy also plays for City, but he is much older.
Niceties aside, common sense should know that Germany want all the three points to strengthen their World Cup qualification hopes and put them ahead of their nearest rival Russia ahead of their encounter in October in Moscow. The Germany coach said, "We know that we have to win matches like this to prove we should go to the finals in South Africa. If we cannot win here, we will not be worth a place in the finals. But no matter what the rankings say, we will always respect teams and know they can beat us. Our players know this will be a British-style game with plenty of tackling and we will need to be physical and disciplined." Just ask Michael Ballack and Andreas Hinkel. The former plays his club football in England with Chelsea, while the latter plays his club football up north in Scotland with Celtic. Thomas Hitzlsperger is another. The current VfB Stuttgart captain until his return to his native Germany with the club he is currently at, spent his playing days at Aston Villa in England. The trio, especally Ballack and Hinkel (that is if Hinkel gets picked for this match, given he did not in the previous match against Liechtenstein) are well aware of how the British approach their football.
And speaking of Thomas Hitzlsperger, the British journalists got to hear his perfect English in his Birmingham accent. The Munich-born 'Der Hammer' did not had a hinch of the German accent being thrown in when speaking to the people who remembered him from his time at the Birmingham-based Aston Villa in the early days of his professional career. I should know, I watched him speaking in English in a report of the match in Cardiff on Eurosportnews. I know he is currently playing for the club I support in the Bundesliga in VfB Stuttgart but, it is always refreshing listening to him speaking in not his first language. And so perfectly well too. The former Aston Villa midfielder believes his native Germany will face a fierce battle with an angry Wales. And during his five years at the Premier League, the Stuttgart player was aware of the pride the different nations that make up the UK have for their homelands. He said, "When I played in England I was very aware that Wales was a different country and their players always performed with a sense of pride every time they pulled on a red shirt. They say they are not playing for Great Britain, they are playing for their own nation. They are very aggressive and passionate about their country, and even though there is not as much at stake for them now in terms of qualifying, they will do everything they can to make up for that defeat by Finland."
When I was reading the highlights of the press conference, it reported that a British journalist who was at the press conference in Cardiff's Hilton Hotel was asking about what does Michael Ballack (who plays at Chelsea, and so there is some English interest in the Wales-Germany match) thinks of the training regime at his club since the arrival of Guus Hiddink. I almost chuckled with my head thinking, "I knew it!". I was already expecting something about the events at Chelsea being raised. One of the reasons cited for Luiz Felipe Scolari's sacking was the apparent lax training regime. Anyhow, when being asked, Ballack's national team coach Joachim Loew revealed that Ballack was enjoying playing in the Premier League following Hiddink's arrival in February. Not only that, Loew also suggested that Hiddink could continue to combine his two roles as both Chelsea and Russia manager, despite only being contracted to Chelsea until the end of the season, "It is a double load he has, but one he seems quite happy assuming."
But then from the German viewpoint, Mario Gomez's inability in front of goal continued to linger on from Leipzig to Cardiff. 13 matches without scoring for the national team, the fans getting frustrated. Not national team coach Joachim Loew though. He said, "I have not asked Gomez to see a psychiatrist, it is something for him to decide if he takes advantage of the squad's psychiatrist. I have spoken to Mario a couple of times since the weekend, just to see how he feels and he is calm and collected about things. He was disappointed with himself and with the fans who booed him off the pitch. But he is okay now about things. I told him we were happy with his work-rate and effort and that being a striker is not all about scoring goals." Mind over matter. But that is not all actually. "He has to set up chances for others and work for the team, and he is doing that. But he is not dejected, he is a good professional and you can bet on me playing him against Wales. He is getting plenty of support from inside the camp, he has certainly not been 'hung out to dry' in terms of taking criticism. We have told him we are happy with him and the work he puts in, sacrificing himself for the team."
If not in over a year and 13 matches without scoring is frustrating enough, there is someone who used to be more worse off than Mario Gomez. Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney. He actually went three and a half years without scoring for England since Euro 2004 and the drought finally ended against Estonia in October 2007. Three and a half years! And now Rooney has become a vital member of the England squad. Anyhow, Gomez has this to say (from the kicker magazine), "A crisis would be if I didn't know what I needed to do, if I were no longer in the game. But that isn't the case with me. I'm not so unhappy with my game, but I'm just not scoring goals at the moment for the national team. That's all I can be accused of." Wales defender Ashley Williams, meanwhile, is refusing to give up all hope of reaching South Africa, despite the shattering home defeat by Finland. But while Wales can look at their recent encounters against the Germans with some hope something may happen in Cardiff, one thing do swing in favour of Germany: That whenever Germany have been drawn with Wales in a qualifying group — in the European Championship of 1992, 1996 and 2000 — they reached the final.
Team news-wise, from the visitors, Bastian Schweinsteiger will be fit after missing Monday's training session in order to help heal a groin injury. And Hamburg winger Piotr Trochowski, who scored the winner against the Welsh in Germany's 1-0 World Cup qualifier win in October, is fit for selection having missed the Liechtenstein win with a knee injury. Wales' goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams has withdrawn from the Wales squad as he has had a shoulder operation after breaking down in training. Lewis Price has replaced him in Toshack's squad.
Like what I typed yesterday - Nobody says the battle is over even before it begin tomorrow in Cardiff. That has always been my belief. Whatever Craig Bellamy talked about Northern Ireland's win over Poland in their World Cup qualifier on last Saturday makes sense. Even with Bellamy's damning verdict on how his team-mates did against Finland, the fact that Northern Ireland can pull off a win over Poland despite not having a large pool of players avaliable (in fact, the 3-2 result from Winsdor Park last Saturday was among the scoreline which caught my attention over the weekend in regards to the World Cup qualifying results) had meant that if Northern Ireland can do it, why not the Welsh against the Germans? And who gave England the chance ahead of their friendly match away in Berlin against Germany admist a backdrop of injuries and the grumblings back in England over the timing of the friendly, even if the English press will always remind us that no friendly match against the Germans should be considered a friendly match at all? I know as someone like myself being a supporter of the German national team I should put the German interests first but, do you think the pressure on Germany had been totally removed after the 4-0 win over Liechtenstein last Saturday? The German national team, especially Joachim Loew had been under pressure from the German media in the wake of the two friendly losses to England (2-1) and Norway (1-0) prior to the match against Liechtenstein in Leipzig. Where was the promise of exciting football against Liechtenstein, eh? I hate empty promises! I rather switch sides once again like I did ahead of the match at Moenchengladbach.
It is all a question of honour, for both sides. And I actually got the idea for the title of this entry from Eurosport's German site.
