Hansi Flick does not want to be distracted by the return of the corona virus to the national team. The national coach sharpens the senses again before the World Cup dress rehearsal.
Nothing and nobody can drive Hansi Flick out of his World Cup tunnel – not a tiresome striker debate about Timo Werner and not the ongoing topic of Corona.
Before the national soccer team took the train to Leipzig for the Nations League duel with Hungary, the national coach got out of the chartered team bus with the bright yellow “Blabla-Car” inscription above the windshield, highly concentrated. During training on the DFB campus in Frankfurt, Flick first grabbed Marc-André ter Stegen for a personal conversation as the now required representative of regular goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
No lamenting, no whining about the annoying failure of captain Neuer and top performer Leon Goretzka due to the unwelcome virus return to the DFB circle. On the contrary: the national coach even gained something positive from the corona vortex. As a World Cup stress test, so to speak. One should not be “shackled” by the no longer expected impact of the pandemic, he said.
WM test run
“It was good preparation. We don’t know what will happen in Qatar. It can also happen to us there. We have to react to it, we have to deal with the situation as best we can,” said the DFB head coach before the attack he called on Group place 1 on Friday (8.45 p.m. / ZDF) against the uncomfortable and highly praised Hungarians.
Communication. That was the most important task for Flick before the final sprint in the Nations League called for the World Cup dress rehearsal, which should send a clear World Cup signal towards Qatar after the classic against England on Monday in Wembley. Flick called several team meetings. They were sometimes more important to him than the work on the training ground, as he surprisingly stated.
He wanted everyone “to be there, everyone to be focused, everyone to be involved,” said the 57-year-old. And Flick immediately asked for feedback from his players. The national coach made it clear that the senses should be sharpened for the short period of time before the World Cup kicks off in nine weeks. The attacker Timo Werner, for example, who was much criticized in public – but also verbally caressed by him – had to work on his efficiency.
Goal: group win
The first step for Flick is to win the group in the Nations League. “That would be a statement,” he said of first place in the group with the heavyweights Italy and England and the previously rebellious Hungary. A win in Leipzig against the league leaders – and the DFB-Elf would have all the trumps in their hands before the last matchday.
Negligence is not included. With one point behind Hungary so far, a defeat would make the group victory impossible. Even worse: Suddenly, against England in Wembley, it could still be against relegation to the B-League. That would be a fatal World Cup signal for Flick, who is unbeaten after 13 games as national coach.
You are warned after the 1-1 in the first leg in Budapest and the 2-2 in the European Championship group game in summer 2021. “Hungary are a very unpleasant opponent. I have rarely played against a team that defends so disciplined. We have to do something come up with the idea that we have chances and then use them,” said Joshua Kimmich.
Sticking to Werner
Seizing opportunities is the topic for Werner, who Flick, as his number nine, will not drop. The 26-year-old scored eight goals under him as national coach. More than anyone. “He has shown that he is a goal threat,” said Flick, justifying his adherence to the returnee from Chelsea to RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga. In any case, Flick does not want to have a debate about attackers due to the lack of a striker in the Robert Lewandowski category.
“Everyone who trained, every single one, wanted to score goals,” reported Flick after the final training session and concluded: “It’s not good to put everything on one individual.” Then he listed Bayern Munich’s Thomas Müller, Leroy Sané and Serge Gnabry by name. For Werner, the final pass often has to be played even better.
Werner can be an important source of keywords for the Hungarians. “One runs for the other,” said the RB striker before his home game against Leipzig clubmates Peter Gulacsi, Willi Orban and Dominik Szoboszlai. “I was often allowed to hear that they were first,” reported Werner. This teasing should come to an end late Friday evening.
