Germany enter World Cup confident they can defend Jules Rimet trophy – as Joachim Low bids to become only second coach to retain title

THE World Cup-winning framework is still in place.

Defending champions Germany will rely on six starters from the 2014 final against Argentina when they arrive in Russia. Joachim Low’s side are four years older, four years wiser.

Reuters

Germany head coach Joachim Low is bidding to become only the second man to defend the World Cup[/caption]

Manuel Neuer, Jerome Boateng, Mats Hummels, Thomas Muller, Toni Kroos and Mesut Ozil were in the side when Mario Gotze scored his extra-time winner against Argentina in the Maracana.

Gotze, told by Low to prove he is “better than Messi” when he sent him on as a substitute in Rio de Janeiro, misses out because form and motivation have deserted him.

The rest are raring to go.

Just like 2014, when Low held up four fingers at Frankfurt airport as they left for Brazil, the nation expects them to bring back the trophy.

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Low lead Germany to their first World Cup win in 24 years in Brazil[/caption]

Nothing else will do.

Those are the demands on Germany with the coach, the players and the fans convinced they have a better 23 than the class of 2014.

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They will certainly take some stopping, even if results over the last few months look a bit ropey.

Germany, with four World Cup wins, have not secured a victory since they qualified for Russia.

Reuters

The German squad boasts a number of familiar faces from the last tournament – Thomas Muller, Toni Kroos and Sami Khedira among them[/caption]

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Germany have not won any of their last five matches – but no one is worried[/caption]

Nobody is panicking, even after an experimental side was beaten 2-1 by Austria last weekend.

Low, who recently signed a contract to take him through to Qatar 2022, accepts the challenges and the demands of coaching the best international team in the world and is likely to field his strongest XI in tonight’s final warm-up against Saudi Arabia in Leverkusen.

If Germany go on to lift the trophy, the 58-year-old will become only the second manager in World Cup history to retain the title.

Vittorio Pozzo, who won with Italy in 1934 and again in 1938, is the only man so far to have won two on the trot.

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Manuel Neuer is back to fitness and is expected to start as No 1[/caption]

Low, in charge since 2006, is highly-motivated to emulate him.

With Neuer finally returning to fitness, Germany’s head coach will rely on the Bayern Munich keeper to keep them in the tournament.

He played in secret last week, when Low arranged a game against the country’s Under-20 side as part of their preparations.

Neuer, who conceded just four goals on the way to winning the trophy four years ago, played the first half for the seniors and then swapped sides after the break.

It was a smart move by Low, putting his No 1 keeper to the test against Germany’s best finishers.

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There is, however,  a question mark over Mesut Ozil’s fitness[/caption]

Timo Werner, Thomas Muller, Mario Gomez and Ozil — who is now struggling with a knee injury — were all trying to beat the big man in the second half.

There is an aura about Germany, with another crop of talented young players rolling off the production line when they won the Confederations Cup in Russia last summer. Julian Draxler captained Germany in this World Cup tune-up in tournament conditions and they won it, with something to spare.

Germany are the modern template for top international nations, with every country eager to learn the secrets of their success.

PA:Press Association

Mario Gotze – who scored the winner in the 2014 World Cup final – is a high profile casualty[/caption]

Low, with some of the best players in the world at his disposal, can afford to be choosy.

There was shock in England when Leroy Sane, the PFA young player of the year, was left out of his final 23 this week.
Yet nobody in Germany was too surprised.

Sane paid the price for swerving the Confed Cup, left out because others impressed last summer.

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There was also no place in the Germany squad for PFA Young Player of the Year Leroy Sane[/caption]

Germany’s manager is happy with his picks.

It is hard to fault him, to criticise a guy who ended Germany’s 24-year wait to win the World Cup.

Plenty of others, England included, would be happy to boast a record like that.

BE THERE FOR ROSE

DANNY ROSE showed remarkable courage when he talked about his battle with depression.

It is rare for a footballer to open up like this, especially given the pressure of preparing to play in a World Cup with England.

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England defender Danny Rose showed courage in opening up on his battle with depression[/caption]

Now that he has, Gareth Southgate and his support staff will need to be with him every step of the way in Russia.

Southgate was at Aston Villa when boss John Gregory criticised Stan Collymore for going public with his own demons.

Gregory later regretted those comments but Southgate sympathised with his team-mate’s predicament at the time.

Rose, 27, is clearly a vulnerable, troubled soul.

Fortunately Southgate — a pastoral, caring type — is the kind of manager a player needs around him in a situation like this.

IT’S EURO GETAWAY

THE little clubs which Liverpool owner John W. Henry referred to believe it is only a matter of time until the Prem’s Big Six breakaway to form a European Super League.

Cash is king and the £156million guaranteed minimum to the winners of the top-flight in 2020-21 now keeps the biggest clubs in line.

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There are fears that the Premier Leagues elite – like John W Henry’s Liverpool – could break away to form a European Super League[/caption]

Manchester United, Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham and Liverpool are all sniffing out ways to bring in a bigger slice of the TV pie.

Outgoing Premier League chief Richard Scudamore — desperate to keep 20 teams together — knows money is the only thing that can keep the Big Six sweet.

WIL MUST TAKE CASH

JACK WILSHERE has been offered £100,000 a week to stay with Arsenal — rising to £150,000 if Unai Emery gets them back into the Champions League.

Take it, fella.

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Jack Wilshere should stay at Arsenal[/caption]

It is a colossal amount of money for Arsenal to commit to, especially for a player who has just been overlooked by his country for a World Cup.

Wilshere has been waiting for others to make their move, seeing if another club will come in with the big bucks to make him the focal point of their side.

With a fresh start under a new head coach, Wilshere should sign up — before anybody at Arsenal takes it away.