Match day. In a few hours the game will have kicked off. Germany face Ireland in their penultimate match of European qualification (20:45 CEST). Steffen Lüdeke spoke to assistant coach Thomas Schneider about his impressions of how the team is shaping up, the atmosphere in the team, and what he expects from the match.
DFB.de: Mr. Schneider, just one more point is needed to secure qualification.
Thomas Schneider: That’s true but it’s the wrong mentality. Were not thinking like that. We are determined to win the match, and play good, effective football along the way. We are world champions and so we should be qualifying in first place.
DFB.de: How confident are you that the team will fulfil this expectation?
Schneider: It’s no secret that the preparations for this match have been unusual. We only met on Monday in Frankfurt, and only had the whole team in the final training session – it wasn’t ideal.
DFB.de: Are you worried then?
Schneider: No. Fortunately we are in a very comfortable situation. We have a good team spirit, and players with exceptional quality and character. Our players know what they need to do, and they know how we like to play. We will go into the game fully prepared, there is no doubt that the boys are ready.
DFB.de: It was 1-1 after 90 minutes in the first game.
Schneider: After 94 minutes, we scored late on in added time. We had a period where certain things did not go well. The result was worse than the performance though. Even against Poland in Warsaw we did a lot of things right - similarly against Ireland. We dominated the game, and created many chances for ourselves. However, we failed to get the second goal. It was annoying to concede so late on. You can’t forget though that a lot of players still had a bit of a hangover from Brazil. I think it’s normal that a team has to find its way again after such a huge triumph.
DFB.de: Is this recovery complete?
Schneider: A definite yes. The team made a good impression in the matches against Poland and Scotland in September. It was a sign of intent, the way in which they approached these matches. In Scotland we did not let ourselves be unsettled, even though they twice managed to find an equaliser.
DFB.de: And the Scottish fans created an incredible noise in the stadium. What was the atmosphere like there?
Schneider: Yes, although we expected a lot more extreme. I think we silenced them somewhat by virtue of the fact that we equalised twice, and ended up winning the game. I went to Edinburgh for a VfB Europa League tie against Hearts, and the atmosphere was indescribable – I’ve never experienced anything like it.
DFB.de: This evening is a good chance for a spot of Deja-vu. The Irish fans are known for supporting their team to the death – the atmosphere promises to be special.
Schneider: I am looking forward to it, and I know the players are too. There’s nothing better than playing in front of a loud crowd, and the Aviva stadium is special. I’m sure they will press us high, but our players are very experienced and will deal with the atmosphere.
DFB.de: The Irish are under pressure. If they lose and Poland get a point against Scotland, then second place will be out of reach. Do you expect a more attacking side as the one you faced in Gelsenkirchen?
Schneider: The Irish have got themselves back into it with two wins. If they’re under pressure, then it’s good pressure. The eventualities you mentioned are irrelevant for us. We want to dominate the match and dictate which way the match goes. It doesn’t matter to us what the opponent does.
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Match day. In a few hours the game will have kicked off. Germany face Ireland in their penultimate match of European qualification (20:45 CEST). Steffen Lüdeke spoke to assistant coach Thomas Schneider about his impressions of how the team is shaping up, the atmosphere in the team, and what he expects from the match.
DFB.de: Mr. Schneider, just one more point is needed to secure qualification.
Thomas Schneider: That’s true but it’s the wrong mentality. Were not thinking like that. We are determined to win the match, and play good, effective football along the way. We are world champions and so we should be qualifying in first place.
DFB.de: How confident are you that the team will fulfil this expectation?
Schneider: It’s no secret that the preparations for this match have been unusual. We only met on Monday in Frankfurt, and only had the whole team in the final training session – it wasn’t ideal.
DFB.de: Are you worried then?
Schneider: No. Fortunately we are in a very comfortable situation. We have a good team spirit, and players with exceptional quality and character. Our players know what they need to do, and they know how we like to play. We will go into the game fully prepared, there is no doubt that the boys are ready.
DFB.de: It was 1-1 after 90 minutes in the first game.
Schneider: After 94 minutes, we scored late on in added time. We had a period where certain things did not go well. The result was worse than the performance though. Even against Poland in Warsaw we did a lot of things right - similarly against Ireland. We dominated the game, and created many chances for ourselves. However, we failed to get the second goal. It was annoying to concede so late on. You can’t forget though that a lot of players still had a bit of a hangover from Brazil. I think it’s normal that a team has to find its way again after such a huge triumph.
DFB.de: Is this recovery complete?
Schneider: A definite yes. The team made a good impression in the matches against Poland and Scotland in September. It was a sign of intent, the way in which they approached these matches. In Scotland we did not let ourselves be unsettled, even though they twice managed to find an equaliser.
DFB.de: And the Scottish fans created an incredible noise in the stadium. What was the atmosphere like there?
Schneider: Yes, although we expected a lot more extreme. I think we silenced them somewhat by virtue of the fact that we equalised twice, and ended up winning the game. I went to Edinburgh for a VfB Europa League tie against Hearts, and the atmosphere was indescribable – I’ve never experienced anything like it.
DFB.de: This evening is a good chance for a spot of Deja-vu. The Irish fans are known for supporting their team to the death – the atmosphere promises to be special.
Schneider: I am looking forward to it, and I know the players are too. There’s nothing better than playing in front of a loud crowd, and the Aviva stadium is special. I’m sure they will press us high, but our players are very experienced and will deal with the atmosphere.
DFB.de: The Irish are under pressure. If they lose and Poland get a point against Scotland, then second place will be out of reach. Do you expect a more attacking side as the one you faced in Gelsenkirchen?
Schneider: The Irish have got themselves back into it with two wins. If they’re under pressure, then it’s good pressure. The eventualities you mentioned are irrelevant for us. We want to dominate the match and dictate which way the match goes. It doesn’t matter to us what the opponent does.
