Ahead of the Nations League opener on Thursday against France (kick off: 20.45 CEST), Toni Kroos talked about the atmosphere around national side and a new beginning after the unsuccessful World Cup. DFB.de gives you the main talking points:
Toni Kroos on:
…the atmosphere in the team camp: We have an obligation to perform and to bring back a positive atmosphere to the team. As a fan, it’s easier to follow the national team when we are doing well. Of course, we did some things during the World Cup that drew a lot of criticism. True fans, however, are those who stand by you when you are down and out in the group stages. I think we’ll have a lot of support against France and we want to gain momentum by the way we play. There’s a need for us to set the record straight.
…first training sessions: I think that everyone knows we need to dig in more than we did before in order to be successful. After the first two sessions, I’m feeling confident. Everyone is giving their all.
…playing style: Teams at the World Cup with other playing styles and tactics were obviously more successful than us. However, we’re going to stick to our philosophy of wanting to keep the ball and to play it forwards. We will play differently to the France. The aim shouldn’t be to copy other teams, but instead to use the players and quality we’ve got to make our own success.
…three at the back: During the World Cup we played four at the back because that’s what most players were used to from their clubs. The four-man line is the safe option because it’s more common. We need to work on the three-man defensive line. However, we’ve been successful with it in the past.
…Leroy Sané: Leroy has all the qualities of a world-class player, but he needs direction in order for him to play at his best. When he is playing well he is a real asset to the team. Last season he was fantastic at Manchester City and proved he has a lot of quality.
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Ahead of the Nations League opener on Thursday against France (kick off: 20.45 CEST), Toni Kroos talked about the atmosphere around national side and a new beginning after the unsuccessful World Cup. DFB.de gives you the main talking points:
Toni Kroos on:
…the atmosphere in the team camp: We have an obligation to perform and to bring back a positive atmosphere to the team. As a fan, it’s easier to follow the national team when we are doing well. Of course, we did some things during the World Cup that drew a lot of criticism. True fans, however, are those who stand by you when you are down and out in the group stages. I think we’ll have a lot of support against France and we want to gain momentum by the way we play. There’s a need for us to set the record straight.
…first training sessions: I think that everyone knows we need to dig in more than we did before in order to be successful. After the first two sessions, I’m feeling confident. Everyone is giving their all.
…playing style: Teams at the World Cup with other playing styles and tactics were obviously more successful than us. However, we’re going to stick to our philosophy of wanting to keep the ball and to play it forwards. We will play differently to the France. The aim shouldn’t be to copy other teams, but instead to use the players and quality we’ve got to make our own success.
…three at the back: During the World Cup we played four at the back because that’s what most players were used to from their clubs. The four-man line is the safe option because it’s more common. We need to work on the three-man defensive line. However, we’ve been successful with it in the past.
…Leroy Sané: Leroy has all the qualities of a world-class player, but he needs direction in order for him to play at his best. When he is playing well he is a real asset to the team. Last season he was fantastic at Manchester City and proved he has a lot of quality.
