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Germany national team manager Joachim Low has come under intense scrutiny regarding his unchanged stance on in-form Bayer Leverkusen forward Stefan Kiessling when it comes to ignoring the 29-year-old from the national team set up.
Despite all the public pressure to bring back last season’s Bundesliga top scorer back into the Germany fold against the Republic of Ireland and Sweden next week, the 53-year-old Nationalmannschaft boss has again chose Borussia Moenchengladbach striker Max Kruse as his only forward option in the absence of the injured Miroslav Klose and Mario Gomez.
This happened after the German coach held a meeting with Kiessling, Bayer Leverkusen manager Sami Hyypia and Director of Sport Rudi Voeller in Leverkusen last Tuesday to clear the air, but the media and various football experts are still at a loss why a player of Kiessling’s ability is having to prove his case for the German cause week in and week out when the player should be an automatic choice given his current form.
Joachim Low has done a lot for the German national team since taking over from Jurgen Klinsmann in 2006, but he might have missed a trick in continuing to ignore Stefan Kiessling at a time when the player is playing at his best.
Does Low think Kiessling to be a player who suits a direct playing style rather than the manager’s philosophy of possession football? Or does he have too much faith on veteran Miroslav Klose and the unpredictable Mario Gomez going into next year’s World Cup?
All the permutations and combinations could be added up yet it is difficult to understand the mere fact that a player who scored 25 Bundesliga goals in 34 appearances last season and five in seven in the current campaign keeps on getting the sore look.
Is Stefan Kiessling unlucky enough to be a part of the current German generation that relies on attacking minded midfielders and the so-called false nines to turn their possession game into attack?
While Marco Reus, Andre Schurlle and Mario Gotze can go upfront and score willingly, Joachim Low and Germany need a ‘Plan B’ when pitted against the likes of Spain, Italy and Brazil when a direct style of play or more precisely described a counter attacking mode is required to unsettle such sides who tend to subdue the Germans at big moments with their better understanding of possession football and tactical manoeuvres.
Stefan Kiessling is the man to perfectly suit that style of play. He is a better goal scorer than Mario Gomez and Max Kruse and a striker who represents the old fashioned German centre forward who relies on efficiency and physicality.
It’s true Leverkusen’s direct style of play suits Kiessling and Low’s philosophy is completely opposite to it but the German national manager has never been able to provide a concrete description on why Kiessling had last played for Germany in the 2010 FIFA World Cup third-place play-off against Uruguay.
The player understandably is frustrated and in August came out with an emotional outburst to his fans and the German public in general.
“I’ll declare it once more: There won’t be any more international games for me under Low.
“For three years, there has been no contact, no talk about the reasons why I’m not good enough for the national team. I want to finish this topic once and for all.”
But last Tuesday after meeting Joachim Low the striker seems to have backtracked from his outburst and former Germany player and manager Rudi Voeller has cleared the air regarding that meeting, yet did not let go the opportunity to launch a veiled attack on Low and reminded him that Kiessling can no longer be ignored at a time when the Germans desperately want to win the World Cup rather than near misses in semi-finals.
“Jogi Loew has asked Stefan if he is prepared to help should Mario Gomez or Miroslav Klose be out of form or injured for the World Cup. Stefan has said he would,” Voeller revealed to German daily Die Welt.
“The conversation was constructive and should have taken place somewhat earlier. It would have saved a lot of stress,” added Voeller.
“He (Kiessling) does not want to be a stand-in, but when he is needed, then he will be there.”
“If he plays as well as he did last season, then it’s going to be very difficult for the national team coach not to take him to the World Cup anyway, regardless of Gomez and Klose.”
Joachim Low himself was quoted as saying, “He will make himself available, and I think that’s great. I know what he can do. I also respect his performances in the Bundesliga.”
Yet, this is hardly reassuring for the player and the general public.
Miroslav Klose will be 36 next June and with Mario Gomez out injured, no one can predict what will be the condition of the German frontline next year.
Stefan Kiessling’s inclusion along with Max Kruse would have given Joachim Low another option to try out but as of now the German manager has missed his biggest opportunity to select the Leverkusen striker when he is scoring goals and assisting fellow team mates for fun.
Don’t forget the German teams of the eighties and nineties relied on efficiency and direct approach to land silverwares and despite playing the most attractive football in the modern era, Low has failed to provide Nationalmannschaft a European or World Cup trophy since 1996 despite coming close on numerous occasions.
The simple reason being the manager fails to implement his ‘Plan B’ in the big matches and Stefan Kiessling should definitely be that ‘Plan B’, and until and unless that happens, Germany will be the real loser.
