Hamann: Wirtz's performance over the last 15 months has been too poor, nobody could have predicted this

German football legend Dietmar Hamann was interviewed after attending a meeting between the German Football Association's (DFB) refereeing department and TV experts. He discussed refereeing standards and VAR intervention principles for the new Bundesliga season, and commented on Klopp's initial squad of 44 players after taking over the German national team, Wirtz's situation at Liverpool, the competition for the German goalkeeper position, and discussions about Olise both on and off the pitch. This is the second part of the article.

What is your view on this exceptionally large squad composition? 44 players split into two groups. Some also argue that this international break is too long for the players. How do you see it?

They've combined two international breaks into one. Overall, I think that's a good idea. In the past, players would often play one or two club matches, then have an international break, come back and play three more matches, then another international break.

So I think this large squad is generally good. Some things could be done differently, but it's not really necessary. This arrangement naturally gives him the opportunity to evaluate every player.

However, it's worth debating whether this is truly beneficial for some players. Because once they're called up to the national team, the outside world will judge them by national team standards, even though their ability might not yet be sufficient to be a national team player, or they may never become one. That's another issue, but I don't think that's something I need to worry about. This approach has been used before. Before the World Cup, Tuchel used the same method. I remember him calling up 35 or 38 players, giving some of them an extra week off a week before the World Cup started. So many players only got a short break, while German players unfortunately got a slightly longer one.

Of course there are reasons for and against this arrangement, but I have no problem with it at all. Moreover, it also allows many players who might not get the chance to show their abilities in training and matches.

Another question about Wirtz. You mentioned there's been a misunderstanding between Liverpool and him. Who misunderstood whom? The club or the player? Or, in this situation, did the player choose the wrong club for himself?

You'd have to ask the people involved. I can only judge based on what I see. What I see is a very expensive player who didn't play well last season and has also started this season poorly. When a club spends so much money to bring in a player, they certainly expect him to make a difference in the final third of the pitch, but he does so far too rarely. Last season, he may have done it in certain phases, but not at all this season.

So I don't know why this situation would suddenly change. Many people say he needs to be given time, but he's already been here for a year. Given the different style of football, it's quite natural for him to need two or three months to adapt. But he's now in his second season, and there's been no improvement so far.

Because of that, after 14 or 15 months, it's hard for me to imagine why everything would suddenly improve. Of course, when he first joined Liverpool, Diogo Jota had just tragically passed away. This meant the environment he moved into was also very difficult. Nobody could have predicted these things beforehand.

However, overall, it must be acknowledged that his performance over the last 15 months has been too poor. As I said, there's growing pressure at Liverpool to resolve this situation. If things continue like this, they need to find a solution. Bayern Munich wanted him before. If they have sufficient funds and still want him now, they could try again. Who knows.

How is the situation with the German goalkeeper position now? Was choosing Ter Stegen the right decision? And what is your view on Ulreich's prospects? Is it possible for him to become the number one goalkeeper in the near future?

As long as Ulreich isn't playing every week, in my opinion, he's not the number one goalkeeper. However, he could potentially become the number one in the future.

He first needs to prove that he's capable of being the number one goalkeeper for Bayern Munich. I won't take the second step before the first one is taken. If he can play every week next season, he needs to prove that he's genuinely Bayern's number one for the future. If he does that and performs well, then of course we can discuss the national team position.

Ter Stegen hasn't played in a long time, and now he's playing in the Netherlands. We need to keep watching him. My first choice would be Nübel, who has performed outstandingly in Turkey. But as I said, I think this is also a decision based somewhat on intuition and feeling. Ter Stegen may also deserve this position. However, when Neuer was injured and he got the chance to play, he never delivered a performance that made people feel "even if Neuer doesn't come back, we'll be fine."

Therefore, Ter Stegen's performance for the national team previously has been mixed. I'm very keen to see how he performs next.

What about players who weren't called up, like Undav and Goretzka? Do you think they still have a chance, or will it be very difficult from now on?

They certainly still have a chance. But if you're not in the 44-player squad, things will certainly not get easier from here on, because the next squad will probably only contain 25 or 26 players. This means almost 20 from the current group will be cut. Goretzka missed the start of the new season with Aston Villa in Birmingham due to injury, and we need to see what happens next.

As for the attacking line, our backup personnel aren't strong enough to say "we don't need Undav." So I wouldn't rule out Undav's return. But I think Goretzka's situation will be more difficult.

Another question about Bayern Munich. Michael Olise has started the season fantastically. What is your view on his performance on the pitch? And what is your opinion on all the discussions he's sparked off the pitch? For example, his behavior during interviews, and wearing a light blue hat at the Munich Beer Festival.

I'm fairly relaxed about that. However, I'm happy he's here because he's one of the best players in the world. It's no coincidence he was nominated for the Ballon d'Or. As I said, if I were his teammate, as long as he plays great football, I wouldn't care how he normally behaves, and he's playing very well right now.

From my personal perspective, or from a neutral perspective, I have no problem with him at all. The question now is whether the club will tell him at some point that it would be better if he could be a bit more open.

True, there are now increasingly more voices accusing him of being disrespectful or deeming some of his actions unacceptable. If he weren't such an outstanding player, this probably wouldn't even be a topic of discussion. I don't have an issue with this. As long as he plays for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, I'm happy.

But if Bayern Munich had collectively attended Oktoberfest wearing light blue hats 30 years ago, that certainly wouldn't have been allowed, would it?

Oh, so it's because of the blue color. I haven't seen it. I'm willing to believe this young Englishman didn't do it intentionally, and I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. I don't know if he's aware that Bayern's local rivals, who have somewhat faded from prominence in recent years, wear blue or light blue.

Has anyone asked him if he was aware of this?

He doesn't talk, and he won't answer. So perhaps someone will tell him. But I don't think he knows. Even if he did, I think there are more serious things than this.

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

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