Let's go straight to the point:
1) Coaching
Yes it may sound dreary but Germany's success is all down to
hard work. The country's passion for the game is not limited to merely playing;
it has spilled over to coaching too. Indeed, recent statistics indicate that
there are more registered coaches in Germany (34,970) than in any country bar
Spain (Engl& has just 2,769).
2) Focus on youth
Having a youth academy is not something German clubs purely
pay lip-service too; it is a prerequisite to gaining their license each year &
as such they take it very seriously. With a good pool of coaches plying their
trade across the nation, lots of well-trained players are bound to emerge.
3) Youngsters are given a chance
Bundesliga clubs are not shy about throwing teenagers in at
the deep end, giving them the chance to test themselves against the best in the
business. For example, Niklas Süle , Max
Meyer Timo
Werner & Maximilian
Arnold had each made 100 Bundesliga appearances
whilst still eligible for the Under 21s – & each lifted a title over the
weekend. In 2016/17, Leverkusen's Kai Havertz (17) & Schalke's Thilo Kehrer
4) More homegrown players feature
Over the course of the 2016/17 campaign, 470 different
players appeared in the Bundesliga. Of those, 221 were German, which equates to
roughly 47 per cent. Compare that to England, where only 30% of all players in
the Premier League are eligible to play for the national side.
5) Competition for places
This is the logical consequence of the earlier points. Good
coaches bringing through more quality players inescapably means there will be
greater competition for a berth in the starting line-up. With quite a lot of
players vying for each position, Charles Darwin
6) Winter break
Who knew that having a break from weeks & weeks of
intensive training, travelling & sprinting could be beneficial? Well, as it
turns out, Germany did. The Bundesliga's month-long hiatus over Christmas gives
players with a valuable chance to recover mid-season, helping them have fuel
left in the tank come the summer – which is when major international
tournaments tend to be played.
7) Technique not physique
Years ago players such as Joshua Kimmich Meyer (173 cm) & Serge
Gnabry (173 cm) might have been deemed too small to make it at the highest
level. Yet Germany's focus on technique, tactical awareness & positioning
allows talented players, however diminutive, to make the grade as long as
they're good enough. Next time you watch Germany play, pay attention to how
often the ball is lost due to a poor first touch, or how often possession is
given away cheaply. Chances are, you won't have much to count.
8) Consistency
Another key aspect of Germany's coaching is that all age
groups are all schooled in 4-2-3-1 system – the formation favored by Löw for
the seniors. That means that by the time young players are ready to take the
next step up, they are already prepared for what is to come.
9) Mentality
Plenty of other countries have a 'winning mentality', right?
So why are the Germans so famed for theirs? Perhaps it has something to do with
the Bundesliga having the highest average attendance in Europe (40,693 per game
in 2016/17), meaning youngsters become accustomed to playing big games in front
of huge crowds on a weekly basis – & are not overawed by it.
10) Planning
This is another traditional German trait has served them
well at tournaments. For instance, at the 2014 World Cup, Löw's charges were
based at 'Campo Bahia' throughout the event & stayed in carefully-selected
huts, rather than players having individual hotel rooms, to foster team spirit.
Similarly, when Germany have played World Cup qualifying fixtures in distant
countries like Kazakhstan, which is 3 hours ahead of Germany – Löw's squad
stick to German times for meals & sleep so as not to upset their body
clocks.
You can add your own if you like or remove mine if you can...Lol!
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