Germany Fail to Capitalise Again as Ireland Steal Late Draw in Gelsenkirchen

The world champions were once again left puzzled on Tuesday night when Ireland came to the Veltins-Arena in Gelsenkirchen and held Germany to a 1-1 draw. 

Despite already being under some immense pressure following an unexpected 2-0 defeat to Poland in the previous match on Saturday and an unconvincing win against Scotland, Joachim Low saw more of the same from his side against the Irish and ultimately more points dropped. 

This now leaves Germany in third place in Group D, level on points with Scotland with just four points won from their opening three matches. Not good enough for the world champions and certainly not good enough if Low hopes to make it to France in two years' time. 

What will bother German fans so much is the manner in which the Bundestrainer has reverted back to his old habits of making poor team selections and setting his side up in the most error-prone systems possible. 

Following the game in Warsaw on Saturday, which saw Germany out-shoot Poland by a comical margin, Low had decided to shake things up by continuing to play misfiring Thomas Muller out of position in the lone striker role, while dropping Andre Schurrle for the equally unreliable Julian Draxler. 

Although Draxler has long been an old head on young shoulders at his club, Schalke, the 21-year-old has done little to date in a Germany top to suggest that he is the key playmaker that his nation has been missing all along. 

Unsurprisingly the European giants huffed and puffed once again, this time against an organised but far-from-rigid Irish side, with a whole range of shots and chances but failed to convert on every occasion.

By the end of the game, Whoscored.com had clocked the tally at 22 German shots to Ireland's four. 

Eventually the hosts broke the deadlock in the 70th minute but only through a wonderful Toni Kroos shot that hit off the post to completely elude David Forde in goals.

The central midfielder, played about 20 yards behind his ideal position, had been testing the Irish goal from distance throughout the match through sheer curiosity and with little else to do with the ball once his side got into the Irish final third. 

Ultimately, Germany could be sitting on nine well-earned points by now if they could only find a striker to create space and finish the plays they so readily create from one game to the next.

Muller's poor performances are worrying, considering his similar slump for Bayern Munich this season, but such form is to be expected when you play one of the best wide-forwards in the world as a poacher. 

Such an ethos has reached epidemic levels throughout this squad, with a similar inability to get the job done reaching throughout the midfield and defence in each of Germany's first three games of this current campaign. 

Failing to score is one thing, but what is almost as worrying is the manner in which Low's side have reverted to a total disregard for clean sheets regardless of the opponent at hand. 

Despite welcoming back Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels—one of the most promising, long-term centre-back partnerships in international football at the moment—Germany have failed to shut out Scotland, Poland or Ireland and now have a real crisis on their hands in either full-back position. 

Philipp Lahm's decision to retire on a high this summer has meant that Germany now have two possible faulty full-backs rather than the old constant of just one.

That forced Low to push through young Antonio Rudiger of Stuttgart—a talented 21-year-old right-back with little experience at club or international level—as well as Erik Durm on the left, a bright star from Dortmund who hasn't quite looked himself since a demanding campaign last season. 

This also hasn't been helped by Low's decision to completely overlook any necessity to put any emphasis on the defensive midfield role in his current sides. 

Following Christoph Kramer's injury after the Poland game, the Bundestrainer opted to start none other than Matthias Ginter on Tuesday night—the former Freiburg central defender who has yet to find his feet at Dortmund since signing this summer—as Kroos' midfield companion against Ireland. 

Eventually we saw the introduction of in-form Sebastian Rudy of Hoffenheim, but by then it was too late. Ireland had long since claimed the middle of the park as their own and were on their way to a last-minute equaliser through John O'Shea.

Where Germany once had the likes of Bastian Schweinsteiger tearing through midfields, Lahm shoring up a leaky defensive line and Miroslav Klose putting away the chances, Low's team now looks short of experience and even less interested in finding solutions. 

Injuries may be forcing the World Cup-winning coach's hand at the moment, but too much too soon seems to be the agenda at Germany at the moment and it's costing them important points in this very competitive qualification group.

@sbienkowski