Why Joachim Low Is Under Most Pressure for Germany Following Win over Gibraltar

Joachim Low will have breathed a slight sigh of relief last night when the final whistle went at the Frankenstadion in Nuremberg and confirmed all three points for his Germany side. Die Mannschaft had finally picked up only their second win of their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign, upon their fourth try. 

Yet despite winning the game by four goals to the good, such relief would have been fleeting in nature for Low. For his side had just overcome European minnow Gibraltar by nowhere near enough goals. 

In a group that has seen the resurgence of home nations Ireland and Scotland and a determined, talented Polish side set the pace early on at the top of the table, Germany will be offered little respite or respect throughout this campaign. Any premonitions that the newly crowned world champions would be able to walk to qualification have quickly been proven wrong. 

Michael Probst/Associated Press

Alas Germany have yet to wake from their daze or euphoria of claiming the ultimate prize in Brazil this summer, as we've seen in each of their four games of this current campaign. This one-sided match against Gibraltar was no exception. 

To pick up on such a needless game would seem almost besides the point, yet fans of the German national side would have watched the match tutting away throughout. Three points is all history will take from this game, yet the nature of the win will add to the immediate tone of this current side. These performances simply aren't good enough. 

Speaking after the match, as reported by Bundesliga.com, Low stated that he was "anything but happy" with the performance he saw on the day, calling out his side's inability to score with a simple suggestion that there were "four goals too few," yet such criticism will eventually blow back on him. 

Bayern Munich star Mario Gotze continued the theme of struggling to break Gibraltar down. "We should have scored more and played more forcefully and we've got to accept the blame for not doing that," added the Bavarian goalscorer. 

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

Low did of course try his best to tackle such a problem from the offset with a formation that looked alien in its reliance on attacking players. Far from the usual 4-2-3-1 we're used to seeing from Germany, the side instead opted for something resembling a 3-2-5, with both Thomas Muller and Max Kruse playing as committed strikers. 

It was here that criticism for Low becomes notable. Despite Muller's two goals—both showcasing the player's unique and somewhat instinctual ability to score goals from all angles and methods—the Bayern forward was once again played as a penalty box striker, a role that has often alluded the forward. 

It may seem odd to pick on the performance of a striker that scored two goals in the game, yet this was a match that should have seen Muller score four or five. Low once again played him out of position and Germany saw little come from it. 

The problem lies in the fact that Low has a habit of picking Muller in such a position. And it's these habits that he often refers back to, which tend to cause far too much bother. 

Another old habit that offered little for Germany was the return of Lukas Podolski to the German attack. The Arsenal forward may have a unique selling point for club and country, in his ability to run, tackle and offer boundless passion, yet he simply wasn't the ideal player to dissect a stubborn Gibraltar defence. 

Akin to something like a German James Milner, Podolski offers something against stronger sides in which Low has to keep his flanks protected. Yet against the likes of Gibraltar he tends to offer himself as a rather blunt instrument to the key-hole surgery needed to unlock such a packed defence. 

Low would of course argue that Podolski was never his first option. Marco Reus and Andre Schurrle—two exceptional talents on the left wing for Germany over the past few years—both pulled out of the game with injury, leaving just Podolski in their stead. Yet Kevin Volland, one of the Bundesliga's brightest strikers, would have perhaps offered more in the final third than the Arsenal player. 

What truly summed up the nature of the match was the reaction of the Gibraltar players upon hearing the full-time whistle. They didn't fall to the ground in tears of joy, nor did they walk off the pitch with their heads slumped beneath their shoulders. They simply accepted the defeat and applauded their ability to keep within touching distance of a German side that had beaten Brazil 7-1 not six months ago. 

In the end it was a rather dry affair. Germany won the game, rather unspectacularly, leaving plenty for fans and critics alike to pick at. A rather disinterested malaise now hangs over the world champions until their next opportunity to rectify things after the New Year.