The Sun’s head of sport Shaun Custis sat down with the legends to discuss their respective nation’s contrasting fortunes
ENGLAND'S time in Russia has been serene and it was capped with a deserved opening win over Tunisia.
Things haven’t gone so well for Germany however, with defeat to Mexico and rumblings of unrest behind the scenes not what was expected of the reigning champions.
SunSport’s Shaun Custis spoke exclusively to legends from both nations to try and understand what’s going on…
(You can watch the full video above)
Shaun Custis: Lothar, who would have thought Germany would be in crisis?
Lothar Matthaus: I’m not thinking we are in a crisis because a crisis is something that goes on for a long time. This was only the beginning, although it’s not what we want from the German team.
They played badly in losing to Mexico and know they must do better against Sweden and South Korea.
Germans can handle pressure but we cannot play like we did against Mexico again. We weren’t compact. You didn’t get the feeling this was a team on the field. Everything went wrong.
I haven’t seen Germany play like this for the last five or ten years, without discipline, without speed, without emotion.
SC: We were shocked Germany were so bad.
Alan Shearer: We expect so much more from them, they are the reigning world champions.
A few people were tipping them to go back-to-back and win it again with the experience they have on the field and off it with their coaching set-up.
SC: Mesut Ozil’s performance has been described as lazy.
LM: The midfield did not play well. Mexico had high-speed players and when we lost the ball we didn’t get back, we were very slow.
The defence was exposed because the midfield was too far away.
I’m happy when Ozil plays well but he didn’t and hasn’t for the last 18 months.
You need a player in this position who has fantasy — and speed.
I like Marco Reus of Borussia Dortmund in that position. He has played well in the last few months and can give the right pass.
Ozil is not in the best condition at the moment.
AS: I was looking forward to seeing Timo Werner. What did you think of him? He is following in the footsteps of some great centre-forwards.
LM: Alan, you were one of the greatest No 9s in Europe but you know you need the ball and you have to get the right passes.
He was making good runs at times but didn’t get the ball from Ozil.
SC: So you would leave Ozil out?
LM: Sure, because I like to see a high-speed player.
We have maybe eight World Cup winners from four years ago and, while you need experience in the team, you don’t want so many who don’t have the speed for high-level football any more.
We are missing Leroy Sane. It was not only you in England who was surprised he was left out of the squad, I was shocked, too.
I heard he didn’t give his best in training but Joachim Low wanted him to show him more and thought his performances were completely different to Manchester City.
AS: There seems to be no organisation and energy, which is incredible when you see how many World Cup winners they have.
SC: Apparently they aren’t happy with the hotel they are in and the condition of their training ground.
LM: It’s not like four years ago when they were in Brazil with a hotel on the beach. It was a holiday atmosphere back then.
This time they are just out of Moscow in a three-star hotel — but their next game is by the beach in Sochi, so they will be happier.
I don’t understand why they did this when they had such a good experience in Sochi in the Confederations Cup last year. But that can’t be an excuse.
AS: Only one team, Spain in 2010, have lost their opening game and gone on to win the World Cup. Can Germany still win it?
LM: We were talking about the problems before this World Cup and, for me, we were not the favourites.
We have problems with a player like Thomas Muller who likes to play in the middle not out wide, that’s his position.
Muller has to play in the middle or nowhere.
SC: Have you been impressed by England?
LM: Two years ago when they won 3-2 in Berlin you could see the start of a young generation.
This can be a golden generation in the next two to four years.
They have had great results in the youth tournaments. I like the style they play with and the options they have.
England’s performance against Tunisia was a good one and they have someone who scores, which is the most important thing. Harry Kane is a top striker.
AS: Hang on, we’re not used to this. It used to be the other way round!
SC: Do they have a chance of winning the World Cup?
LM: Of course, but it is only the start. They have team spirit, they have started well, they have high-speed players and they have Kane, who can score in every game.
SC: Are you getting the same vibe, Alan, from other foreign former internationals that England are different this time?
AS: Yes. Everyone thought it was a good performance and a positive result.
I’m not getting carried away and thinking we’re going to win it. But let’s keep the momentum going against Panama because they aren’t a good team and they are there to score goals against.
SC: It’s good that Russia have won so well. World Cups go flat, like in South Africa, if the hosts go out early.
LM: My wife is from Russia and it was wonderful to see how they were celebrating in Red Square.
The feeling of the Russian fans was amazing. This is football — it connects supporters all over the world.
AS: I was in Luzhniki Stadium for the opening game against Saudi Arabia which they won 5-0. It was a brilliant atmosphere from the moment we left the hotel.
It’s the best start ever to a World Cup by the hosts but they’ll have tougher tests to come.
