Lothar Matthäus: I will stand for Wirtz and Woltemade

Lothar Matthäus evaluates the performance of the German national team in the World Cup qualification in his column, let's have a look.

When a team applies pressure, tries everything, and has chances, they can still have played a good game, even if the result doesn't match. But in the 0:2 in Slovakia, neither was right, and in the 3:1 against Northern Ireland, little worked for the national team.

Despite the early 1:0 lead, Germany did not gain any security, the team seemed inhibited, and their play was too slow. In the end, it was a hard-fought victory, and under the circumstances, the most important thing was that they got three points.

The whistles of the fans were understandable

Playfully, apart from the first 15 minutes and the last half hour, it was not the performance one could be satisfied with. The three-man build-up play would work, but the two sixes, Grosso and Kimmich, let themselves fall back, which meant the connection between defense and offense was missing. Between the 23rd and 60th minutes, not a single shot on goal was taken.

That's why the whistles were also understandable. The fans have nothing against the players; they were simply disappointed with the performance of the German team. The team is strongly supported by the fans when it plays well, but that wasn't the case in the last two games. That's why one has to accept the dissatisfaction.

I take Woltemade and Wirtz under my protection

The fact that whistles sometimes target individual players is just how it is in football. There are practically only two extremes. However, I'm protecting Nick Woltemade and also Florian Wirtz. The whirlwind and the adjustment to a new environment, these things are working in the players' heads. They still need time to find their footing in the new situation. Nothing of Wirtz was to be seen in the first half, but he scored the free kick for 3:1 in world-class fashion.

The German team has quality when all players show what they are capable of. It starts at the back and ends at the front. Antonio Rüdiger misplayed a ball before the corner that led to the 1:1. That's not something a defensive player does. Experienced players must find other solutions.

The team needs a clear basic system

Perhaps comparing them to the European champions might be a bit of a stretch at the moment, but when I look at the Spaniards, they have their established system and everyone knows exactly what they have to do in their position. Even when new players join the team, their system doesn't change.

Our team also needs a clear basic system. The national coach must explain to the players exactly what their tasks are. While one must make adjustments when the opponent has particular strengths or weaknesses, if one makes too many changes, one does not achieve the necessary stability.

That gives me hope for Germany

Hope gives me the confidence that I know what the players have already achieved both in their clubs and in the national team. Despite the two weak performances, I am convinced that we have the strongest squad among the group opponents and will qualify directly for the World Cup.