The Mannschaft prolongs the crisis.

In terms of the result, it was unacceptable: Germany lost 0-1, away against an opponent they had only lost to once in 90 years (Poland). Even if we point out one detail that could be considered somewhat understandable – Germany created quite a few chances but failed to score – it still highlights a systemic weakness of the Mannschaft for many years: the lack of a world- class striker. How can you compete for a major tournament if you're "off-limits" in terms of strikers? Finally, coach Hansi Flick's team also risks losing the support of their own fans, precisely when the Mannschaft desperately needs their support.

Germany lost 0-1 to Poland in their recent friendly match.

In the current FIFA rankings, Germany is outside the top 10, below even mediocre teams like Morocco, Switzerland, and the USA. This is a relatively reasonable position for a team that has been eliminated after the group stage in the last two consecutive World Cups. The Mannschaft has only won 3 of their last 10 matches, and those were all victories against relatively weak opponents: Qatar, Costa Rica, and Peru. The team that recently beat Germany in a friendly match, Poland, wasn't a particularly strong opponent. However, they are a team with a long history of rivalry, always fighting fiercely whenever they face Germany. Experts are always eager to see how Germany handles such opponents, or top European teams. The result speaks for itself: a major drawback for the host nation of EURO 2024.

At the recent 2022 World Cup, Germany was so short of strikers that they had to send an aging striker to Qatar who was virtually unknown outside the Bundesliga. That striker was Niclas Fullkrug, who had been promoted just a few months earlier to Werder Bremen. If they don't use Fullkrug, the next solution for the Mannschaft will be a series of strikers in good form from the… second division. Even now, the Mannschaft is still struggling and hopeless in finding a goalscorer. They still have to rely on Fullkrug, but he's never the surprise star like Oliver Bierhoff or Horst Hrubesch before. Youssoufa Moukoko, Lukas Nmecha, Karim Adeyemi… have all failed to prove themselves. As for familiar faces like Timo Werner, let's not even talk about them.

Why the German national team is running out of strikers – that's a major topic, a mystery that German football experts have analyzed for years, but without a convincing answer. Ironically, the current director of the German national team, who is also responsible for finding and training strikers, is a former renowned striker – Rudi Voeller! The Mannschaft's playing style, both in the past and under coach Hansi Flick, is relatively classic, heavily reliant on the center forward role. This weakness has spread, becoming a pervasive problem for the entire team. For the nth time, Flick has to consider an old solution, one that has existed since previous eras: recalling veteran Thomas Mueller – a midfielder who can play in any role, including center forward. In short, they're still struggling.

Looking back at the recent defeat to Poland in Warsaw, it's clear that the Mannschaft lost from the start in terms of morale. Very few German fans followed the team, while the Polish audience enthusiastically cheered for their home team. If they don't improve their relationship with the fans, Germany's biggest advantage at the upcoming EURO 2024 could crumble. Of course, it's no surprise that German fans are turning their backs on an increasingly lackluster Mannschaft, lacking strikers and almost no stars. It's a team without identity. Coach Flick reassured: "There's still a year for the German national team to perfect what it needs before the EURO." We'll have to wait, but it seems Flick's task is proving very difficult.

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