10 September 2023 , 06:27
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Ilkay Gundogan admits "there's no confidence" in the German camp after they were thumped by Japan - further ramping up the pressure on coach Hansi Flick.
Germany lost 4-1 to their opponents at the Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg on Saturday night - the second time they'd been beaten by Japan in less than 12 months following their loss to them at the World Cup. It continues a poor run of form that has raised serious alarm bells ahead of the Euros next summer, which will be held on German soil.
Leroy Sane had drawn the hosts level before they conceded three unanswered goals in what was their heaviest setback since a 6-0 loss in the Nations League against Spain in 2020. The country's director of football Rudi Voller was particularly damning, labelling the defeat a "disgrace", and Gundogan offered little optimism.
The former Manchester City star told Bein Sports: "Very tough one to take. I think the only good situation was the goal, where we played the rhythm we wanted, but unfortunately, we have to admit Japan were defensively and offensively better than us.
"I think you can feel that a lot of our players are in a mental fight with themselves - there's no confidence, there's no understanding for the timing of decisions, and obviously these kind of games and results don't help at all. So we feel like everyone is fighting with themselves, and that makes it harder to create a spirit and atmosphere. Football-wise, there's a big lack of confidence and that makes it harder to get the results."
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Flick has won just 12 of the 25 games he's taken since replacing Joachim Low with the former Bayern Munich man currently struggling for answers. Germany's performances at recent major tournaments have not made for good reading and time is running out to make an impact.
Japan hit four past Germany on Saturday nightHe maintained he thought he was the "right manager" for Germany, but wasn't naive to the pressure he's under, admitting he knows "how things can change in professional football and I can't see what's to come".
Bayern star Joshua Kimmich said in the aftermath of the loss: "The bottom line is that it was a well-deserved defeat. We had nothing up front in the second half. We haven't actually played a good game since the World Cup. This has to give us pause and we have to question our quality."
Germany's schedule is not about to make lift any easier and they will take on 2022 World Cup finalists France in a friendly at Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park on Tuesday.