Hansi Flick’s only wins in the last year have been against Oman, Costa Rica and Peru
Hansi Flick has been in charge of Germany for just over two years - but could he only have two games left?
The 58-year-old, who replaced long-standing coach Joachim Low in August 2021, started off with eight consecutive wins - but he has won just four of his next 16 matches.
They play Japan and France during this international break.
“It sounds ridiculous being two friendly matches but Flick is under huge pressure not to mess this up. The last games [defeats by Poland and Colombia] were so bad this has become an unofficial final for his era,” German football journalist Raphael Honigstein told BBC Radio 5 Live’s Euro League podcast.
“Two bad performances and two bad results and the Germany FA will be forced to get rid because the public pressure would be intolerable.”
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Such a bad showing has come as a surprise from a manager who won 70 of his 86 games in charge of Bayern Munich from November 2019 to June 2021.
Flick had been Low’s assistant manager with Germany from 2006 to 2014.
A World Cup group-stage exit was followed by just one win in five friendlies, with Germany not having to play in Euro 2024 qualifying as tournament hosts.
Oman, Costa Rica and Peru are the only teams they have beaten in the past 12 months.
Honigstein continued: “They let him get off after the World Cup, thinking it was a freak result. But the rehabilitation that was supposed to happen, hasn’t and things have got worse.”
So what are the issues for the 2014 World Cup winners?
“He has lost his way and has been experimenting tactically. People don’t understand the personnel changes and he has really got his back to the wall,” said Honigstein.
“It is not his fault Germany aren’t producing centre forwards, or they have a real problem in full-back. But you could say the same for [the past] 20 years and the idea as a coach is you minimise these problems.
“The Germany that have been good have found solutions and been creative. It would be too easy to let him off for that.
“The experiments with the back three have exacerbated things. It was so bad you couldn’t help but point the finger at Flick.
“Ultimately the manager has the responsibility and player-for-player there is no reason why this Germany team is playing this badly.
“They have Champions League winners, players at the biggest teams in Europe. Why shouldn’t they have some semi-competent showings in the Germany team?”
But is there a simple solution to this problem?
“It is high time Flick discovered just a steady hand with his choices. Pick 11 decent players and choose a formation that works,” said Honigstein.
Who could replace Flick if he goes? How about the man who followed him at Bayern Munich at the end of 2020-21?
“Julian Nagelsmann is being touted strongly as the man to come in - perhaps in the short term - to save this Germany team, who seem quite rudderless,” said Honigstein.
Highly rated Nagelsmann, 36, has been out of work since Bayern sacked him in March.
