Tired looking Germany in need of new ideas

When Germany flopped in Russia, exiting at the group stages, it looked like a blip for the 2014 World Cup winners, but after they lost to the Netherlands by three goals or more for the first time ever is something more profound the matter?

Joachim Loew has been in charge of the team for 12 years now. Between Euro 2008 and Euro 2016 his team never went out before the semi-final stage, including their famous victory in Brazil.

Their exit in the group stage this year changed that proud record.

Football moves in cycles and only in extraordinary cases has such longevity resulted in success at club or international level.

At a certain point continuity becomes tiredness, stability becomes staleness. 

Against the Netherlands Loew was robbed of many key players by injury, however some of his selections harked to the past not the future. In particular the decisions to choose stalwarts Manuel Neuer and Thomas Muller over Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and Leroy Sane looked baffling.

Muller and Neuer are modern greats, with the latter one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. However it is hard to make a case for their inclusion on form rather than reputation.

Bayern Munich are experiencing similar issues to the German national team and it is hard not to notice that the Neuer-Muller axis, as well as the central defensive pairing of Mats Hummels a Jermone Boateng with Joshua Kimmich at right-back is a shared characteristic of the two struggling giants.

Loew's selection of Bayern players may be down to loyalty. But years of success without regeneration at international level looks to have led to complacency and malaise. 

Hummels' interview at the end of the match was symptomatic of a team that expect to just turn up and win.''We just need one moment of success,'' said Hummels on Saturday.

''We just need to bundle a goal in somehow and break the spell, so that we are secure again.''

If Hummels thinks one goal is going to change everything it looks like he is severely mistaken. The team has grown tired and even if its a case of evolution not revolution, Germany need change and need it soon. 

It looks unlikely that this will come under Loew. There is no questioning his achievements with his country, but maybe its best for both parties if some fresh ideas are injected.