HAMBURG — A day after the disaster, it looks like the task of rebuilding West Germany’s national football team is going to be more difficult than many had expected.

ok the 41 drubbing at the hands of the Austrian national team in Vienna on October 29 — the first time in 55 years that the Austrians had won on home soil against their powerful football Neighbours — to remind fans that coach Franz Beckenbauer’s job of rebuilding the team is going to require much time and patience

West Germany who took runner up honours to Argentina at the World Cup in Mexico last summer looked convincing enough in September with a new look side as Beckenbauer’s began testing young hew talented players.

After beating Denmark 2.0 in Copenhagen, the West Germans then were held to a 22 draw by Spain. but harvested mainly positive criticism for their play.

After those matches Beckenbauer’s , knows his team will be feeling the pressure when West Germany hosts the 1988 European Championships. said he saw “good perspective for the future”.

In Vienna, there came a rude setback As the mass circulation tabloid Bild, its headline screaming Giant Fiasco” commented:  ‘The national team has never played worse”.

But Beckenbauer’s himself was less dismayed, “Inspite of the defeat in Vienna, the new start has gone quite well, The 41 loss was not a setback,” he said,

The defeat in Vienna has demonstrated how such matters are handled differently since Beckenbauer took over from Jupp Derwall two years ago, Now a days, after a loss or bad performance the public does not go blaming the  trainer.

Individual players may come in for criticism. but not the tactical concept used by Beckenbauer,

who possesses uncontested authority in view of his own record 103 matches for the West German national team, His predecessors Derwall and Helmut Schoen sometimes had to ism even if the team won but did not play well.

Today the “we spirit” of Germans identifying with the national team is the strongest in quite some time, and Beckenbauer is seen as being the right man to promote  better style of play with greater emphasis on finesse and technique.

But the task is not simples of the team which lost32against Argentina in the World Cup final, fast summer, six players have stepped down — Karl Heinz Rummenige, HansPeter Briegel Felix Magath, Ditmar Jakobs, Dieter Hoeness, and Norbert Eder.

Since as the host West Germany does not have to qualify for the 1988 European Champions Bechen bauer will be able to experiment with new players in a series of friendly matches .

At goal the uncontested keepers Harald Schumacher The top contenders in the defensive positions are Thomas Bertold, Michael Fronteck and Juergen Kohler The sweeper Spot

which Beckenbauer played to perfection in his day  is up for grabs between Matthias Herget and the moment.

The brightest prospects, for « West Germany are found in the choice of midfield play makers.

Article extracted from this publication >> December 19, 1986