"I didn't mean any disrespect. I said it may not be beautiful to watch but the more important topic, the key topic I mentioned is they do it really well. They play long balls with an idea. They have a special mood in the team and I also mentioned it's very difficult to beat this team, they don't concede many goals and they create a lot of chances by set-pieces."
"I did not mean it as disrespectful, it was with a lot of respect for the team and the way they play. They created a lot of stress in the final third, Nagelsmann said. You have to defend very well with a man covering, to avoid some crosses, to avoid some set-pieces. You have some space to find some counterattacks but it will not be easy so we have to perform very well to win this game tomorrow."
Julian Nagelsmann apologised if Northern Ireland felt disrespected by his remarks about their style after Germany's 3-1 World Cup qualifying win in Cologne. He said their long-ball approach may not be attractive to watch but insisted it is effective, praising their set-piece threat, defensive solidity and team mood. Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill pointed out Germany used long balls as well and said it was not his job to worry about opponents' opinions. Nagelsmann commended Northern Ireland's 2-0 win over Slovakia, warned of their threats in the final third, and stressed Germany must perform to win the Belfast rematch. Florian Wirtz scored Germany's third goal in Cologne with an outstanding free-kick.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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