Germany's defence will improve, Löw insists
Germany's national football coach Joachim Löw has promised Poland will come up against a brick wall defence when his side open their Euro 2008 campaign on June 8.
A question mark hangs over the ability of Löw's first-choice defence to shut out sides.
Löw's preferred selection in defence is Bayern Munich's Philipp Lahm and Marcell Jansen on the flanks with Real Madrid's injury-prone Christoph Metzelder and Werder Bremen's Per Mertesacker as centre-backs.
But Löw's back-four selections have been found wanting twice in the last year when Germany were smashed 3-0 by the Czech Republic in Munich last October and when Belarus forced a 2-2 draw last week.
After the draw in Kaiserslautern, Löw promised plenty of hard work at the squad's Mallorca training camp before the clash with Poland.
"We will work intensively in the next days with the ball and on tactical things," said Löw, whose side also face Croatia and co-hosts Austria in Group B.
"We must strengthen our organization. Against Poland, we will have better form, shape and organization - I can promise you that."
Having spent the season on the Arsenal bench, goalkeeper Jens Lehmann is under intense scrutiny from the German press and Löw admits any mistakes in goal will be highlighted.
Lehmann, 38, has already said he does not like the Euro 2008 ball and needs to reward Löw's faith in him with a good display against Poland.
"We trust him, we are convinced of him and continue to stand by him," Löw said of Lehmann.
History is on Löw's side - Germany drew 2-2 with Japan in a warm-up game
before finishing third in the 2006 World Cup.
But the German defence will have to start shutting sides out if they are to reach the Euro 2008 final in Vienna on June 29.
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A question mark hangs over the ability of Löw's first-choice defence to shut out sides.
Löw's preferred selection in defence is Bayern Munich's Philipp Lahm and Marcell Jansen on the flanks with Real Madrid's injury-prone Christoph Metzelder and Werder Bremen's Per Mertesacker as centre-backs.
But Löw's back-four selections have been found wanting twice in the last year when Germany were smashed 3-0 by the Czech Republic in Munich last October and when Belarus forced a 2-2 draw last week.
After the draw in Kaiserslautern, Löw promised plenty of hard work at the squad's Mallorca training camp before the clash with Poland.
"We will work intensively in the next days with the ball and on tactical things," said Löw, whose side also face Croatia and co-hosts Austria in Group B.
"We must strengthen our organization. Against Poland, we will have better form, shape and organization - I can promise you that."
Having spent the season on the Arsenal bench, goalkeeper Jens Lehmann is under intense scrutiny from the German press and Löw admits any mistakes in goal will be highlighted.
Lehmann, 38, has already said he does not like the Euro 2008 ball and needs to reward Löw's faith in him with a good display against Poland.
"We trust him, we are convinced of him and continue to stand by him," Löw said of Lehmann.
History is on Löw's side - Germany drew 2-2 with Japan in a warm-up game
before finishing third in the 2006 World Cup.
But the German defence will have to start shutting sides out if they are to reach the Euro 2008 final in Vienna on June 29.
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