Opinion: Müller is Löw's last throw of the dice

While Wednesday's result was the finest night in North Macedonia's sporting history, it was one of the lowest in Germany's. Four-time World Cup winners with some of the best players in Europe don't lose to North Macedonia.

But they did and the inquest began immediately. Timo Werner, whose astonishing miss in the 80th minute has seen him scapegoated for the defeat, was the focus of the post-game interrogation of outgoing coach Joachim Löw.

"It was a blow for the team that we missed the chance," said Löw. "He probably blames himself the most. Timo has already proven in the past that he can find the solution and score goals."

Werner, a second-half substitute, wasn't the only reason for the defeat though. Collectively, Germany's performance was absent of spirit or character, and Löw said he will "think about it intensively in the coming days and weeks".

"This is bitterly disappointing, but we must not lose faith," he added.

Müller decision rings hollow

But Löw has boxed himself in. His inexplicable decision to effectively hold Thomas Müller, Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels responsible for Germany's first-round exit at the 2018 World Cup looked crazy then and looks even crazier now. Not least because Müller and, at times, Boateng and Hummels have played some of the best football of their careers since the Russia debacle. For much of last season and some of this, Müller has been in mesmerizing form.

How they must be delighted to have their fingerprints nowhere near this latest fiasco. North Macedonia outplayed Germany, who were lucky not to lose by more in Duisburg. The visitors were unfortunate to concede the soft penalty they did and should have had one of their own after an Emre Can handball, notwithstanding that horrific miss by Werner.

Werner is desperately low in confidence having scored just twice since the previous international break in November, but that miss underlined just how starved Germany are of an experienced and dependable forward in front of goal. They haven't had one since Miroslav Klose hung up his boots in 2014 and Müller is the next best thing, not to mention the understanding he has at club level with Leon Goretzka, Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry. Add Müller's winning mentality — he's won 18 major trophies — and it's a no-brainer.

Müller simply has to be reinstated to the Germany team for this summer's European Championship. It appears inevitable to everyone except Löw. His gamble to banish him has explosively backfired, and he's been left with no choice but to admit his hopes for the 'new generation' haven't materialized at the pace he'd hoped. And with all due respect to Löw, his coaching career all but ends this summer. There is no next generation for him and with Müller his only chance for personal redemption, Munich's favorite son must make a dramatic return.

Löw's last chance

But are Germany beyond saving? They are an unbalanced team but, on paper, they still have one of the best squads in Europe — only France, Portugal and Belgium can claim to have better. Any team with midfield options of Joshua Kimmich, Ilkay Gündogan, Leon Goretzka and Toni Kroos must be taken seriously — but any team with a coach who cannot see that Müller would make them infinitely stronger, cannot.

Germany were superb in the two games preceding this. An expressive victory over Iceland and a rugged win in Bucharest had offered hope that Germany had been lifted by the news that Löw would walk in the summer, finally free to play as they do for their clubs.

But this international window will be remembered only for a harrowing defeat by a team ranked 65th in the world, a failure of historic proportions.

There's only one man that has created this sorry situation and another who can save it. One is Joachim Löw, the other is Thomas Müller.