I just saw this article in my timeline:
https://www.ruhrnachrichten.de/bvb/...vb-boss-watzke-mehr-macht-w670218-2000689988/
And to be honest I've been wondering what the heck I've been reading.
For starters it seems insane to me to discuss Flick's position. His team played good football in all three games and he was willing to (indirectly) admit mistakes and make adjustments too - they went out because of a freak result against Japan and some additional misfortune when it came to the group draw and match schedule (Spain being free to throw the last game).
I don't think he can be blamed for Neuer having a terrible tournament. He gave Müller too many chances, but I don't think that cost him the tournament, especially since Germany was still 1-0 up against Japan, when Müller was subbed. Where I am tempted to blame him is Hummels' exclusion, because it was predictable that Schlotterbeck would struggle and that had a direct effect against Japan. But is that something he should be sacked over?
I think the DFB can count themselves lucky that Flick didn't step down, because everyone except for Klopp would be a downgrade.
It seems to me like Bierhoff is a convenient scapegoat, because he has become unpopular in recent years. The main problem is a structural one. No top tier striker since Klose (Gomez if we're being generous) and no top tier full backs on either side since Lahm (maybe Jonas Hector could have been one, if he'd been more ambitious - but considering he was a late bloomer he's hardly someone to credit the youth setup with).
As far as I'm aware Bierhoff didn't have anything to do with the youth setup until 2018 and on one hand the effects of youth reform take quite a few years to make their way to the public surface and on the other we just had the pandemic severely mess with the youth game for two years. It seems to me like he's a very convenient scapegoat at the moment, because he had already gotten unpopular before the tournament.
Now maybe he really is a problem or maybe it would just help to get a fresh set of eyes on the job, but it was also mentioned that he might be demoted to academy oversight... ...when individual quality (from the academy) arguably is the biggest issue, which he'd be demoted over. Insanity.
Watzke's inclusion also seems a bit random. He's a business man and a politican, not a sporting director. I guess it could make sense if they were trying to implement structural reforms and would like his input to represent the perspective of professional clubs, but at this early stage it looks more like a PR move to me.
It would fill me with a lot more confidence if they were looking at some people with actual management experience, or who had prominent roles at some big club's academy. Not that I'd necessarily advocate for any of them directly, but people like: Mislintat, Rangnick, Elgert, etc.. Not Fipsi fecking Lahm.