Leroy Sane World Cup 2018 snub shows Joachim Low is more interested in the team than individuals

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When Joachim Low revealed his final squad for the World Cup on Tuesday, he announced first that goalkeeper Bernd Leno, defender Jonathan Tah and striker Nils Petersen all had failed to make the squad.

Those decisions were of no real surprise nor are they likely to be of any consequence to Low should his world champions progress deep into the tournament.

But after revealing those three names, Low left something of a dramatic pause before revealing that Leroy Sane was the fourth and final player to be cut from his provisional squad of 27.

To anyone in England, that decision was a shock.

Under Pep Guardiola, a man with a reputation as the most demanding coach in world football, Sane has proved himself and was named the PFA’s best young player this season.

It took time to get to that position after difficult start in England. Now, the 22-year-old is facing the same struggle at international level.

The problem is that he is yet to properly integrate into the way Low does things.

On paper, his style should give Germany a speed, directness and robustness that none of his rivals for the left-wing a slot can really match.

In reality, as was apparent against Austria in the latest of his 12 Germany caps, Sane did not look nearly as comfortable as he has done for either Manchester City or Schalke.

The point that Low has made is one for the team over the individual.

He won the World Cup while playing centre-back Benedikt Howedes at left-back — proof that he’d rather have someone who can do what he is asked rather than just having a left-back for the sake of it.

That Julian Brandt is going instead of Sane then speaks for how the Bayer Lerverkusen winger has simply adapted better to how Low wants to play. Perhaps Sane would have learned had he gone to the Confederations Cup with Germany last year, as Brandt did.

You're in | Low opted for Bayer Leverkusen's Brandt over Sane
Bongarts/Getty Images

Instead, Sane went off for an operation on his nose.

That was not a problem as such, but could have been interpreted as a lack of commitment when he was not fully established on the international stage.

Brandt has not hit the heights that Sane has at club level but he did show much more consistency with Bayer Leverkusen last term. He does not have Sane’s power — but it is fair to say that he understands what Low wants tactically.

The left flank could be a weakness for Germany. Marco Reus is now likely to be first choice to start there but such is his injury record, the chances are a back-up will be required at some stage in the tournament.

Concern | Reus is now first choice out wide, but he may struggle to feature throughout
Bongarts/Getty Images

Behind him at left-back, Cologne’s Jonas Hector is likely to be targeted by opponents. That showed in a 1-1 friendly draw against Spain in March.

Low’s plan could therefore be that Brandt can offer greater discipline on the left than Sane and help protect Hector, which could be vital in the World Cup’s latter stages.

Low knows he has top talent flowing right through the core of the team in the likes of Manuel Neuer, Mats Hummels, Toni Kroos, Thomas Muller and Mesut Ozil, to name a few.

Sané may not be going but it’s not as if Germany are struggling for top-class talent.

That said, he does offer physical qualities than none of his team-mates can quite match.

But as Low has shown, the system is more important to him than an individual.

In this case, Sane has proven he can do it at Premier League level but on the international stage, all he has shown is potential.

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