In the QF Germany weren't all that vs an Italy squad that already showed signs of departing into mediocrity. I thought Germany's play in that game often had that same sleepiness and predictability that I saw this World Cup. The way Germany played this World Cup didn't come out of nowhere or start in the pre-tournament friendlies either.
It's an inherent problem when a team starts getting complacent. Possession football is meant to be about constantly probing while maintaining quick movement to expose the hidden spaces that open up when the defense is forced to keep running after you, but if a team starts relying on a 'we'll score anyway' mentality nd starts moving less and less, becoming more and more predictable in their passing..it looks like Germany 2018.
And this is the real reason Löw's departure should be a no-brainer..dude's been there for 12 years as boss, 14 years in a leading role, is approaching retirement age. Players admitted they went into the tournament complacent, that the group stage wasn't taken seriously, that players weren't willing to sacrifice. Those are symptoms of brutal coaching failure, and especially with a long-tenured coach a surefire sign that his time's up and there's urgent need for a new perspective, a new voice.