Hamburg - Germany coach Joachim Loew has come to the defence of the national team's current crop of forwards following criticism from strike legend Gerd Mueller. Loew told Tuesday's Bild newspaper the trio of Mario Gomez, Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski had proven themselves to be top strikers at international level.
Former Bayern Munich striker Mueller, who scored 68 goals in 62 games for West Germany, had told DSF television: "When you see who's playing for Germany now - they wouldn't have even got a sniff of the ball in the past."
But Loew said that while he had a lot of respect for former playing greats such as Mueller, as well as Franz Beckenbauer and Guenter Netzer, who are both regular television pundits and newspaper columnists, it was wrong to compare players from different eras.
"For strikers it has become enormously difficult," he said.
"Football has made huge strides, especially in the art of defending."
Loew said Mueller enjoyed space on the field in his playing days that "you don't even get for five minutes in a game" these days.
The Germany coach also pointed out that Klose was leading scorer at the last two World Cup finals, while Bayern team-mate Gomez and Cologne's Podolski "have shown that they are top strikers internationally."
Bild also quoted several former Germany strikers as backing the current generation.
Rudi Voeller, who scored 47 goals in 90 internationals, said Germany's strikers were going through "perhaps a small lean spell" but the present trio as wells as Bayer Leverkusen's Stefan Kiessling had "great qualities."
Werder Bremen sports director Klaus Allofs, who scored 17 goals in 56 internationals, said Mueller was not justified in his criticism.
"Being the best of your generation - that's what it's all about. You shouldn't make comparisons between generations," he said.
Mueller meanwhile has seen a player for the future - namesake Thomas Mueller, 20, who has burst into the Bayern team this season.
"The young fellow is incredible, can go right and left, just like me, is fast and good in the air - you can take him to the (2010) World Cup," he said.
