Preview: Unexpected striking trouble for world champions Germany

Whilst the Irish fans and players celebrated their "once in a lifetime evening", the German world champions have had to endure several sleepless nights.

After the unexpected 1-0 defeat against the boys in green en route to Euro 2016, Germany is now facing a situation that it had not bargained for as it still needs a point in the last game against Georgia in Leipzig this Sunday night to book their ticket to France. They are also facing some explosive questions and conclusions.

It is hard to believe: A country like Germany with its remarkable history of great strikers has a problem up front - especially in the spearhead.

Seventeen shots against Ireland were on target, but Germany's strikers were unable to.

"On average we need six clear cut chances to score a goal. The goal scoring problem or the ineffectiveness in converting chances has accompanied us since the World Cup last year," said German head coach Joachim Loew.

"We just haven' t regained the effectiveness we had at the 2014 World Cup yet. It' s something we have to work on, no doubt. We have to get back to being a team that everybody fears," he added.

Despite his striking problems, Loew obviously isn't intent on returning to the decades-old system of playing with a central striker in the box.

After the retirement of a man like Miroslav Klose (71 goals in 137 games and 16 World Cup goals making him the tournament's leading scorer), he though might have to.

Fans and pundits are currently muting the name of last season's top scorer in the Bundesliga and a player that once regularly led the Germany but was dropped after poor performances - Alex Meier (Eintracht Frankfurt/19 goals) and Mario Gomez (Besiktas Istanbul).

After the match gainst Ireland, Loew might well have to restructure his offense. Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund) and Kevin Volland (TSG Hoffenheim) are potential answers.

"We basically are not looking for a man to only patrol the box, we live from our versatility - so do the players on the pitch," said Loew.

But in the Ireland game, Loew wanted to his front men to swap positions but Reus and Mesut Oezil (Arsenal) were ineffective as was Thomas Mueller (Bayern Munich) when attacking from deep positions in the centre.

"We can't use a fixed system these days, meaning operating with crosses from the flanks. Most teams have tall defenders, meaning you have to use flat, quick passes," Loew said. "I can't imagine a situation that requires us to do away with the system."

The German head coach wants far more to change his players' mindsets as he is convinced.

"We have to get it in our heads that this one chance could well be our last - we have to score". But that is exactly the problem for the German World Champions - not only because Klose has retired and no adequate successor is in sight, but because the so-called defensive and attacking midfielders are out delivering the balls they once used to.

Players like Sami Khedira (Juventus Turin), Andre Schuerrle, Max Kruse, Julian Draxler (VfL Wolfsburg) and Reus are still trying to regain their form.

There seems to be no end of troubles at the moment Mario Goetze (Bayern Munich) is out injured and won't be back this year, Bastian Schweinsteiger (Manchester United) not fully fit and Mesut Oezil (Arsenal) continues to struggle in the national team like Toni Kroos who is not performing at the same level as he is for his club Real Madrid.

After the German game lacks structure, even the defense (with regulars like Mats Hummels/Borussia Dortmund and Jerome Boateng/Bayern Munich) is affected. "It's not something we can accept, not scoring and the letting in a goal," said Boateng.

It is all happening ahead of new situation for the Joachim Loew. Never in his 126-game reign as the head coach has he gone into the final group qualifying game still not assured of a place at the finals of either the World Cup or European Championship.

On Sunday, Germany needs a draw against Georgia as Poland and Ireland could overtake the World Champions should they lose. The last time Germany missed out a European Championship was as back in 1967 and the last time they had to qualify via the tough play-offs was in was in 2002.

So have the Germans received a warning shot in time as seem sure to beat Georgia? In the four games to date between the two, Germany has only conceded one goal and has won all four duels. Some German pundits are certain that Loew will use the defeat against Ireland as a long lasting example (and warning) for his team to stay fully concentrated.

"What happened might be not a bad thing at all. The Ireland game can help get to the success in France that everybody is hoping for," said former Germany keeper and TV-pundit Jens Lehmann.

What Lehmann was talking about was no less than the 2016 European title for the currently stuttering 2014 World Cup winners. Endi