Northern Ireland manager Lawrie McMenemy has played down suggestions that Germany are in crisis ahead of Saturday's European Championship Group Three qualifier in Belfast. McMenemy said he was taking no notice of the widespread criticism of the German team following their 3-0 humiliation against the US last month.

"People say Germany are going through a hard period, but I say they are going through a changing period," he said yesterday. "They have changed their coach since the World Cup and I saw a lot of new faces against the US, but they are notable fighters and they have a great tradition."

Germany's new coach Erich Ribbeck has been hurt by comments of former players and managers but played down talk of a crisis. Ribbeck has written an open letter to all his critics, and claims now is the time for everyone to pull together.

"What makes me furious are comments from so-called experts, who have never had the responsibility I have and never will," he said. "I can't demand optimism, but a little bit of it would do everybody good."

Bayern Munich midfielder Mario Basler, upset at being left out of the squad, claimed yesterday that Ribbeck only wanted `yes men' to play for him. "I'm very angry that I wasn't even in the pre-selection squad and it seems recent performances do not count," Basler said. "It seems that it goes into personal things what the team coach is doing with me. He possibly needs players who say yes to everything and he has got his team now."

Ribbeck was unimpressed by Basler's remarks. "I'm not upset about it any more. It's not my job to fulfil the claims of players. I decide who to talk to and whether I talk to them personally or whether I just call them. I won't be blackmailed."