KEEPING things in perspective has been the focus of everyone inside the Germany camp in the aftermath of the two-goal defeat in Poland, which, while hardly representative of any kind of meltdown within the world champions, has given Group D of the European Championship qualifying campaign an added piquancy.

The head coach, Joachim Loew, has dealt with the unexpected sight of his side sitting fourth in the rankings after two matches - behind the Poles, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland - by calling upon one notable statistic of his own.

Germany had 28 shots to Poland's five in Warsaw on Saturday night. They were hardly outplayed. Indeed, they could easily have been three or four in front before Arkadiusz Milik scored a 51st-minute header from what was pretty much the home side's first chance of the game.

Manuel Neuer, the Bayern Munich goalkeeper, accepted the blame for that opening goal after the final whistle, conceding he came off his line far too readily for a Lukasz Piszczek cross that he was never likely to reach.

It is in the way he spent the following afternoon, however, that the 28-year-old received the most overwhelming confirmation that losing a qualifying match for the first time in 33 outings and seven years was hardly the end of the world.

Neuer was joined by Oliver Bierhoff, general manager of Der Mannschaft, in travelling from the team headquarters in Essen to his home city of Gelsenkirchen to mark the opening of a £1.3m centre for underprivileged children that he has helped build through his charity foundation.

He was initially involved in securing the site, across from his old primary school in the large suburb of Buer, with his focus now on developing the ambitious project, which will aim to supply youngsters aged six to 18 with hot meals, proivide help with their homework and encourage them to participate in all manner of activities relating to self-improvement.

Unemployment in Gelsenkirchen, an industrial heartland once regarded as the coalmining centre of Europe, has risen to 15.5 per cent over the past year and Neuer's middle-class background has not blinded him to the social issues that almost inevitably brings.

He will be back there tonight in the Veltins-Arena to captain his country against the Irish. Enrolled in the youth set-up of the local club, Schalke 04, at the age of five, he spent 20 years there before moving to Bayern in a €22m transfer in 2011.

Neuer can think of nowhere better to prove that Germany, coping with high-profile retirements and a raft of injuries, remain as resilient and dominant as ever.

"It makes me proud," said Neuer. "For me, personally, it is special and beautiful that the game takes place in Gelsenkirchen. The match against Ireland is not an easy task, but we will have a good plan and I am very confident that we will earn the three points."

Voted best goalkeeper in the tournament on his way to winning the World Cup in the summer, this is not a man to be doubted when he has the bit between his teeth.

Four years ago, he set up the Manuel Neuer Kids Foundation as an outreach programme and now finances eight long-term projects in addition to building that brand spanking new 'kinderhaus' in his old neighbourhood. "I really enjoyed my visit there," he said. "It was great fun and I discovered that something great has been created.

"In my childhood, it registered there were classmates who could not order the new textbooks, wore the same clothes to school or could not attend trips. Many disadvantaged children live in the Ruhr valley, who need support. We want to help them and establish equal opportunities."

Sunday's gala opening, for all that, did not spare Neuer from criticism of Germany's failings in Warsaw from the youths that were invited along. "They wanted to know why I lost two goals in Poland," smiled Neuer. "The people here are very direct - especially the children."

Neuer's connections with Schalke, of course, date back to what seems like a different age altogether. He was four years old when he saw his first game in the old Parkstadion, mothballed in 2001, and was gripped. "My father was a policeman and worked at Schalke's stadium on matchdays," he recalled. "Sometimes, he would take me with him.

"The police had a booth under the Parkstadion roof, from which they used to observe the fans. I saw my first game from in there."

His national coach, Loew, is more interested in concentrating on the future right now, though. He senses his players are keen to atone for their defeat in Warsaw and believes they will be ready for an Irish side that will operate largely on the counter. "The atmosphere is not bad, but there is a certain self-criticism that exists," he said. "Anger would be the wrong word, but there is an absolute intent. We had 28 shots, a tally we don't often reach.

"Finishing and efficiency is the main focus for us, but I don't see any major problems in our qualifying campaign. Life hasn't become any harder despite the huge disappointment of the defeat to Poland. Life is much, much nicer than before the World Cup.

"We know Ireland have a fantastic fighting spirit. I think Poland and Ireland are similar in that they are fast on the counter coming from the wings and putting crosses in."