That’s more like it
When Germany lost to Greece a week ago, the vibes were truly rancid. The optimism that had underpinned the hiring of Jürgen Klopp was not gone, but it was dented. Fans held on to hope that the second team, called up as part of an extended squad, could provide some relief.
Thankfully, for the fans and for the coach, the second team has delivered. Not a win, mind you, but you don’t always need a win to show progress. In this return game versus Greece, at a hostile away stadium, Germany played very differently
from the meek and slow possession game they showed a week ago.
This was a performance with all the hallmarks of a Klopp team. Aggressive counterpressing, swarming maneuvers on transition, clear pressing triggers, and the confidence to charge up the pitch when in possession. Everything was so quick. There were mistakes, yes. The finishing could have been better. But it was the right attitude.
All too often, pundits will scapegoat “passion” or “mentality” when it is clear that tactics are the issue. However, in the case of the German national team in 2026, mentality is as much a factor as the tactics. The players out there were young and hungry, looking to lock down their place in the XI. They played without the fear of mistakes.
Of course, that meant that some attacks went sideways, and Greece got more than a few chances at the other end, but fundamentally, it doesn’t matter. A Klopp team doesn’t have to be defensively solid. It just can’t afford to be meek. Now that these youngsters have shown the way, the seniors have a path to follow or risk getting left behind.
This was the step that Klopp needed his team to take. Now that it has, he can start refining things.
Trim the team, NOW
Out of the 44 players called up to this international break, only about half should make it to the next international break. Out of those, only a scant few should consider their slots guaranteed.
Tom Bischof and Aleksandar Pavlović can consider themselves the major winners of the break. Their performances will not only raise their standing in the eyes of Jürgen Klopp, it may get Vincent Kompany to expand their role at Bayern Munich as well.
This may seem ominous for Joshua Kimmich, but the veteran midfielder did not earn his starting position by chance. He will keep his spot in the team for some time yet. Perhaps, there may be a compromise, a system that allows all three to play together. A 4-3-3 perhaps?
Florian Wirtz is the other big winner. His renaissance under Klopp in this break could maybe catalyze a return to form when he goes back to Liverpool FC. Even if it doesn’t, he has shown that his domestic struggles have no impact on national team games.
Philipp Treu may be the answer Germany was looking for at right-back. The other players mentioned so far could still get out-competed by a rising star or returning veteran, but Treu has clearly demonstrated that he is better than any other right-back Germany has right now.
Other players will have to earn their place in the XI, but they should be a part of future callups. Players like Karim Adeyemi, Felix Nmecha, Jonas Urbig, Marc-André ter Stegen, Derry Scherhant, Maximillian Mittelstädt, and so on. Not all of them had perfect outings, some play the same position, but they have enough quality to be part of the setup. Others, like Josha Vagnoman or Nadiem Amiri, have shown they have no place in future callups.
In a way, the 44-man experiment has been a success. Klopp got valuable intel, enough to build a foundation. Now he can focus on training and team chemistry. And one more problem …
Stamina may be the Achilles’ heel
After 60 minutes of high intensity football, the wheels started to come off. This is not new or unexpected. A team that relies on aggressive gegenpressing will lose cohesion as stamina wears out. As a coach of a club team, you can work on fitness. At the national level, your hands are tied.
However, it may not be the Achilles heel that it seems. Against Greece, the Germans showed solid game management. They kept attacking and did not fall apart even as their opponents started to exploit tired legs. A very good sign for Klopp.
The next step is to optimize the setup. Many of these players are no strangers to running, the FC Bayern stars run more than any team in Europe. However, their grasp of the system is still sloppy, so there are errors which lead to wasted effort and increased mental load.
The bones of a good system are here. Yes, it looks sloppy, chaotic, and even a little frail. Scoring goals remains a small headache. Some of the players, even the ones who should keep being called up, are not good enough. It is, of course, a work in progress.
This international break was part 1 and 2 of a long story. Initially, after two games, it seemed nothing had changed. After two more, something feels different. That matters more than anything.
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