What is the story about?
The German national team has established its future with Jürgen Klopp and the former Liverpool boss will get going on figuring our what went wrong in the past, where things stand in the present, and how to get Germany where it needs to be for the future.
One of the first tasks for Klopp and Co. will be to assess the roster that was called up for the World Cup. To get out in front of that exercise, BFW has compiled a tiered ranking for the squad — plus some (not all) other candidates for the future.
Let’s begin…
Tier V: Players that cannot be called back
- Manuel Neuer (40), Goalkeeper: Germany just needs to turn the page and move on. As it stands, Neuer likely will not be around much longer anyway as it is assumed that he will retire.
- Antonio Rüdiger (33), Defense: This is a natural breaking off point for the Real Madrid veteran, who actually played well at the World Cup. The transition to new players on the backline must begin and the temptation to lean on Rüdiger should be avoided.
- Leon Goretzka, Midfield (31): Goretzka’s time has come. He actually had a moment or two in the World Cup, but it is time to turn the page.
- Pascal Groß, Midfield (35): Truthfully, there is no good reason that Groß was called in for this World Cup.
- Leroy Sané, Attack (30): Do we really need to lay out why?
Tier IV: Players, who could be back, but with some trepidation
- Oliver Baumann (36), Goalkeeper: Unfortunately, Baumann might have missed his window and it is probably time to just move on. After a bad second half with Hoffenheim, Baumann has nothing left to show and what he has just is not going to be good enough for the future. Still, he could be a veteran presence to help guide younger goalkeepers.
- Waldemar Anton, Defense (30): Anton will be 34-years-old by the next World Cup. The tough decision will be — do you keep him around as a stable, veteran defender or just cut ties now?
- David Raum, Defense (28): The RB Leipzig star is still just 28-years-old, but injury and an emerging Nathaniel Brown cost him his starting job. Can he stay healthy enough to be a factor in 2030? This will likely come down to Klopp’s preference for what he wants out of the position.
- Nadiem Amiri (29), Midfield: Some will say that Amiri played well and that he deserves another chance. That would be a valid argument, but it will up to Klopp on how he see the vertan Mainz 05 midfielder.
- Maximilian Beier (23), Attack: Beier seems like a player who will perpetually be on the fringe of the roster. At that point, is it even worth calling him up? During a tournament where offense was hard to come by, Beier was barely used. Maybe Klopp can revisit using Beier later, but unless the new boss sees something that Nagelsmann did not (entirely possible by the way), Germany might want to give some others a chance.
- Deniz Undav (30): Undav is right on the cusp of being left out because of his age. The biggest factor for him is how things go physically for the next four years. It is easy to imagine him being the veteran attacker along for the ride, but Klopp might wan to go in a different direction.
Tier III: Players, who we do not know enough about yet
- Malick Thiaw (24): At 24-years-old, Thiaw is nearing the time where he will have to show that he can be a serious contender for a starting role. His inclusion into the World Cup felt more like a “who else do we have?” deal than Nagelsmann identifying a player, who could legitimately help. Opportunity could knock for Thiaw under Klopp, but he will have to take full advantage of it.
- Assan Ouédraogo (20): It is still perplexing to understand what Nagelsmann’s intent was to call Ouédraogo up after Lennart Karl’s injury. The RB Leipzig youngster had no chance for playing time and could offer no help to positions like wing or right-back where Germany needed help. That said, he is a name to know for the future. His development in the coming years is one that Klopp will need to be aware. Still so young, Ouédraogo could truly grow into a longtime role…or just fade into being the answer to a trivia question years from now.
Tier II: Players, who should be back, but have at least some questions
- Alexander Nübel (29): There is a possibility that Nübel is just “good”, but that might be enough to stick around for one of the three goalkeeper spots.
- Jonathan Tah (30): Similar to Anton, Tah will be 34-years-old at the next World Cup, but he is currently a starter and is considered a leader on the squad. He could play throughout this cycle and eventually ease into the same role that Rüdiger had this year.
- Aleksandar Pavlović (22): Pavlović really hurt his reputation at the World Cup. At a time where he should cemented his role for the next decade, the Bayern Munich midfielder under-performed and open the door for another midfielder to slide in. If Kimmich is retained and shifts to the midfield, Pavlović could be in a tough spot for the starting XI.
- Felix Nmecha (25): Similar to Pavlović, but older, Nmecha was the darling of fans for 1.5 games. Then, reality struck and Nmecha became a liability in the last 2.5 games. As of now, he should not be guaranteed anything except another look.
- Jamie Leweling (25): Leweling is in a similar boat to Beier, but not quite the same. Both players are versatile and Beier is the faster player, but there seems to be more trust in Leweling (despite his lack of action at the World Cup). Leweling’s performances for VfB Stuttgart will likely play a massive role in how he fits in moving forward.
- Angelo Stiller (25): It is fair to ask how shaky Stiller was if he could not convince Nagelsmann to make a change in the midfield. That said, Nagelsmann’s notoriously stubborn decision-making could actually lend to Stiller getting a closer look from Klopp.
- Kai Havertz (27): Havertz continues to be the darling of every Germany coach, which is puzzling. A good player, but not a game-changer, Havertz continues to eat up minutes at a position where he is not a prime producer. How much longer can this go on? The Arsenal man seems to have great timing in that that whenever he starts to be put under the gun. he manages a strong performance. The downside is that there are just not enough of them to warrant being a consistent starting striker.
- Nick Woltemade (24): A year ago, Woltemade seemed like he might be be Germany’s striker for the next decade. After spending a harrowing year with Newcastle United, though, Woltemade does not have a position, lacks confidence, and might not make the next call-up list. His situation with NUFC could be a ticking time bomb.
- Jamal Musiala (23): The most complicated name in this tier. In theory, Musiala should be a no-brainer, but his performance for Bayern Munich and Germany has left a lot to be desired and a lot of doubt. Also, there is the specter of him being demanding about playing time and what position he plays. A true general like Klopp can sort out if those things are truly an issue. If so, Musiala might have a rude awakening. The other side of this is Musiala’s health. He is still not 100% after his catastrophic leg injury, but this could be as good as it gets. What could help Musiala immensely, is if he opens himself up to playing wing full-time for the German national team, where the squad desperately needs him. As an attacking midfielder — right now — Musiala lacks the physicality, vision, and willingness to be a facilitator to help Germany operate at its best.
Tier I: Players, who need to be back
- Joshua Kimmich (31): Kimmich needs to return to the midfield and take part in the transition to the next generation. As captain, he is still a valuable player and assuming he is still playing at an acceptable level in 2030, he could be a nice veteran to have on the bench.
- Lennart Karl (18): Karl is the future of Germany’s attack.
- Florian Wirtz (23): So, what is the difference between Wirtz and Musiala? Musiala has the specter of what his ceiling is after his brutal leg/ankle injury. Right now, even not at his best, Wirtz is the stronger player. Musiala also gets docked points for his position (attacking midfield) where he has struggled mightily, yet continued to play there until it was too late under Nagelsmann. It is fair to ask why? Coaching incompetence and the inability to see what was obvious all season…or pressure from the player? A clear answer to that could help Musiala’s case.
- Nathaniel Brown (23): The breakout star for Germany, his slot at left-back should be filled for the next two World Cup cycles.
- Nico Schlotterbeck (26): Injured for the majority of this World Cup, Schlotterbeck was sorely missed. The Borussia Dortmund defender should be the formal leader on the backline moving forward.
Bonus: Players, who weren’t called up, but might be worth a look
- Jonas Urbig (22): If Urbig continues on his current trajectory, he should be the starter in between the sticks in for 2030.
- Tom Bischof (21): People will say that Bischof should not have been called up for this World Cup because of the way he was used (or not used) at Bayern Munich last season. However, everything Bischof brings to the table — physicality, a scoring threat, versatility — were things missing from Germany’s midfield and roster overall. Moreover, if he stayed at Hoffenheim, he would have been a shoo-in for a roster spot. Now, there will be a strong focus on how he plays for Bayern Munich this season. If he excels, it is not hard to imagine him competing for a starting role at some point during this cycle.
- Brajan Gruda (21): A player on the periphery while at Mainz, his move to Brighton & Hove Albion put him “out of sight, out of mind.” Now, Gruda is back with RB Leipzig again on loan and could thrust himself back into the mix with a good showing this season.
- Marc-André ter Stegen (34): If healthy, Ter Stegen could be a top three goalkeeper for Germany, but his health and viability are both major question marks at this point. Ter Stegen could get a new lease on life with Ajax (if the move goes through), but he still feels like a longshot. When factoring in his unhappiness with sitting behind Neuer all of those years, Klopp might just opt to move on completely.
- Yan Aurel Bisseck (25): At his age, Bisseck is what he is. There will not be a marked change in how he performs. That should be enough to at least warrant a look from Klopp.
- Anton Stach (27): Stach should have been called up over Groß, but the ball is firmly in Stach’s court. Perform and Klopp will — at least — look over to check him out. There is no room for error for Stach, though.
- Chris Fuhrich (28): The VfB Stuttgart man is just a solid, professional winger. While he does nothing spectacular, his presence and understanding of how to properly play the position could be valuable in a bench role. As of now, though, it feels like he missed his window.
- Nicolo Tresoldi (21): The youngster is seeing his star quickly rise and could end up being Germany’s best option for the No. 9 position in 2030. Does Klopp see it that way?
- Kevin Schade (24): Schade is solid, but is he anything more? Klopp should seek to find out and quickly.
- Said El Mala (19): El Mala is undoubtedly a talent, but his maturity might be what kept him off the squad this summer. Will Klopp look to mold the youngster’s ability into something productive for Germany? It feels like it.
- Karim Adeyemi (24): Adeyemi’s chances likely hinge on Hansi Flick’s ability to unlock the best of him at FC Barcelona. Germany needs wingers and Adeyemi is still young.
- Maximilian Mittelstädt (29): Mittelstädt was a bizarre omission from the team this summer and could be aged out for 2023 given the position he plays (left-back), but Klopp might need some stability and consistency on the roster — at least at the beginning of the cycle.
Song of the Week: “Shake Me Down” by Cage the Elephant
Sometimes we delve into the archives and other times we admire (relatively) modern rock. For this edition, we are only going back to the last decade to appreciate an underrated band — Cage the Elephant.
While we have featured other songs from Cage the Elephant here, “Shake Me Down” was one of those first songs that caught my attention. Released in late 2010 on the “Thank You, Happy Birthday” album, this one has stuck with for 16 (!) years. Enjoy:
Entertainment Rundown
House of the Dragon — Season 3, Episode 5
I know…I know. I have lowered my expectations, but I have enjoyed the season (even with its flaws) so far. Let’s dive in:
- Ormund Hightower continues to steal the show and his ward, Daeron Targaryen seems like he is starting to embrace a bigger role in the overall storyline.
- If not for Daemon, Ormund Hightower might be the show’s best character. Daemon is still the scene stealer of the show and is carrying it at times.
- It is tough to pinpoint the problem with Rhaenyra, but she struggles to really capture the scenes that she is in. Eerily, this is similar to Viserys (her father) when he was on screen. There does not appear to be an issue with the way that either actor portrayed their respective characters, but it could come down to dialogue.
- It was good to see Aemond back in action, but storyline is just waltzing along too slowly.
- It feels like the slaughter of the City Watch will be a plotpoint that does not fully live up to the amount of time it is occupying. Hopefully, it does. One thing it has going for it is that Daemon is heavily involved.
- The Ser Criston Cole storyline has been a little disappointing for such a great character. It would have been awesome to see him in more actual battles or at least in a few skirmishes. So far, his story has been one of sulking, lamentation, and the acceptance that he will die.
- It is tough to discern the point of Mysaria right now.
- The secret doorway at the end of the episode was…weird. It is hard to figure out what the writers are going for with that.
- Overall, it was a solid episode. Admittedly, I’m moving the goalposts here because this season — while flawed (and believe me, this could turn into major issue in the homestretch of the season) — is markedly better than the first two season. At a time, where I need to shut my brain down a bit at the very end of the week, House of the Dragon — at a minimum — gives me that.
Rating: 7.25/10.00
Prediction
It is tough to know how Bayern Munich’s friendly vs. SV Wehen Wiesbaden will play out give how many of Bayern Munich’s regular players will be missing. A slew of youth players will likely be in the spotlight, but Tom Bischof, João Palhinha, Sacha Boey, Arijon Ibrahimović, and Sven Ulreich are expected to lead the way. From there, it will be Romper Room — and that should be kind of fun.
Prediction: SV Wehen Wiesbaden 0-4 Bayern Munich
Prediction Records
- Total: 121-58
- Perfect Picks: 22
- Bundesliga Last Matchday: 0-0
- Bundesliga Overall: 0-0
- DFB-Pokal: 0-0
- World Cup: 71-28
- International Friendlies: 50-30
- Champions League: 0-0
- Club Friendlies: 0-0
- Franz Beckenbauer Supercup: 0-0
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