This was so so so incredibly stupid. Germany could have won the game so much more easily, but Julian Nagelsmann just had to do things the hard way. Benching Deniz Undav, starting Leroy Sané, putting Joshua Kimmich up against Yan Diomande, and other baffling decisions marred what should have been a routine win.
The coach eventually saw the light and made the right changes, which saw Germany score twice and go on to secure a place in the World Cup knockouts for the first time since 2014.
Jersey Swap: Julian Nagelsmann
What, did you
expect an Ivory Coast player to get it? Frank Kessie did score their only goal, and Yan Diomande caused Joshua Kimmich trouble throughout the game. Amad Diallo, meanwhile, kept Nathaniel Brown on his toes. Despite this, most of the Africans’ success can be attributed to one man.
Julian Nageslmann has no more excuses left. He cannot keep benching Deniz Undav. Joshua Kimmich is easily exposed as the sole right-back. The midfield is painfully lacking in creativity. Kai Havertz resembles the Californian giant redwood when he plays. Leroy Sané is Leroy Sané.
Criticism without suggestions would sound empty, so here are a few simple tweaks he can make to fix the setup and its problems:
- Send Nathaniel Brown to right-back and bring David Raum in at left-back.
- Move Joshua Kimmich to midfield next to Aleksandar Pavlović.
- Bench Leroy Sané for Jamie Leweling.
- Bench Kai Havertz for Deniz Undav.
- Move Florian Wirtz to attacking midfield.
- Put Jamal Musiala on the left wing.
This is not the ONLY solution, but it is one of many options he could pursue to improve the team. Yes, eveyone will admit that this German side is not as talented as the heyday of players like Lahm and Schweinsteiger. However, there is enough talent to fill out a competent starting XI. If the coach doesn’t even do that, then what hope do the players have?
With qualification secure, Nageslmann should use the final group stage game to experiment. Germany need a better plan in the knockout stages.
Der Kaiser: Nathaniel Brown
The longer Bayern Munich waits to get this transfer done, the more expensive he gets.
Nathaniel Brown probably doesn’t bench a fit Alphonso Davies. He isn’t quite that good. However, he is a quality left-back with solid physical attributes and attacking instincts that make him a huge asset to a complex system like Nagelsmann’s. If there’s one thing that doesn’t necessarily have to change, it’s Brown’s role on the pitch. Aside from Undav, Brown is the only player on the team who fulfils his role perfectly.
Can he make a shift to right-back and maintain his quality? Maybe. If not, then Germany also have Waldemar Anton for the position. There are OPTIONS. Nagelsmann doesn’t have to keep doing what doesn’t work.
Fußballgott: Felix Nmecha
Felix Nmecha had a relatively mixed performance, regularly losing the ball and struggling to make an impact creatively, but his assist near the end of the game secures this spot. He stood out because he was the only German midfielder to not be bullied physically by the Ivory Coast players, which proved invaluable during the doldrums where Germany were spinning their wheels.
From a Bayern Munich perspective, this was a humbling outing for both Aleksandar Pavlović and Joshua Kimmich. So good at club level, their respective shortcomings were exposed in the lopsided system Nagelsmann crafted for them. Pavlović struggled physically as his lack of creativity and pace became glaring problems, while Kimmich was simply overloaded trying to play midfield and mark Diomande at the same time.
Both players are capable of more, but only if the system sets up to accommodate them. They had terrible games vs Ivory Coast.
Der Bomber: Not awarded
What a terrible outing for German forwards.
Aside from a single header early in the first half, Kai Havertz was anonymous. Yes, the guy can score in Champions League finals. No, he shouldn’t start over Deniz Undav. He lacks physicality, he doesn’t have the same raw scoring presence that Undav provides, and his linkup play doesn’t justify his place on the lineup. Either he should be moved to an AM or SS role, or benched entirely.
Jamal Musiala was halfway decent, but nowhere near what he could be. He is wasted as a central player, simply unable to play as a two-way number 10 like Nagelsmann wants. If Serge Gnabry were fit, this role would be perfect for him. For Musiala, the role is a shackle that keeps him from making an impact. If he moves to the wing, he could do more damage.
Florian Wirtz doesn’t work as a left winger. He drifts inside too easily and too often, making his movement predictable and easy to stop. He doesn’t have the pace to dribble his man so he is hopelessly dependent on overlaps and interplays to find space. Ideally, he should move to the center of the pitch where he is more comfortable.
Leroy Sané is Leroy Sané. Germany fans demand an explanation. Bayern Munich fans need therapy. This guy is just so… bad. He can’t beat a man by dribbling, his interplay is mediocre, and his above average defending does not justify his inclusion in the lineup. There is no reason for him to be on the team.
As for the attack as a unit, Ivory Coast exposed a truly worrying lack of pace. Germany play SLOW football. If Nagelsmann can’t find a way to speed things up, things could get ugly. A shame that Said El Mala wasn’t called up to give the Germans a pacey option on one wing.
Meister of the Match: Deniz Undav
Of course it’s Undav. He came on and won the game. If Julian Nagelsmann needs any more proof that Undav needs to start, then someone at the DFB needs to stage an intervention.
Nagelsmann’s treatment of Undav is literal self-sabotage. Even if he makes zero other changes, simply adding Undav and removing Sané would improve Germany by 200%. How stubborn can one man be?
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