Sometimes, you can be too clever

Julian Nagelsmann considers himself a tactician, but at some point the tactics outgrow their purpose. The system Germany used against Switzerland was an overcomplicated, overwrought mess.

The front four was perfectly fluid, with Kai Havertz acting as a focal point while Florian Wirtz occupied the center. Serge Gnabry drifted onto the right while Leroy Sané hugged the touchline, creating a heavy overload on the right. Joshua Kimmich inverted centrally, allowing the other fullback (David Raum) to push up incredibly high.

In effect, a standard 4-2-3-1 started looking like a 2-1-2-5 with acres of space behind the midfield. That became a problem whenever Switzerland got the ball, because they quickly had space to run into on the flanks. Germany fought back with high intensity gegenpressing, but it wasn’t enough. Judging by the three conceded goals, the defensive structure left a lot to be desired.

Individual performances can be blamed, of course. Kai Havertz was not great, and neither was Leroy Sané. Jonathan Tah made a mistake on the 2nd conceded goal, and Oliver Baumann couldn’t make a single save. Still, for a system at the national team level, Nagelsmann has concocted something beastly. There are so many offensive modes, so many tiny little moving parts. Kimmich alone plays three different positions at the same time.

It would be worth scaling back the complexity and focusing more on directness. Germany did just that after the subs, as Joshua Kimmich practiced more positional discipline — perhaps to help Lennart Karl who lacks the defensive work rate of Leroy Sané. Gnabry went back to the left and Woltemade acted as a more traditional #9, leading to more directness and overall better play.

Going forward, that is the archetype Germany should target. Nagelsmann cannot afford to overthink it.

Florian Wirtz is the first name on the team sheet

Arne Slot must be the worst manager in the world, because there is no way Liverpool FC can be struggling with Florian Wirtz in their team.

Two goals and two assists were just the highlights of a superlative performance, one that saw Wirtz making crisp one-touch passes and smooth interplay with teammates he sees once every few months. His positioning as an attacking midfielder was near perfect, always ready to pop up where the defense is most vulnerable. As for his shooting — well, the replays speak for themselves.

In short, he showed all the qualities that made Liverpool dump so much money on him last summer, making Bayern Munich so upset in the process. Wirtz is a generational talent, and the fact he isn’t performing at club level says more about the club than it does about him.

Should’ve gone to Bayern, eh?

Nagelsmann must dump underperforming veterans

Germany has seen enough of Kai Havertz. Arsenal may get some use out of him, but he is too slow and not clinical enough for the system Nagelsmann wants his team to play.

When Havertz gets the ball, play slows down around him. His touch is average, and he takes too long to release the ball. He is not built for fast, free flowing football. Nick Woltemade, for all his struggles at Newcastle, looked a far better fit after coming on.

Woltemade was not perfect, but he showed genuine holdup play and linked better with his teammates. Neither he nor Havertz finished their chances, which is an issue — but there’s always Deniz Undav waiting on the bench. Nagelsmann has options if he wants to explore them.

Speaking of options, Leroy Sané can no longer be considered one. He was invisible during his time on the pitch. Not bad, like Havertz — but invisible. A complete non-entity, like playing with ten men. When he came off for Lennart Karl, the German right wing got a tremendous injection of skill and energy which radiated to the rest of the squad. It was like a switch was flipped. Suddenly, the right wing went from stagnant to lethal in a single substitution.

Rounding out this section is the goalkeeper. Oliver Baumann did not cover himself in glory on the night. A few of the Swiss goals were eminently saveable. As for general distribution and sweeper-keeper duties, he was uncertain and mediocre. With Jonas Urbig waiting in the wings, Nagelsmann should not hesitate to upgrade for the World Cup. A sniper like Urbig would elevate Germany’s game to another level.

Miscellaneous observations:

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