The Bundestrainer was asked about how he plans to set up the midfield in the summer, whether Joshua Kimmich will be played in the middle or as a right back, and the current options to play in centre-midfield. On Germany’s midfield, Nagelsmann said:
“We need a slightly different profile for the more attacking role, but one of them definitely has a good chance of playing. Pavlo is incredibly consistent, almost always playing at the same level. Felix has more dips in form, but also some truly exceptional moments. He has incredibly impressive physical attributes: he’s brutally fast, tall, super agile, one of the few midfielders who can do the splits while standing still. His performance still lacks consistency; he needs to smooth out those fluctuations. Pavlo always plays the same game. That sounds negative, but it’s meant very positively. Because for a coach, it’s not a bad thing to be able to rely on a certain level of dependability.”
“We’re really missing a truly stable, combative defensive midfielder in Germany – especially in the air. I’ve watched a lot of games from various candidates for the number six position. But we hardly have that profile, someone who can really clear tackles in the air and brings a certain physicality to the game. They’re all very similar types of players: Pascal Groß, Angelo Stiller, Pavlovic, Nmecha, even Robert Andrich – they all want the ball. They always need a partner next to them to coordinate with. This also applies to Joshua Kimmich, by the way. One drops back, the other stays in the number six position, then the other drops back, then one stays in the number six position. I actually have eleven number sixes on my list. All world-class footballers, but all with a similar basic structure.”
When asked what his solution is to this, Nagelsmann revealed that he will play Bayern’s Goretzka as a number six:
“As things stand, Leon Goretzka, despite less playing time at Bayern, will have a good chance of playing and having a similar role to the one he played in the World Cup qualifiers. Because he’s someone who gets into the penalty area, is strong in the air, and brings good power to the game. Just think of the match against Northern Ireland: if he hadn’t played, we certainly wouldn’t have won, because he headed away 60 balls. There will also be moments at the World Cup when we press high and the opponent plays long balls.”
Considering that Goretzka is not a first-choice player for Bayern, it is a questionable decision by Nagelsmann to publicly state that he will likely play for the national team in the summer.
There are currently a wealth of German midfielders who would be better fitted to partner Aleksander Pavlovic in the midfield in the summer. Angelo Stiller has been in great form for Stuttgart, as has Felix Nmecha, while the biggest talking point has been Anton Stach.
