Joshua Kimmich calls for immediate improvement as Germany struggle to adapt to Jurgen Klopp's tactics in shock defeat against Greece
Kimmich assesses Germany's transition era
Kimmich was blunt in his assessment of the national team's current standing following a historic 1-0 loss to Greeceat the WWK Arena. In a match that was intended to showcase the progress made under Klopp, Die Mannschaft instead looked disjointed and lacked the creative spark necessary to break down a resilient opponent. The Bayern Munich star acknowledged that the transition to a new tactical era is proving difficult, but he maintained that the squad must take responsibility for their lack of cutting edge in the final third.
The veteran midfielder emphasized that the squad is still in the early stages of a significant overhaul. "We need to improve in every area. We need to understand the coach's ideas even better. I think what he's suggesting is very good and will help us. Now it's up to us to implement it. He's very clear about what he wants," Kimmich told ARD.
Tactical struggles and creative deficits
Despite the high expectations surrounding Klopp’s home debut, the national team looked disjointed and lacked the clinical edge required to break down a stubborn defensive unit. Joshua The match was settled by a deflected effort from Dimitrios Kourbelis that left Alexander Nubel with no chance, an incident Kimmich described as particularly unfortunate given he was the one who inadvertently diverted the shot.
"It certainly wasn't a good performance from us. It's unfortunate that we lost it late on, I don't think that was necessary. We didn't create many scoring opportunities and struggled against their deep defensive line. The goalkeeper also made one or two good saves. With a bit of luck, we could have scored, but overall, we were too static and lacked creativity. We didn't move enough and didn't come up with enough ideas. A 0-0 draw would have been deserved, so losing it is very unfortunate," Kimmich explained.
Differentiating from the Nagelsmann era
While the struggles against a deep-lying defence sparked memories of the disappointing World Cup exit under Julian Nagelsmann, Kimmich was quick to dismiss suggestions that the team is repeating old mistakes. He argued that the underlying philosophy being implemented by Klopp is fundamentally different, even if the scoreboard didn't reflect progress on this occasion. The captain is adamant that the current structure provides a better foundation for growth, despite the lack of immediate results in the Nations League.
"I wouldn't say that. It's a different way of playing. I don't think we had that many turnovers and got caught on the counter-attack that often. The opponent sat very deep and relied more on long balls. Nevertheless, we weren't creative enough as a team going forward."
Kimmich faces forced absence
Kimmich will not be part of the squad for the upcoming fixtures against Serbia and the return leg in Greece. The captain is leaving the national team camp as Klopp looks to rotate his options and evaluate other members of the talent pool. His absence will leave a leadership void that other senior players must fill as the DFB looks to bounce back from the Greek disappointment. Kimmich's focus will now shift back to domestic duties while his international teammates attempt to secure the first win of the Klopp era without him.
