“Perhaps it was all a bit too much”: Is Julian Nagelsmann partly to blame for Deniz Undav’s creative crisis at VfB Stuttgart?
After a somewhat unfortunate start to the new season, Deniz Undav is missing from Jürgen Klopp’s first Germany squad. Lothar Matthäus believes Julian Nagelsmann shares some of the blame for the VfB Stuttgart striker’s creative crisis.
"Three goals, two assists - of course he was one of the few World Cup bright spots in the Germany team. At the moment things are not going quite so smoothly for him, not only with the goals and the assists, but he is less involved in the game, contributes less in the game. That's not down to the team, that's also down to him," the record international told RTL/Sky on the sidelines of the Europa League broadcast and stressed: "And perhaps it was all a bit much for Deniz in recent months."
Matthäus continued: "This drama with Julian Nagelsmann over months before the World Cup, became an international, immediately scored goals at the World Cup, rightly hyped to the skies. Afterwards captain, the best contract ever signed in Stuttgart. It does do something to your head and perhaps then you let one or two per cent slip here or there." He added that had "perhaps then also been missing in the first games".
Undav has indeed had an eventful spell. Although he finished last season as the top German goalscorer with 25 goals and 14 assists, there had already been debate in the weeks and months before the World Cup over whether he would secure a regular place under Nagelsmann at the World Cup. What followed were controversial statements from the coach, an apology at the urging of his wife Lena and a forgettable World Cup in which Undav was one of the few bright spots. He then extended his deal with the Swabians until 2029 on club-internal terms never seen before and shortly before the start of the season received the captain's armband from Atakan Karazor.
Why did Jürgen Klopp not nominate Deniz Undav?
Klopp also explained the omission in his XXL call-up, which includes 44 players and was split into two squads. "I spoke with Deniz. He has his little problems and has not yet found his way into the season. I wanted to decide on four strikers and for the moment I opted for the others," he said. The nod went to Younes Ebnoutalib, Jonathan Burkardt (both Eintracht Frankfurt), Nick Woltemade (Juventus Turin) and Kai Havertz (Arsenal FC).
VfB coach Sebastian Hoeneß also pointed to Undav's "niggles". Even so, he made it clear that the 30-year-old "can play better, he knows that too". Nevertheless, it was only "a question of time" until Undav hit top form and would therefore come back into consideration for the national team: "He will very quickly be back in focus there."
Matthäus struck a similar note. "The way I know him, he will definitely try everything to perhaps be involved in the next internationals, which then take place in November," said the 65-year-old.
