When asked about the quality of the interaction between Joshua Kimmich and Felix Nmecha in the center of the national football team, Jürgen Klopp responded with an unusual comparison. After the false start in the Nations League, the national coach energetically demanded time for his players to get used to the guidelines and the new tactics under his leadership.
«When you put together a ballet, not that we are a ballet, but when you put one together and after four days they have to perform, they run over each other. We didn't do that, just to make that clear," said the national coach before the third international match under his leadership against Serbia in the evening (8.45 p.m./ZDF) in Munich.
Klopp did not want to accept criticism of Kimmich and Nmecha, who were no longer in the squad for the Serbia game as planned. “If we had a perfectly functioning double six, we still wouldn't have a chance if the rest of the outside didn't work. “You can’t plow the field alone, so to speak,” said Klopp.
After the 0-1 loss against Greece, there was criticism of the central midfielders. Nmecha had avoided the duel before conceding the goal, and Kimmich had an unfortunate deflection of the ball. In fact, neither of them act as a classic double six in Klopp's 4-3-3 system. Kimmich is in a much more defensive position, Nmecha acts in front of it.
No hasty judgment
In general, Klopp warned against evaluating the national players too quickly during the new beginning after the World Cup disappointment, while he was still being given public credit as the new national coach.
“I've been in football for 25 years and after five days I've never had a double six work in my entire life. That's not possible, it has nothing to do with the boys, zero," said Klopp. “Patience in the process also means that we don’t evaluate players immediately,” demanded the 59-year-old.
Just because the development of the national team attracts so much public interest, i.e. takes place “under a magnifying glass,” this would not accelerate the process. He himself has a plan for when progress must be visible. “There are a few things that every player absolutely needs to have on their hard drive in the foreseeable future in order to have a happy future in this team,” said Klopp. But we are still a long way from that point.
Klopp wants to cause problems for opponents
The DFB team must concentrate on their own progress. “It really doesn’t matter, it really doesn’t matter what the others are doing. We will build a team that can cause problems for everyone else. And that's the beginning," Klopp said in his minute-long answer.
In addition, the Netherlands (1:1) and Greece (0:1) have already caused problems even without a win. But: “The results are disturbing, but it’s only for a moment and then it’s gone again,” said Klopp. When it comes to the ballet, you look at it again six months later and “then you say, it’s wonderful.”
