A little more than three months before the start of the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico (June 11th to July 19th), speculation and discussions are increasing as to who national coach Julian Nagelsmann should name in the German national soccer team’s World Cup squad. The center forward position is currently considered the biggest problem area. Record national player Lothar Matthäus brings a new idea to the table on this issue.
National coach Nagelsmann himself admitted in the “kicker” interview that the current condition of the supposed top German strikers was giving him a headache: “This is at least a construction site that we have to close,” said the 38-year-old, considering that Nick Woltemade (Newcastle United) and Niclas Füllkrug (AC Milan) have not been in good form recently and other alternatives such as Tim Kleindienst (Borussia Mönchengladbach) and Kai Havertz (Arsenal FC) are injured or not are 100% fit.
Against this background, former world champion Lothar Matthäus suggests a completely different variant: “The center forward position isn’t just a concern for Nagelsmann at the moment. If this situation in the attack doesn’t change between now and the World Cup, one option would be to switch to a system with a hidden nine,” the 64-year-old was quoted in “Bild”.
In recent years there have been occasional formations like this without a classic center forward. The so-called false nine was worn by, for example, Mario Götze, Thomas Müller and Kai Havertz.
Serge Gnabry and Deniz Undav as False Nine?
For the upcoming World Cup, TV expert Lothar Matthäus sees other personnel as preferred alternatives for this role: “In fact, I see Serge Gnabry as a good solution. He is also planned as a backup for Harry Kane at Bayern. His challenger would then be Deniz Undav. Just as he sometimes represents Demirovic at the top at Stuttgart, Undav could also do the same at the DFB.”
Both Serge Gnabry at FC Bayern and Deniz Undav at VfB Stuttgart are having a very strong Bundesliga season. Gnabry does not have a regular place under head coach Vincent Kompany, but in his 1077 minutes of action in the current Bundesliga season he has a strong twelve direct goal contributions.
The 30-year-old has had a top rating in the DFB uniform for years, as Gnabry has already scored 25 goals in 57 senior international matches.
