Our main problem in the national team is Kimmich.
If you let Kimmich play then you have to line him up in the dam but not as a RV. Because he is always drawn to the center, which then leads to the right side being open.
Therefore, a solution has to be found in DM Kimmich and on the right. Josha Vagnoman or Ridle Baku.
Alternatively, you can use a 3 chain with Schlotterbeck, Tah and Anton.
Kimmich plays exactly the way he is supposed to, and there is little he can do about it. Nagelsmann’s default is 3-1-4-2 on offense
Havertz-Gnabry
Space – Wirtz – goretzka – sane
Kimmich
Schlotterbeck – quieter – Tah
Kimmich should then build up the game as a 6-man, widen the game and Goretzka create danger in and around the penalty area. Yes, Kimmich is also more offensive as an RV, but the reason why the side is so open is not him, but Nagelsmann’s instructions
Stiller is completely miscast in this “system”. It makes no sense that he has to play like that, he never does it at VfB – every attack in the center goes through him.
Who ever plays it like that in a club, where an RV tips in during the build-up game and condenses the center?
This is also something that pisses me off. I get the feeling that JN has his system and tries to squeeze the players into it, whether they fit or not doesn’t matter. But I think the national team in particular needs a variable coach who can tailor a system to the existing player material
It is remarkable how error-prone some of Nagelsmann’s assessments are. Please don’t get me wrong: I think very highly of Baumann. However, the timing of his promotion is simply inappropriate.
In terms of performance, he should have been the clear number 1 at the European Championships. Instead, they went into the tournament with Neuer – despite hardly any match practice and an overall very weak season, also statistically. At that time, many people called for ter Stegen, but that wouldn’t have been a good solution either, as he hadn’t had a convincing season either. Baumann is completely different: He was at the top level in the Bundesliga for years and, statistically speaking, even completed the best season of his career. He was also by far the best German keeper according to data.
But the truth is that Neuer showed an outstanding performance at the European Championships that bore no relation to his weak season – true to the motto: gambled big, won big.
Interestingly, we now have a similar situation with Ter Stegen: hardly any match practice, injured before the tournament, probably only fit again shortly before. However, unlike Neuer 2024, he does not receive any special treatment. I don’t demand this either – but the different treatment is noticeable and should at least be mentioned.
Now Baumann has the chance to be number 1. Does that make sense? In my opinion not. Why? The last two seasons were the weakest of his career. That doesn’t make him a bad goalkeeper – but at the moment he doesn’t belong in the DFB goal purely in terms of performance. 2024 would have been the right time, not now.
The fact that some people are now even calling for Neuer to return is hard to beat in terms of absurdity. Statistically speaking, he is one of the weakest keepers in the Bundesliga – only Santos and Ramaj perform worse. The situation was similar in 2024, and one could argue that he is outgrowing himself again. Personally, however, this risk would be too great for me.
Even under Löw, it was difficult to understand why Ter Stegen didn’t play when he performed better than Neuer. This pattern continues under Nagelsmann: several decisions simply seem illogical. Especially because the argument of being well-coordinated in this position is hardly valid and practically all candidates are at least solid with their feet.
If you look at the situation purely statistically, Nübel and Nicolas would currently have to compete for number 1. Nübel has a slight advantage, but overall he is on a very similar level to Nicolas – an open duel would be absolutely justified here.
Casting number 3 is more complicated. There is initially a gap behind the two, followed by a dense field of goalkeepers of a similar level. This is exactly where the next inconsistency becomes apparent: Urbig was originally nominated for the test games. One might assume that they wanted to test a young, in-form keeper – but that’s not convincing. In this case, Backhaus should have been nominated: younger, statistically stronger and with significantly more playing minutes. Atubolu also has more playing time and better stats than Urbig. There are no worlds between these three, but choosing the one that has played by far the least and has the weakest data makes no sense.
If playing time really doesn’t matter, Blaswich should be the clear number 1, followed by Batz. This clearly shows that media perception and statistical performance often diverge – and not just in this position. (All data comes from WhoScored and FBref.)
Finally, there is one more important point to mention: a reliable penalty killer is crucial for a tournament. Neither Nübel, Baumann, Nicolas, Backhaus, Blaswich nor Urbig were able to distinguish themselves in this area this season. Atubolu, on the other hand, made a name for himself right here. That means: He has to enter the tournament as a penalty specialist and young number 3. As number 2, his stats are probably too bad, but more on that later. That would mean Backhaus and Urbig are out of the running.
Places 1 and 2 remain contested. If you follow the statistical reasoning and compare Nicolas with Nübel, it becomes clear: Nicolas has disadvantages in terms of international experience (Champions League, Europa League) and in terms of the load in a three-day rhythm. Nübel has clear advantages here. Batz and Blaswich, on the other hand, lack the necessary minutes of play, while the other candidates are clearly behind Nübel in terms of performance.
Overall, Nübel should be number 1, Atubolu number 3 and a penalty specialist. The number 2 remains a question of philosophy: Do you rely on a classic regular goalkeeper, on another young talent, on a statistically strong goalkeeper with little playing time, on an experienced goalkeeper with weaker stats but a lot of practice – or on a specialist for the role of number 2?
Ortega is often mentioned in this context. However, it has also decreased significantly in the last two years, which is why a different solution would make sense with this strategy.
Our main problem in the national team is Kimmich.
If you let Kimmich play then you have to line him up in the dam but not as a RV. Because he is always drawn to the center, which then leads to the right side being open.
Therefore, a solution has to be found in the DM Kimmich and on the right. Josha Vagnoman or Ridle Baku.
Alternatively, you can use a 3 chain with Schlotterbeck, Tah and Anton.
Kimmich plays exactly the way he is supposed to, and there is little he can do about it. Nagelsmann’s default is 3-1-4-2 on offense
Havertz-Gnabry
Space – Wirtz – goretzka – sane
Kimmich
Schlotterbeck – quieter – Tah
Kimmich should then build up the game as a 6-man, widen the game and Goretzka create danger in and around the penalty area. Yes, Kimmich is also more offensive as an RV, but the reason why the side is so open is not him, but Nagelsmann’s instructions
Stiller is completely miscast in this “system”. It makes no sense that he has to play like that, he never does it at VfB – every attack in the center goes through him.
Who ever plays it like that in a club, where an RV tips in during the build-up game and condenses the center?
