Germany falling short in two key positions

IF YOU ask me the two most important positions on a football field, I would probably say a defensive midfielder and a centre-forward – and Germany have neither.

Under Hansi Flick we have improved from the side who failed at last summer’s Euros and we went on a decent winning run against largely limited opposition.

But this year has been tougher. I’m not a big fan of the Nations League but it provides games against better opponents so it has some merit – but we aren’t winning many of them.

So results have picked up but issues still remain, our biggest being that Joshua Kimmich will be in the number six role and it’s not his best position. He’s not a defensively-minded midfielder and it’s why Bayern Munich are open at times. It’s also why the national team are open at times too.

We can get away with it against Japan and Costa Rica but not Spain or Brazil.

And then up front we look light in the number nine role, where Kai Havertz will start in the first game.

Timo Werner is now no longer an option because of injury and while we have a lot of exciting wingers, we are struggling for strikers.

Niclas Fullkrug is going well at Werder Bremen but he’s an option off the bench for ten or 15 minutes at best.

So are they are a better side than 15 months ago? Yes. But can they go all the way? Probably not.

If you look at Flick’s likely set-up, it will be Kimmich and Leon Goretzka in midfield behind a trio of their Bayern Munich teammates in Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala and Serge Gnabry. As it stands there’s no place for Thomas Muller in there. And then Havertz at the top.

Is that enough firepower to beat the best teams? I’m not so sure.

Interestingly, while I do like Spain I’m not sure their options in attack are the best and also their younger players may find the rigours of a World Cup hard.hard

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