After a third consecutive World Cup disappointment, it was clear that Germany needed change.
Not a change, but overarching change — systemic, internal, external, intrinsical…all of it.
Hiring Jürgen Klopp was the first step in the process (assuming it goes through), but how much should the roster be altered? How many veterans should be retained?
Some prominent pundits had ideas on the topic.
”I believe that Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, and Leroy Sané should no longer play a role in the national team. We’ve never progressed beyond the quarterfinals in the last five tournaments and haven’t even reached the round of 16 in the last three World Cups,” Didi Hamann told Abendzeitung (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “Why would things be any different in two years with them still in the team?”
Mario Basler might not be ready to boot Kimmich just yet, but he thinks the end is near for the Bayern Munich star.
“There needs to be a real clean-up. For me, there’s no doubt that four or five players have no business being there anymore, including our captain. Joshua Kimmich should slowly realize that there’s no future for him with the national team. Leroy Sané, Antonio Rüdiger, Pascal Groß, these are players who, in my opinion, have no place in the national team anymore,” Baslet told Sport1. “We need a completely new face of young, hungry players. We don’t need any of the ‘washed-up’ players anymore. Joshua is just too slow. And time doesn’t stand still for him, he’ll only get slower. I think Bayern Munich will also have a problem there in the near future if they keep relying on Joshua at the #6 position. He’s too slow and is weak in duels.”
Finally, Lothar Matthäus went against the grain and supported Kimmich to stuck around with Germany and help lead the transition to a new era.
“Although he didn’t have a great World Cup, I still see Joshua Kimmich as a key figure and captain under the new coach. But he has to play where he needs to be, at the position where he simply has more influence. Jonathan Tah and Nico Schlotterbeck can also become faces of the team,” Matthäus said.
