Germany national team | 21 players scored on Jürgen Klopp’s mid-term report card

Germany national team | 21 players scored on Jürgen Klopp’s mid-term report card Germany’s first international window under Jürgen Klopp is halfway complete. The first of the new Bundestrainer’s two radically different squads has packed its bags after collecting just one point from six available in the opening two fixtures of the 2026/27 UEFA Nations League. A 1-1 draw against Xavi Hernandez’s Netherlands in Amsterdam and an excruciatingly poor 0-1 loss against Greece on Sunday night in Augsburg obviously left…well…to say that the two matches left much to be desired would be an unbearable understatement. Footballing enthusiasts across the Bundesrepublik – including this once enthusiastic Get German Football News commentator – are left in unbearable pain. Can there be some positives to extrapolate from these two performances? Germans find themselves presented with little choice. Klopp’s decision to dilute quality across the two squads suddenly looks like the most boneheaded move employed in German football in quite some time…and that’s saying a lot. This author must do his level best to scour for the pearls. It’s once again “report card time”. As has always been the case here at GGFN , we’ll supply cumulative grades for all German national team players who logged at least 25 minutes of action across these first two Klopp fixtures. Twenty-one German footballers are scored below, ranked from highest to lowest. Serge Gnabry – whose 24 minutes contained one of the most consequential German actions of the window – constitutes the lone exception to the minutes threshold. The “Cumulative German Press Grade” incorporates available numerical match ratings from Kicker and other major German-language press sources, with only outlets that issued an individual numerical mark for the player included in the average. The author naturally reserves the right to disagree with the consensus. Four players make the A-level “winners” cohort. Two more fall into the D-level “losers” bracket. Most of Klopp’s first experimental squad lands somewhere in the broad and rather appropriate middle…and that’s the author doing his level best to be nice and appreciative. Philipp Treu, SC Freiburg Matches played = 1/2, Matches started = 1/2 Minutes played = 90/180, Positions played = RB Cumulative German Press Grade = 2,0 Author’s Cumulative Grade = A Well then. Let’s begin with the player most enthused about becoming a permanent fixture on this team and signifying the German footballing revival. Did one of Klopp’s 11 courageously nominated “Neulinge” do enough to justify his selection? Absolutely. Anyone opening up a newspaper in the Bundesrepublik last Friday morning discovered that press sources across the country concurred. At least we have this bit of Klopp’s intuition working in our favor. Against the Netherlands, Treu began aggressively, pushed high on the right, remained tactically disciplined once the Dutch pressure increased, and maintained a remarkable degree of clarity throughout the match. Most importantly, he helped manufacture the first goal of the Klopp era. Joshua Kimmich’s quick switch found Treu on the right. The Freiburg defender delivered into the area and, after Karim Adeyemi’s involvement, Felix Nmecha reacted quickest to finish. Treu also continued to advance even after the Netherlands assumed control. He popped up inside the penalty area again during the second half and remained defensively steady against elite opposition. The fact that Josha Vagnoman failed to make nearly as strong a case in the second match only improves Treu’s standing. The 25-year-old lives and embodies the dream. Yann Aurel Bisseck, Inter Milan Matches played = 1/2, Matches started = 1/2 Minutes played = 90/180, Positions played = CB Cumulative German Press Grade = 2,5 Author’s Cumulative Grade = A- One of the more peculiar aspects of Germany’s dreadful loss to Greece was that a central defender making his first international start supplied perhaps the cleanest individual performance. Bisseck announced himself physically almost immediately. The physically imposing Inter professional attacked duels, dominated aerially, and never seemed especially bothered by an early booking. Klopp wanted a look at another central defender and received an answer worth remembering. There were imperfections after the break. Bisseck wasn’t quite as clean once Greece began breaking with greater frequency and his work on the ball could have been quicker. Still, in a match during which so many German players appeared hesitant, he looked refreshingly decisive. Bisseck also supplied Germany’s last meaningful offensive threat with a late header. Even if it never looked like it might approach the target, it was at least something. The national team still has plenty of established center-back candidates. Bisseck nevertheless made the argument that there should be room for one more. Nico Schlotterbeck, Borussia Dortmund Matches played = 1/2, Matches started = 1/2 Minutes played = 90/180, Positions played = CB Cumulative German Press Grade = 2,75 Author’s Cumulative Grade = A- What a difference six months can make. Schlotterbeck exited the March international break as one of this publication’s clear losers after a pair of erratic performances raised legitimate questions about his place in the German defensive hierarchy. Amsterdam furnished a considerably calmer version. We remain firmly in the realm of “pleasant surprises”. The Dortmund defender wasn’t able to showcase all of his vaunted diagonal distribution, but remained stable once the Dutch pressure mounted. He blocked well, dealt with several difficult phases professionally, and avoided the moments of unnecessary adventure that have sometimes sabotaged otherwise excellent performances. Well done. There were still a few loose touches and not nearly enough of those gorgeous switches German football watchers have come to expect from “Schlotti”. No matter. After his messy March window, boring was beautiful. His diagonal passing and set-piece prowess were sorely missed against Greece. Nico’s absence contributed to sore rear ends across the Bundesrepublik. Karim Adeyemi, FC Barcelona Matches played = 2/2, Matches started = 2/2 Minutes played = 156/180, Positions played = RW, LW Cumulative German Press Grade = 3,25 Author’s Cumulative Grade = A- The author takes his first major divergence from the German press. Sure, the finishing needs work. Everything else was encouraging. At least the 24-year-old showed intent. At least SOMEONE showed intent. Adeyemi attacked with the bravado of someone possessing an expensive “knuckle duster”. He was undoubtedly Germany’s most consistently dangerous attacker across the two fixtures. He ran relentlessly, attacked space, pressed hard, tracked back, changed flanks, and repeatedly forced defenders to retreat. Unfortunately, he also left several goals on the pitch. Nathaniel Brown’s excellent work in Amsterdam presented Adeyemi with a golden opportunity to make it 2-0. The finish sailed over. Against Greece, he used his pace to burst clear again before sending another attempt over and later forced Konstantinos Tzolakis into a strong save. One senses the criticism writing itself: lots of running, no goals. That would nevertheless undersell what Adeyemi provided. Very few other German attackers managed to stretch either opponent. Against Greece in particular, he appeared to be the only player capable of introducing chaos into a painfully static match. Germany needs greater efficiency from him. Germany also clearly needs him. Marc-André ter Stegen, Ajax Matches played = 1/2, Matches started = 1/2 Minutes played = 90/180, Positions played = GK Cumulative German Press Grade = 3,0 Author’s Cumulative Grade = B+ Hmm. How does one accord marks to a goalkeeper who repeatedly creates his own problems and then repeatedly solves them? Ter Stegen’s return to the German goal in his new home stadium certainly wasn’t dull. His distribution looked strangely uncertain. One horrific first-half pass went directly to Gakpo. Ter Stegen subsequently had to save the resulting shot himself. There were other shaky moments on crosses and with the ball at his feet. There were also some excellent saves. Denzel Dumfries, Mexx Meerdink and Ruben van Bommel all forced quality stops during the increasingly one-sided second half. Without ter Stegen, Germany almost certainly would not have carried a lead into stoppage time. There was nothing he could do about Gakpo’s eventual volley. A pair of things Klopp most assuredly did right this break were installing ter Stegen as his official No. 1 at the beginning and backing the veteran keeper afterward. Ter Stegen wasn’t convincing enough to settle Germany’s goalkeeper discussion, but one can safely assume that he didn’t add to it. Poor Oliver Baumann should not be expecting a phone call anytime soon. Alexander Nübel, Beşiktaş Matches played = 1/2, Matches started = 1/2 Minutes played = 90/180, Positions played = GK Cumulative German Press Grade = 3,0 Author’s Cumulative Grade = B- Not terribly much to work with here. Such is often the case with keepers. Nübel received the promised start against Greece and spent most of the evening watching Germany circulate the ball seventy meters away from him. One risky first-half pass toward Brown raised the blood pressure a little. Otherwise, the 29-year-old handled what little came his way calmly. Greece’s best chance prior to the goal missed the target altogether. Kourbelis’ winner then took a decisive deflection off Kimmich and left Nübel with virtually no chance. Unlike ter Stegen in Amsterdam, Nübel neither won nor lost points with spectacular interventions. Nübel receives a standard “boring” set of keeper grades. Jonathan Tah, Bayern Munich Matches played = 2/2, Matches started = 2/2 Minutes played = 180/180, Positions played = CB Cumulative German Press Grade = 3,25 Author’s Cumulative Grade = B- The only German center back to start both matches delivered approximately what one expects from him. Tah weathered an awkward opening against Brian Brobbey in Amsterdam before settling into a reasonably authoritative performance. He won important aerial challenges and survived the Netherlands’ second-half pressure without committing a decisive error. The Bayern defender enjoyed a much quieter first half against Greece, only to look somewhat less comfortable once the visitors began attacking space after the break. Tah remains the obvious experienced anchor amid Klopp’s experimentation. There were no spectacular interventions, no catastrophic errors, and not much evidence suggesting his place is under immediate threat. Solid stuff from the former Leverkusen man who once delivered a horrendous 2020 calendar year for both club and country. Always a pleasure to observe that Jona has elevated his game and never really let it slip back down to its previous level. One continues to look forward to many productive DFB years from him and his natural partner Schlotterbeck. Bambasé Conté, TSG Hoffenheim Matches played = 1/2, Matches started = 1/2 Minutes played = 65/180, Positions played = AM, CM Cumulative German Press Grade = 3,75 Author’s Cumulative Grade = B- The author considers the numerical grades highly harsh in this instance. Conté didn’t exactly transform Germany’s attack against Greece, but there was still a lot to like from this one of Klopp’s senior debutants. A future No. 10? In no way, shape, or form. Potentially someone who can threaten from the bench? The author avers as much. Having zero interest in watching Conté play for club, it was fun observing the 23-year-old play for country. Conté took Germany’s first shot after only two minutes. He demonstrated his technical quality in tight spaces, produced a useful delivery for Schade, and began the second half by stealing the ball high before testing Tzolakis. Most importantly, he didn’t look frightened. Klopp spoke beforehand about Conté’s ability to win balls and provide something different between the lines. We saw flashes of both. A debut worth building upon, even if the match around him was ghastly. Kai Havertz, Arsenal Matches played = 1/2, Matches started = 1/2 Minutes played = 30/180, Positions played = LS Cumulative German Press Grade = 3,5 Author’s Cumulative Grade = C+ Very little can fairly be held against Havertz here. The Arsenal attacker was forced off after half an hour in Amsterdam with a muscular problem after previously taking a heavy challenge from Quinten Timber. Prior to that, Havertz hadn’t influenced the match much offensively. He nevertheless dropped intelligently, participated in the press, and offered the sort of connective work Germany later missed. Thirty minutes and a quick departure from camp isn’t enough upon which to draw any serious conclusion. Nathaniel Brown, Bayern Munich Matches played = 2/2, Matches started = 2/2 Minutes played = 174/180, Positions played = LB Cumulative German Press Grade = 3,75 Author’s Cumulative Grade = C+ Virtually the same match twice from our latest potential German-American hero. Brown kept pushing forward, kept showing flashes of serious attacking potential, and kept providing reasons to worry about his defensive work. His best action of the window should have produced an assist. The young fullback surged forward in Amsterdam and served Adeyemi perfectly on the break. Adeyemi missed. Summerville nevertheless caused Brown serious problems in the other direction. Against Greece, Brown again advanced aggressively, occasionally moving into interior spaces and eventually reaching the byline after halftime. There was little tangible product. A crucial late recovery prevented Karetsas from receiving a clear chance during a Greek counter. Brown possesses obvious tools the author sees no need to reiterate. At present, the balance sheet remains rather even. Recognition of his obvious efforts dictates that he be marked above average. Chris Führich, VfB Stuttgart Matches played = 1/2, Matches started = 0/2 Minutes played = 26/180, Positions played = LW Cumulative German Press Grade = 3,5 Author’s Cumulative Grade = C Führich’s return to the national team produced a rather quiet half-hour. The Stuttgart winger replaced Kevin Schade on the left and attempted to bring more directness into a match Germany was increasingly losing control of. There were glimpses. Führich drove down the left late and produced one useful cutback. He also helped work another move from which Treu found space inside the area. There simply wasn’t enough decisiveness. One could still argue that the very fact Führich is back matters. He found himself outside the World Cup squad only a few months ago and now finds Klopp willing to reopen his case. He’ll require more than a cautious cameo next time. Current work for club suggests that the now 28-year-old may receive another shot. Serge Gnabry, Bayern Munich Matches played = 2/2, Matches started = 0/2 Minutes played = 24/180, Positions played = RW Cumulative German Press Grade = N/A Author’s Cumulative Grade = C An exception to the author’s normal 25-minute rule feels warranted here. Twenty-four minutes isn’t much. One of those minutes nevertheless had an enormous effect on Germany’s first match under Klopp. Gnabry entered for Adeyemi in the 80th minute in Amsterdam with a fairly straightforward assignment. Germany led 1-0. The Dutch were pushing. Fresh legs and some experience on the right could potentially help Klopp’s men kill the match. Instead, Gnabry lost possession on the right in stoppage time. Ruben van Bommel immediately accelerated into the space, supplied a superb outside-of-the-foot cross, and Gakpo volleyed home the deserved equalizer. The Bayern attacker received another late opportunity against Greece. There was at least one shot from a difficult angle and another attempt blocked. The author actually liked the intent from Gnabry to spark something in the second match. It would be absurd to condemn an established international on the basis of two brief substitute appearances. It would be equally absurd to ignore the fact that his most consequential contribution directly preceded the concession that cost Germany two points. The author splits the difference. Felix Nmecha, Borussia Dortmund Matches played = 2/2, Matches started = 2/2 Minutes played = 148/180, Positions played = CM Cumulative German Press Grade = 4,0 Author’s Cumulative Grade = C- The author remains fully prepared to receive some flak for being too harsh on Dortmund’s star performer. Nmecha scored the first German goal of the Klopp era. His runs from the right-sided eight position created problems in Amsterdam and his presence gave Germany useful verticality. How can such a milestone land Nmecha in the “C-level” cohort? Ahem. Augsburg. Nmecha still produced occasional switches and progressive passes, but too many attacking decisions went wrong. One second-half sequence summed it up nicely: Adeyemi found him outside the box with better options available and Nmecha elected to shoot. Worse followed defensively. Kourbelis required only a simple change of direction to escape Nmecha at the top of the box before scoring the winner. That missed challenge from the BVB man was the stuff of the “F-Jugend”. Nmecha is lucky to attain “C-Level” after that! Nadiem Amiri, Mainz 05 Matches played = 1/2, Matches started = 1/2 Minutes played = 80/180, Positions played = CM, AM Cumulative German Press Grade = 4,0 Author’s Cumulative Grade = C- Context matters slightly in this case. Amiri learned during the warm-up that Jamal Musiala couldn’t play and suddenly found himself in Klopp’s first starting XI. That is not an easy assignment. The Mainz midfielder remained anonymous for long stretches and found it difficult to influence proceedings once the Dutch began taking control. He also collected a deserved booking for arriving late on Dumfries. There were nevertheless two flashes of the passing quality that earned the recall. Amiri released Brown before the excellent cross Adeyemi should have converted and later threaded Adeyemi into space again. Not enough for a genuinely positive grade. Also nowhere near the disaster some assessments made it out to be. Joshua Kimmich, Bayern Munich Matches played = 2/2, Matches started = 2/2 Minutes played = 180/180, Positions played = DM Cumulative German Press Grade = 3,25 Author’s Cumulative Grade = C- The author is simply furious. Kimmich’s return to central midfield was one of Klopp’s most conspicuous opening decisions. Kimmich himself, despite his laudable tendency to play down the matter comically , remains earnest about his desire to play in midfield for the national team. He possesses neither the right to do so nor the consistent current form to make that case. Germany’s captain performed his deeper organizing role reasonably well in Amsterdam and deserves significant credit for immediately recognizing the opportunity to switch play toward Treu before the opening goal. He remained vocal, involved, and constantly available. Against Greece, however, Germany’s overwhelming possession too often became sterile possession. Kimmich still produced some of the better moments. His pass released Adeyemi for Germany’s clearest first-half opportunity and a direct free-kick nearly found the top corner. Then came the second 45. A dreadful 67th-minute turnover should have handed Greece the lead. Fotis Ioannidis spared him. Seven minutes later, Kimmich suffered the misfortune of deflecting Kourbelis’ shot beyond Nübel. The deflection was bad luck. The giveaway was not. This author doesn’t necessarily want the Kimmich positional debate reignited. That does not mean the first two games proved the case beyond dispute. Kevin Schade, Brentford Matches played = 2/2, Matches started = 2/2 Minutes played = 129/180, Positions played = LW, RW Cumulative German Press Grade = 4,0 Author’s Cumulative Grade = C- The good news first. Schade worked. A lot. Germans like hearing the announcer call Schade’s name, even if it can get a tad confusing when listening to the radio broadcasts while following the television visuals. His pace remained useful, he tracked back diligently, and his defensive commitment was particularly evident against Greece. Schade also generated a handful of promising attacking situations in both matches. The bad news? Very little came of them. The Brentford attacker repeatedly reached spaces from which Germany needed a sharper final pass, cross, or decision. Those moments consistently fizzled. Against Greece he started reasonably well and then virtually disappeared after halftime. One understands perfectly why Klopp wanted Schade in a team built to press and attack quickly. One also understands why his place should remain very much up for competition. We’ve enough wingers. Younes Ebnoutalib, Eintracht Frankfurt Matches played = 2/2, Matches started = 1/2 Minutes played = 150/180, Positions played = LS Cumulative German Press Grade = 4,0 Author’s Cumulative Grade = C- A great story unsurprisingly produced less of a grand tale on the pitch. To his credit, Ebnoutalib’s performance against the Dutch wasn’t half bad. Thrown unexpectedly into the Amsterdam match after Havertz’s injury, Ebnoutalib immediately looked fearless. He produced a shot within moments, battled physically, participated in the press, and generally supplied useful energy against Virgil van Dijk and company. Klopp rewarded him with a start against Greece. That didn’t go nearly as well. Former Bundesliga defender Konstantinos Mavropanos controlled the duel almost completely. Ebnoutalib struggled to secure the ball with his back to goal, rarely escaped the Greek center backs, and failed to give Germany the central presence needed against the deep block. His legs failed him rather embarrassingly on several occasions when stretching for the ball. The Frankfurt striker still deserves credit for an encouraging debut cameo. His first start served as a reminder of how enormous the jump to senior international football can be. Florian Wirtz, Liverpool Matches played = 1/2, Matches started = 0/2 Minutes played = 25/180, Positions played = AM Cumulative German Press Grade = 4,0 Author’s Cumulative Grade = C- The player who topped our March report card finds himself considerably further down this one. Wirtz only played the final 25 minutes against Greece, so assigning too much significance to the cameo would be silly. Klopp nevertheless brought him in for precisely the problem Germany could not solve: unlock a deep defense. He didn’t. Wirtz tried to accelerate combinations and search for vertical passes, but the match remained every bit as stale as before. One late attempt from a promising position sailed badly wide and his final through-ball of the evening ran harmlessly beyond its intended target. Twenty-five poor minutes do not suddenly make Wirtz a poor footballer. They do underscore how comprehensively Greece shut Germany down. One did witness Wirtz looking for useful lanes prior to every touch. It’s fair to fully anticipate that – with his timing in full sync – the German phenom will be back on top when it comes time to dole out the final grades. Jonathan Burkardt, Eintracht Frankfurt Matches played = 1/2, Matches started = 0/2 Minutes played = 25/180, Positions played = LS Cumulative German Press Grade = 4,25 Author’s Cumulative Grade = C- Burkardt arrived early from Klopp’s second squad following Germany’s injury problems and was asked to help rescue the Greece match. Nothing doing. The Frankfurt forward worked hard and remained disciplined, but barely touched the ball. Germany’s inability to move the Greek block meant that adding another striker did little beyond adding another striker who couldn’t receive useful service. One cannot reasonably hammer Burkardt for failing to fix a collective problem in 25 minutes. One also cannot point to much of anything he did. Moving right along. Josha Vagnoman, VfB Stuttgart Matches played = 1/2, Matches started = 1/2 Minutes played = 90/180, Positions played = RB Cumulative German Press Grade = 4,25 Author’s Cumulative Grade = D This constitutes a highly frustrating disappointment. Vagnoman’s club resurgence earned him another national-team opportunity. He didn’t take it. The Stuttgart fullback entered the Greece match with genuine momentum after emerging as one of Sebastian Hoeneß’ most productive wide players during the opening weeks of the season. Very little of that attacking force translated to Augsburg. Vagnoman covered ground and handled a few early situations well, but offered almost nothing going forward. His confidence also appeared to erode as the match progressed. The decisive scene hurt most. Tzolis attacked him before cutting the ball back for Kourbelis’ winner. Nmecha’s poor defending and Kimmich’s unfortunate deflection were more obvious errors, but Vagnoman had been too passive at the beginning of the sequence. Particularly unfortunate for him was what happened three days earlier. Treu had just delivered an excellent debut in the same position. Vagnoman came into the window seeking to strengthen his national-team case. He leaves with huge question marks as to whether he’ll be making it back in November. Anton Stach, Leeds United Matches played = 2/2, Matches started = 0/2 Minutes played = 32/180, Positions played = CM Cumulative German Press Grade = 4,5 Author’s Cumulative Grade = D Two substitute appearances. No positive impact. Stach replaced Nmecha after 64 minutes in Amsterdam and Germany immediately lost some of the midfield presence that had helped sustain the lead. The Leeds professional struggled to establish himself on the ball and couldn’t provide the defensive calm Klopp presumably sought. His six-minute cameo against Greece naturally offered little opportunity to alter the impression. This particular audition clearly didn’t work. It might be time to start questioning whether these call-ups should continue. Evidence that he can make the leap to the higher level remains scant. The author – while possessing plenty of respect for the now 27-year-old’s fight and physicality – wasn’t entirely convinced of Nagelsmann’s opinion reversal in the first place. Two additional players logged too few minutes to warrant serious assessment. Yannik Engelhardt and Hennes Behrens both celebrated senior international debuts too late in their respective matches to receive cumulative grades. In truth, both players should count themselves lucky that the author opted not to read too much into what little action they did see, as it was manifestly clear that neither footballer was really ready for this level. The first Klopp squad ultimately leaves behind one point, several intriguing debuts, and significantly more questions than answers. There were signs in Amsterdam that the new coach can quickly inject the intensity, verticality, and collective pressing associated with his best teams. Augsburg then provided the necessary reality check. Germany still has to learn how to control strong opponents without retreating. Is it time to press the panic button? Of course not. Halfway through this novel XXL Länderspielpause, the conclusion much of the German public seems to be reaching is that we’re actually looking forward to the November international break. Some explanation is in order, as that sentence may never actually have been written before. We just want to see the regular 26-man squad at this point. No more dilution! The second half of Klopp’s enormous 44-player experiment now begins with a largely different group. After the first two matches, plenty of jobs remain available. GGFN  |  Peter Weis