"German men's national team coach Julian Nagelsmann played it close to the vest but offered a hint in his press conference following the September call-ups for World Cup Qualifying. "We'll make some adjustments and have a different structure, both defensively and offensively," Nagelsmann said in comments captured via @iMiaSanMia. "As a classic right-back, I still see Josh as unrivaled, but we'll be interpreting his role differently now.""
"What could that mean? Nagelsmann did not call up a natural right-back - such as VfB Stuttgart's Josha Vagnoman - to replace Kimmich in that spot in the September roster for Germany's upcoming World Cup Qualifying matches. And for Bayern under Vincent Kompany - who has said he does not refer to Germany's matches for inspiration - Kimmich this season has pulled the strings from deep, in positions normally occupied by full-backs anyway."
Germany will adjust defensive and offensive structure to integrate Joshua Kimmich back into midfield, interpreting his role differently than a traditional right-back. The September roster omitted a natural right-back replacement, suggesting a tactical solution that does not rely on a direct like-for-like substitute. At Bayern under Vincent Kompany, Kimmich has operated from deep, orchestrating play in areas usually occupied by full-backs. That club usage points toward a national-team plan that could deploy Kimmich as a deep playmaker or hybrid full-back–midfielder rather than as a conventional right-back. Germany faces Slovakia on September 4 and Northern Ireland on September 7 to reveal the approach in matches.
Read at Bavarian Football Works
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]