Klopp faces dilemma: Kimmich and Nmecha in midfield
In Frankfurt's training centre, Jürgen Klopp watches Joshua Kimmich and Felix Nmecha test the new midfield concept – a dilemma that already occupies the new national team coach before his official start. While the players exchange ideas on the small pitch, Klopp looks for clear answers on how the centre should operate in the future.
Klopp experiments with all players
Klopp repeatedly emphasizes that he wants to experiment a lot and first get to know all the players himself before making firm decisions. So far he has made only a few personnel statements, but he has made a clear announcement regarding Kimmich. The clear statement is that Kimmich will return from the right‑back position to the central midfield and will remain captain.
Kimmich as the heart of the national team
The 31‑year‑old Joshua Kimmich is considered by the national team coach not only as a footballer but also as a person the heart of the national team. After his return to the centre, he is expected to take on the central defensive‑midfield role and tactically stabilise the team. Klopp sees him as the future anchor, while the other players still have to find their roles.
Asymmetrical 4‑3‑3 in action
In the first two matches under Klopp, the national side abandoned the usual 4‑2‑3‑1 and instead deployed a slightly asymmetrical 4‑3‑3. Kimmich occupied the central defensive‑midfield position, Felix Nmecha operated slightly offset on the right, while the left attacking position was originally intended for Jamal Musiala. Musiala was injured during warm‑up, so Nadiem Amiri came on and debutant Bambase Conte started against Greece.
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In possession the system worked well in phases: Kimmich acted as a deep strategist, Nmecha as a box‑to‑box player and the third element rotated between Amiri and Conte. Against Greece, Kimmich recorded an impressive 152 ball actions, combined clever passes and, despite occasional lapses of concentration, displayed his football intelligence.
Felix Nmecha provided reliable forward runs in the two matches, but was criticised for being weak in duels for the ball. Klopp already recalled the World Cup, where he said that Nmecha must improve, otherwise a better ball‑player would be placed opposite him later. The defensive coordination between Nmecha and Kimmich was also unconvincing in the first games.
At club level the situation looks different: Nmecha plays in central midfield for Borussia Dortmund, backed up there by new signing Joey Veerman and a 3‑4‑3 system with three centre‑backs, which gives him more cover. Kimmich, on the other hand, forms a functional double‑pivot at FC Bayern in a 4‑2‑3‑1 system together with Aleksandar Pavlovic, with Pavlovic acting strategically smarter in passing and duels.
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The central dilemma for the DFB remains whether Kimmich, Nmecha and Pavlovic can play together. For that, Klopp would have to either deviate from his apparently firmly set 4‑3‑3 or position the two midfielders differently, raising the question of how quickly the combination can work smoothly in the national team. At the same time, it would be risky to ignore Nmecha’s offensive drive, as he is currently one of the few goal‑threatening players in the squad.