Germany head coach Jürgen Klopp has acknowledged that his team are still some distance from their desired level after beginning their UEFA Nations League campaign with a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands in Amsterdam. The former Liverpool manager, making his competitive debut in charge of Germany, praised the players for……
Germany head coach Jürgen Klopp has acknowledged that his team are still some distance from their desired level after beginning their UEFA Nations League campaign with a 1-1 draw against the Netherlands in Amsterdam.
The former Liverpool manager, making his competitive debut in charge of Germany, praised the players for their effort and intensity but admitted that they struggled to impose themselves once the Netherlands took control of the game.
“The intensity, commitment and work rate were good. The quality of our football was good as well. When the Dutch became more dominant, we didn’t play enough football. That’s how we found ourselves under pressure.
“We would’ve liked to have won, but I don’t think their equaliser was undeserved. We weren’t on the way to perfection just yet. There’s still plenty of room for improvement,” Klopp said in a statement published on the Germany Football Association’s website on Friday.
Klopp also pointed to Germany’s missed opportunities, particularly during counter-attacking situations, while stressing that his tactical ideas will require time before becoming fully established within the squad.
“We created plenty of chances on the counter-attack and we should have made it 2-0 before half time. When things aren’t quite clicking just yet, you have to fight. We did that. But we can most definitely play better football.
“The way we want to play isn’t going to be completely second-nature just yet. We need time for our style of play, particularly without the ball, to become more instinctive. The tactical understanding isn’t quite there yet. But there were plenty of positives that I can work with.”
Despite identifying several weaknesses, Klopp said he was satisfied with aspects of Germany’s display and highlighted the competitiveness of the encounter.
“You saw two good football teams in the same situation. Both sides wanted to prove that they aren’t as bad as they’re being made out to be, and you could see that in the game. We played well in the first ten minutes of the game. Then, we had ten minutes where we experienced problems because we couldn’t deal with things.
“If the system isn’t in place – and by that I don’t even mean tactically, but in general – if things aren’t fully worked out yet, then there comes a point in time where you have to fight hard to win tackles. I was very happy with several individual performances and was generally very happy with the performance. We can play better football and play more football. We shot ourselves in the foot on occasion when it came to second balls. It was a tiring game for both sides.”
Germany captain Joshua Kimmich also acknowledged the intensity of the match while pointing to the team’s positive spells, particularly in the opening stages.
“It was an intense game where not everything went perfectly, but a lot felt good out there on the pitch, especially at the start of the game. After we went 1-0 up, we had another huge chance.
“The focus over the past few days has been on the defence. In the second half, we concentrated on playing deeper, but at the same time finding a basic structure of how we want to play off the ball. All in all, a draw is a fair result.”
Defender Jonathan Tah described the result as a useful starting point despite Germany’s desire to take all three points.
“We would have liked to have won the game. There were chances for both sides, but when you’re in front, you want to get it over the line. I think that it’s a good first step for us. The game was really intense. It wasn’t all perfect off and on the ball, but it’s not about that. It’s all about showing that there’s a different side to us.”
Philipp Treu, meanwhile, said Germany’s initial approach of pressing aggressively and taking the game to the Netherlands had worked before the hosts grew into the contest.
“At the outset, we wanted to attack, put pressure on them, be tough in the tackle and to play football with power. It worked well at the beginning of the game. We also had some great moments on the counter, when I think about Karim Adeyemi’s chance.
“In my opinion, it was too passive at the back, even in a deep block, but the Netherlands are also a well-drilled attacking side. Everyone gave it their all. It should give us a boost over the coming weeks – that’s exactly how we’ve got to play.”
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