Following Germany’s 1-0 loss to Greece, Joshua Kimmich has called for the side to improve in every area.
Germany struggled to break down a deep Greek defence and created few clear chances, leaving captain Kimmich and goalkeeper Alexander Nubel demanding a better performance in their next match.
Nubel, who started in goal in place of Marc-André ter Stegen, was particularly critical of Germany’s attacking display.
“We created one or two chances – all from outside the box. No chances inside the box. That’s not enough,” Nübel said.
“In the end, we simply didn’t create and shoot enough.”
The goalkeeper also pointed to the limited preparation time and the number of new ideas introduced by coach Jurgen Klopp.
“A lot came at us this week, with many ideas and new plans in the game,” Nubel explained.
“We have two more games to show more from ourselves and put in better performances.”
Kimmich agreed that Germany were below their best but felt the final result was harsh.
“It wasn’t a good performance from us. It’s unfortunate that we ended up losing – that wasn’t necessary,” the captain said.
“We struggled against Greece’s deep block, but they didn’t have dozens of chances either. A 0-0 would have been deserved.”
Kimmich also acknowledged that Klopp is trying to introduce a different style from the approach Germany used at the World Cup.
“It’s a different way of playing to how we wanted to play at the World Cup. But we still weren’t creative enough going forward,” he said.
Despite the defeat, Kimmich remains confident that Klopp’s ideas can succeed if Germany improve their understanding and execution.
“We have to improve everywhere. We need to understand the coach’s ideas better and implement them better,” he said.
“He helps us a lot and his ideas are good. It just doesn’t happen overnight.”
Germany will have another opportunity to respond when they face Serbia at the Allianz Arena in Munich on Thursday, October 1.
