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Joshua Kimmich
The midfield leader had a heated discussion with assistant coach Zsolt Löw after the defeat in Bochum. Every time he is substituted or comes off the bench, Kimmich seems as if he no longer understands the world. His game has clearly stagnated recently. If he acts as a right central midfielder, he passes the ball in rows towards the right wing with his back to the field. In this respect, it was almost a relief when he was occasionally called up on the half-left over the past twelve months. Because this is the only way Kimmich can be torn out of his classic patterns.
The 29-year-old simply doesn’t seem to have the best pre-orientation and is also very keen to ensure that he produces as few bad passes as possible. In the current team, he is actually more in demand than ever as a source of inspiration from the six. But he cannot fill this role at the moment. Tuchel himself doesn’t seem to be particularly supportive of Kimmich; the relationship between the two wasn’t the best at times. What can most easily be blamed on Tuchel is his reticence when it comes to Kimmich. Against Bochum, corners often come too flat into the box, allowing the opposing outpost to clear the crosses. But Kimmich can happily continue kicking the stationary balls. A trainer would have to intervene sooner.