“That has never worked in my entire life”: Jürgen Klopp calls for patience in a debate around the Germany team

He said he fully understood that the make-up of the German national team's central midfield "is a big topic", but at Wednesday evening's press conference urged the public to show considerably more patience.

"I have been a football coach for 25 years and in my whole life no double pivot has ever worked after five days. It doesn't work like that," Klopp stressed on the day before his third game as Germany head coach, against Serbia in Munich on Thursday. The logical teething problems had "nothing at all to do" with Kimmich and Nmecha themselves, Klopp continued. "Zero. Nada. They also didn't play in this constellation at the World Cup. Jo played at right-back and Felix as a No 8. He is also a No 8, but at times he is a No 6."

Patience during a process he wants to begin with the DFB team also means "not judging players immediately. (…) The coach is new and gets time, but the players get none any more. How crazy is that? This sport only works through the team - and we have to develop that." Klopp added: "The lads want to play very good and successful football - and we will get there. The problem is that our development is taking place under the public microscope and is being judged every day."

What has the DFB team's midfield looked like in the first two games under Jürgen Klopp?

In both his international debut in the Netherlands (1-1) and the disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Greece on Sunday, Klopp opted for Kimmich in central midfield as the deep-lying No 6 and Nmecha as one of the two players around the captain. The other half-position in front of Kimmich went to Nadiem Amiri in the Netherlands and then, against Greece, surprisingly to international debutant Bambase Conte.

Klopp drew another comparison over the early problems, including in the No 6 and No 8 positions: "If you put together a ballet - not that we are one - and after four days they are supposed to perform, then they run into each other. We didn't do that, just to make that clear," said the 59-year-old.

Now, with neither Kimmich nor Nmecha in Klopp's second squad for the matches against Serbia and in Greece on Sunday, and both having already left, the Germany head coach must reshape his central midfield. Aleksandar Pavlovic, Vitaly Janelt and Florian Wirtz could start against the Serbs.