Jurgen Klopp Comments on Germany, Mesut Ozil, Marco Reus and More

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp feels the German national team must preserve their physical edge, despite conceding his admiration for the cerebral talents of players such as Mesut Ozil and Marco Reus.

Speaking ahead of England’s friendly clash with Germany on Saturday, Klopp was asked about the development of his country’s team. The side have endured a remarkable transformation following their embarrassing elimination at UEFA Euro 2000, which culminated in them winning the 2014 FIFA World Cup with a marriage of pragmatism and panache.

The former Borussia Dortmund man thinks it’s important to cherish that balance, per Subway (h/t Jack Bezants of the MailOnline).

“In Germany, we had a problem a few years ago, it feels really long ago. Everybody said 'good character, good mentality but not the best technicians'. Something like hard football, really physical,” he said. “Now, we have so many, so many, unbelievable skilled players. All of them offensive players, and not one of these can make a header. It is like we forgot it.”

Michael Steele/Getty Images

Indeed, the team that helped Germany win the World Cup included the likes of Ozil, Toni Kroos and Mario Gotze, who scored the winning goal in the final. 

But Joachim Low’s side also carried a more direct attacking threat, with Thomas Muller and Miroslav Klose capable of roughing up opposition defenders. The forwards are not the most gifted in a technical sense, especially not compared to the names mentioned, but they can add a variety to their attacking play.

Klopp said he feels it’s important to continue to nurture those attributes, even though players such as Ozil and Reus are also key to success:

"

So we create, we help them developing, play in small spaces, making this, the quick players here. And we took always the tall players like (Andre) Schurrle, (Mesut) Ozil, Marco Reus, they are all six foot or something like this, so a good size for an offensive player.

But (if) they were a striker...no header. (They) needed a bit of space, position back and then they could play what they play and they are really, really a genius in their style. But if the ball is in the air (mimics them ducking) they are all like this! And you think 'my god we forgot how big headers (are)!’

So it is our responsibility to help players find the right position.

"

Boris Streubel/Getty Images

Balance is vital, especially at international level. And while the retirement of some core players has set Germany back a little, they do still have a lot of quality within their ranks, making them one of the favourites for the European championships this summer.

Reus, an enterprising and direct wide forward, and Ozil, a silky and incisive playmaker, epitomise the variety of options available to Low. Here is a look at how they fare statistically in comparison in league matches this season.

	Ozil	Reus
Apps (Sub)	28	19 (2)
Goals	5	10
Assists	18	3
Shots per game	1.3	2.3
Dribbles per game	1.4	1
Key passes per game	4.2	1.7
Passing accuracy	86.3 %	81.3 %

Without Klose, Germany may have lost a focal point at the top of the attack, with the veteran forward always a reliable striker on the big occasion. But in Muller, Low has a player who ticks all the boxes mentioned by Klopp; as OptaFranz noted recently, he’s a forward who seems to save his best for the highest level:

The initial evolution of this Germany side—from efficient to elegant—is a process England need to go through if they’re to improve when it comes to major tournaments. And as the figurehead of one of the Premier League’s biggest clubs, Klopp will have a role to play in that process, with a core of England stars currently under his tutelage.

The Reds boss may be being a little finicky with his opinions here, as many nations would love to have an attacking set-up as dangerous as Germany’s. But it’s that forensic eye for detail that has made him such a respected manager and a trait that will have been key to his nation cementing their status as one of the top teams in the world.