Philipp Lahm has called on Bundestrainer Julian Nagelsmann to reinstate captain Joshua Kimmich to the central midfield position for the German national team at the upcoming World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico. The 2014 World Cup winner shared his preferred formation in Sport Bild, stressing that Kimmich should not be deployed at right-back to preserve a successful FC Bayern midfield axis within the DFB squad.
«Joshua Kimmich has played in midfield all season,» Lahm explained. «Together with Aleksandar Pavlovic, they’ve played many games, and Bayern narrowly missed out on the Champions League semi-finals. Kimmich has been performing at the highest level in midfield for years. I wouldn’t break up the team’s backbone with Neuer, Tah, and Kimmich by moving him to right-back. Therefore, I would play him in midfield.»
Kimmich’s role in the national team has been a subject of debate for years. Due to a lack of a truly world-class player on the right defensive flank, Nagelsmann opted to position the natural midfielder Kimmich there some time ago.
Philipp Lahm Suggests Waldemar Anton for Right-Back
Lahm also proposed an alternative solution: «In the 2014 World Cup, we sometimes played with two center-backs in the full-back positions. That is also an option. In my opinion, Waldemar Anton could play on the right. On the left, we have David Raum, who is very offensively minded. With Anton, who is more defensively oriented, you would have a balance between attacking impetus on one side and defensive stability on the other.»
Lahm’s ideal lineup for the World Cup features few other surprises. Behind returning goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, the 42-year-old favors Tah and Nico Schlotterbeck in the heart of the defense. The attacking trio behind striker Kai Havertz would consist of Jamie Leweling, Jamal Musiala, and Florian Wirtz.
Philipp Lahm’s Dream DFB Lineup for the World Cup
- Goalkeeper: Neuer
- Defense: Anton, Tah, Schlotterbeck, Raum
- Midfield: Kimmich, Pavlovic, Leweling, Musiala, Wirtz
- Attack: Havertz
Lahm Criticizes Communication Regarding Neuer’s Return
Lahm also criticized the communication surrounding the recall of his former teammate Neuer. «From my perspective, the decision on who would be number one came very late. Especially in the goalkeeper position, it’s crucial to have clarity early on – for the team, but also for the goalkeepers themselves. A decision needs to be made.»
Nagelsmann included Neuer in his squad on May 21st. The Bundestrainer plans to use the 40-year-old Bayern Munich goalkeeper as his primary choice for the tournament, ahead of Oliver Baumann.
Despite his criticism of the communication, Lahm understands Nagelsmann’s choice. He emphasized that Neuer is «still the best German goalkeeper» and «can provide stability to the team through his experience and charisma. We will see that at the tournament.»
Germany will compete in Group E at the World Cup against Curacao (June 14th), Ivory Coast (June 20th), and Ecuador (June 25th).