Germany's saviour? How Klopp is looking to turn fortunes around

Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Jurgen Klopp has picked a split squad for Germany's opening Nations League games

It has been quite the ride since Jurgen Klopp was announced as Germany's head coach in July.

In his first news conference, Klopp admonished the media, urging them to treat him fairly and refrain from any attacks against his family.

Last Thursday, during another media conference, Klopp called for "positive patriotism" amid political turmoil in the country.

When asked whether he considers himself an ambassador for Germany in his new role, Klopp's answer was a serious one.

"From my perspective as a sportsman, I can say that I would very much like to reclaim the flag for myself, for all of us," said Klopp.

"I want it so that when someone waves it, no-one thinks: 'What is wrong with you?' Instead, I want people to understand: You are happy and realise how lucky you were to be born, grow up, or move to this wonderful country."

His statement was made in light of the success of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the state election in Saxony-Anhalt. The anti-immigration party has since scored another win in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Klopp's remarks were widely and positively discussed in the media - the German national team represents a diverse Germany, as several players come from a migrant background.

KIopp also remarked about the recent success of Alexander Zverev at the US Open, the women's basketball team at the European Championship and German athletes at the European Athletics Championships, saying sport can ensure "a sense of community".

He added: "This is our mission: we need to create a good atmosphere."

Klopp knows, intentionally or not, how to make headlines.

However, the German Football Association (DFB) didn't hire the former Liverpool boss on an annual salary of £6m to become a commentator on the state of Germany - but to transform a floundering national team.

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Published24 JulyBetween the two news conferences, Klopp looked like the busiest national team boss on the planet, making countless visits to league games and training facilities.

One day fans could see Klopp sitting in the stands of Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park, his old stomping ground and, not long after, they may have caught a picture of him in the VIP lounge of Mainz's stadium or somewhere near Eintracht Frankfurt's training pitch talking to players.

Klopp has approached this new job with open eyes. Initially, the charismatic 59-year-old drew up a list of 57 players who could have been selected for this first international break.

"Players will receive chances who don't even expect it yet," Klopp said in July.

His first selection wasn't short of surprises. In the flavour of a trial-and-error principle, Klopp and his staff decided to select two almost completely different squads for the upcoming four games.

The first squad, including Joshua Kimmich, Kai Havertz and Jamal Musiala, will face arch-rivals the Netherlands at Johan Cruyff Arena on Thursday (19:45 BST) and host Greece on Sunday.

The second squad, with Florian Wirtz and Aleksandar Pavlovic, face Serbia at home and Greece on the road in the second half of this international break. The only player who was selected for both is back-up goalkeeper Finn Dahmen.

The selection process means we will not see Germany's best starting XI this time around. Instead, Klopp clearly intends to try out new players, some of whom played in Germany's second tier only a few months ago.

Take, for example, Felix Keidel, a 23-year-old full-back-midfielder hybrid from recently promoted SV Elversberg.

A year ago, Keidel was as far away from the national team as the Oktoberfest from Rio Carnival.

Now Keidel - just like Mika Baur, Bambase Conte, Max Rosenfelder, Philipp Treu, and Vitaly Janelt - has the chance to show he could be a valuable cog in the machine.

Klopp has never built his success merely on star names - he has always taken a liking to undervalued and overlooked players.

He once signed an little-known Polish winger by the name of Lukasz Piszczek and moulded him into one of the best right-backs in Europe who would go toe-to-toe with Cristiano Ronaldo in his prime. And he helped transform Andy Robertson into a force on Liverpool's left side.

Klopp's style helps to elevate all the members of his squad - not just the most talented.

Fitness and mental readiness are highly important, and some newcomers might just have that to impress the new manager.

But man-marking is prevalent in Germany's top flight, while Klopp prefers his teams to close down the player in possession to create superior numbers around the ball. So some of the Bundesliga players will have to adapt quickly.

"It is not important who plays but how someone plays," Klopp said last week. "I expect a lot from the beginning. It could be a bit wild, but I accept that. It just has to be lively."

Klopp has chosen younger squads compared to the ones we saw in the past couple of years. Manuel Neuer, Antonio Rudiger and Pascal Gross have retired from international football, and other 30-somethings might just not receive a chance to get into the team again.

"I think it is about time to wish the new generation best of luck," Gross said after Brighton's win over Arsenal on Saturday. "I still enjoy playing football here in the club, but there's a change in Germany and rightfully so."

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Both squads for this international break have an average age between 24 and 25. Youth and energy seem to be preferred.

"I have the desire to work with guys who cannot wait to wear this jersey, who want to play the kind of football everybody enjoys and who perform even better wearing the national team jersey," Klopp said.

We can expect from him to simplify Germany's approach to ball possession. Predecessor Julian Nagelsmann bent over backwards to hide some of the flaws he detected in his squad and thus created highly complex tactical systems.

On the contrary, Klopp intends to put an emphasis on the wings and break defences there. We saw what he was able to achieve with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Sadio Mane from wide areas.

While underwhelming at the past couple of international tournaments, Germany still possess a deep talent pool. Cologne's rising star Said El Mala and 18-year-old Bayern Munich talent Lennart Karl will get chances to show their skills on the wings.

Freiburg's Derry Scherhant and Barcelona's Karim Adeyemi provide plenty of speed, just like Brentford's Kevin Schade who has returned to the squad after being left out for the World Cup. There is potential for an exciting Germany side we have not seen in quite a while.

Finally, the emotional component plays a role in Klopp's entire approach. He works towards a fresh start for the national team and a new spirit in the country.

Last Thursday, he wore a cap that read "One of 83 million". It was a clear indication he wants to unite all 83 million Germans behind this team and they are all in it together.

Klopp has spent plenty of time thus far attempting to shape narratives off the field - but now the spotlight turns to his ability to get the best out of his group of players on the pitch.

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