Kroos' Inclusion In German National Team Could Change Joachim Loew's Tactical Setup.

I had just recently discussed with a few BundesligaTalk readers how interesting it would be to see Toni Kroos, Mesut Ozil and Marko Marin fill the attacking midfield positions for the German national team. Obviously, we weren’t the only ones who believed Kroos could be playing in that left attacking midfield spot for Germany in the future, as today Toni Kroos himself has announced that that position is the one he aims to compete for in Joachim Loew’s tactical setup.

Currently, Lukas Podolski is the number one choice for Loew on the left-side of the German midfield. His role is very much that of an inside forward, who will receive the ball in wide positions and drive into space infield, instead of making a run to the by-line to whip a cross in. Off the ball, Podolski moves into channels between defenders and is always ready to chase a through-ball and have a shot on goal. Podolski’s power and pace allows him to really excel in his role. His left foot delivers one of the most powerful long-range shots in the European game, and his pace allows him to cut into space behind opposition full-backs and get into the box for goals. He supplements attacks superbly from a wide position, and he scores plenty of goals. Clearly, he’s a hard player to just replace.

The thing is, Toni Kroos would not fill the same role despite playing in the same position as Podolski. Kroos would act as an advanced playmaker, like a Samir Nasri or a modern-day Ryan Giggs, or even a Luka Modric. He would look to receive the ball in a wide position, and then cut in-field which would open space down the left for an advancing full-back. From an in-field position, Kroos would be looking to deliver a killer pass or a hit a long shot. If he stayed wide, he would look to pull his full-back deep and then cut the ball back across the 18-yard box for a teammate to bang into the back of the net. Kroos’ dribbling ability and creativity would still make him able to beat full-backs and get a cross in, but he’d be more concerned with putting in a telling pass. Kroos is a player who does not depend on his physical attributes, but more on his technical skills. Having another player as creative as Mesut Ozil in the side could do no harm. While Kroos would not directly have the same impact in front of goal that Podolski has, his ability to create chances for his teammates would still allow Germany to bang in the goals because of the amount of chances they would be creating.

Kroos certainly has what it takes to mature into a great player and make himself first-choice on the left-hand side of Germany’s midfield, but we would see a different Germany than the one we are used to with Podolski. Kroos is quoted as saying,

“All the players that play in positions where I can play are my rivals. It’s not news to anyone that I can play on the left-hand side of midfield. It’s normal to show that you’re ambitious. Lukas has earned his place in the side. He’s played in 80 international matches, with impressive statistics in front of goal, and has played in big tournaments. It’s up to me to try and achieve as much in the next five or six years.”