Jurgen Klopp has been given a blunt reminder of the challenge he faces as Germany boss by outspoken pundit Stefan Effenberg. Following a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands in his first match, the former Liverpool manager presided over a 1-0 home defeat by Greece on Sunday.
Effenberg's harsh assessment
Two games into their Nations League campaign, Germany are already facing an uphill battle to finish in the top two and reach the quarter-finals in the spring. After the Greece defeat, Effenberg, who previously scolded Klopp for a quip about then-manager Julian Nagelsmann during the World Cup, pulled no punches as he assessed the performance and the job Klopp has on his hands.
He declared that Die Mannschaft are no longer a footballing super-power, saying in his t-online.de column: "The quality we currently have on offer is a long way from the world's elite: Spain, England, France and Argentina."
Klopp's dilemma
Effenberg also reminded Klopp that recovering the country's reputation will not be a quick job and that he cannot just sign an expensive player, as he could at Liverpool. Effenberg, 58, said: "He knows full well that the public is more forgiving of him than of other managers.
"However, greater expectations are also placed on him than on other managers. That is why he must be careful now: if there is still no improvement in the coming matches, the tone towards him will quickly become harsher. He needs to be prepared for this.
"The major catch with this job is now becoming clear to him: as national team manager, he cannot simply sign a new player for 100 million euros, as he could as a club manager. He has to work with whatever the clubs provide him with. That is his dilemma."
Criticism after Greece loss
Despite it being just his second game, Effenberg said Klopp could not escape criticism for the loss to Greece. He said: "Did you hear what Klopp said after the match against Greece? He said it was 'a process' to get the German team back on track and competing at the top again.
"This 'process' is going to be tough enough. At least if they play the way they did against Greece, who are currently 42nd in the world rankings and didn't even manage to qualify for the World Cup this summer.
"Both the German team and Klopp and his coaching staff must face the criticism that they had no answer to this familiar style of play and failed to find a solution. A team that plays the way Germany did on Sunday evening deserves to be seen as nothing more than a mediocre team."
It is not the first time Effenberg has taken a potshot at Klopp. During the World Cup, Klopp made a quip about his predecessor, Nagelsmann, on German TV, saying: "Luckily, it's Julian Nagelsmann who's picking the team," before cheekily adding: "For now."
While fellow pundit Thomas Muller saw the funny side, Effenberg did not. He said: "That's not right; he's speaking to millions of viewers. And on top of that, he ended up bursting out laughing. A comment like that, you can make it over a beer in the pub, but certainly not in front of millions of viewers. It's unacceptable."
Germany face Serbia in Munich on Thursday, looking for the first win of their Nations League campaign.
