According to Goal.com, Nathaniel Brown's recent poor performances are raising questions about his status as Germany's starting left-back.

Ahead of announcing his first squad, manager Jürgen Klopp would have had to consider multiple positions. However, thanks to Brown, the left-back position appeared to have solid options both in the short and long term. True to form, Klopp fielded Brown in the first two A-matches, first in the away game against the Netherlands and then against Greece. The problem is that Brown's overall performance was disappointing. Similar to his recent situation at Bayern Munich, he is gradually losing ground in competition with Alphonso Davies.

In these two A-matches, Brown made several forward runs. His best moment came when he set up a very unfortunate chance for Ademola Lookman in the 1-1 draw against the Netherlands. However, overall Brown lacked presence. For example, in the disappointing 0-1 loss to Greece, only one of his eight crosses found a teammate.

More concerning was his inadequate defensive performance. Against pacey opponents Crysencio Summerville and Kostas Karetsas, Brown struggled considerably and repeatedly left space behind him. When the Netherlands eventually equalized, Brown was also outmuscled by goalscorer Cody Gakpo in a one-on-one.

Like most of the initial starters, Brown left the national team training camp on Monday. Now, should he be worried about his starting position? In the next two A-matches, Germany will play Serbia on Thursday and Greece on Sunday, giving both Raum and Mittelstädt opportunities to prove themselves.

Over the past few years, these two players have waged a long battle for the left-back position, and Brown was first called up in October 2024 before solidifying the starting role in spring. Brown was an undisputed starter at the World Cup and one of the few shining players on an otherwise mediocre German team. As a result, he transferred from Eintracht Frankfurt to Bayern Munich for €50 million and quickly secured a favorable position there in the summer.

His competitor Alphonso Davies has just emerged from a difficult period. The 25-year-old recovered from an anterior cruciate ligament tear but suffered a muscle fiber injury again in the second half of last season. At the highly anticipated home World Cup, Davies ultimately played only 16 minutes for the Canadian national team. After returning to Munich, he had not yet fully recovered and trained individually; he played only a total of 66 minutes in all preseason friendlies.

Meanwhile, the newly signed Brown proved his value with outstanding performances and demonstrated versatility. Due to a lack of attacking resources, Brown played as a number 10 against Borussia Dortmund in the German Super Cup 2-1 victory, scoring the opening goal and deciding the match's flow. Brown himself was surprised by this unusual position. "I thought I would still play as a left-back, especially in the first few matches."

Kompany's decision surprised not only Brown but also Klopp. During the match against Stuttgart, Klopp complained on Sat1: "We finally have a left-back, and they have him playing as a number 10." He said it in jest, but perhaps there was some truth to it. With the central striker issues finally easing, Brown returned to his most familiar position and is now competing with the recovered Davies for playing time.

Brown made his first start in the DFB-Pokal against Osnabrück and later played in the Bundesliga match against Elversberg, but with underwhelming performances in both matches, he was substituted early for Davies. In the Elversberg match, the turning point also came thanks to Davies' contribution. In Bayern's first Champions League match against Bodø/Glimt, Brown sat on the bench the entire game. Against Union Berlin, Davies had already recorded two assists with an impressive performance, leaving Brown to be brought on only late in the match.

To date, this Canadian player has directly contributed to four goals this season. Davies' physical condition also appears better than it has been in a long time, approaching his previous peak form and making him one of the early season winners.

While Brown faces frustration with the national team, Davies is enjoying a belated honeymoon. After his summer wedding trip was canceled due to scheduling conflicts, he consulted with manager Jesse Marsch and decided not to participate in Canada's friendly match during this international break. On Monday, Davies shared a video on social media of himself playing beach volleyball on a sandy beach with palm trees.

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