Former German international and 1990 World Cup winner Pierre Littbarski evaluated Germany's performance against Serbia in an interview with ran, discussing Klopp's coaching philosophy, Kimmich's role, and the prospect of Sane returning to the German national team.

Mr. Littbarski, Germany secured their first victory under Klopp against Serbia. How do you assess the team's performance?

Littbarski said: "I found the match refreshing, especially because we now have real speed on the wings again. But what impressed me most was our ability to play good combinations in tight spaces. For the past few months, even years, we've had this problem: against teams that defend deep, we often struggled to play well.

This time, however, we created many chances. This may be related to the performance of the attacking players, but it's not solely their credit. Scherrhant played very well, especially in the first half. The midfield pairing of Pavlović and Bissouma also put a lot of pressure on the opponent in attack. The team didn't play long stretches of back-and-forth passing; instead, they accelerated the game. Woltemade's active involvement helped us win back many balls. The young man did very well."

You mentioned the midfield. Precisely after this match, the discussion about Kimmich's role gained new relevance. Without him, Germany still played well against Serbia. Does this indicate a direction for the future?

Littbarski said: "You can't generalize like that. Every match is different, and Serbia's defense wasn't as strong as Greece's. Kimmich can deliver the ball behind the defense with excellent chips, a type of pass almost no one else can make. So I won't get involved in such discussions."

Let's return to the attack then. As you just mentioned, Germany created many chances against Serbia but didn't fully convert them. Germany used to be prolific in producing strikers; are they now facing problems in the No. 9 position?

Littbarski said: "Players like Klose or Völler don't just appear out of nowhere, nor do they emerge every year. I don't know if this counts as a weakness.

It's a completely different generation of players now. For example, Woltemade and Havertz are not true center forwards, so you can't simply compare them. But one thing is true: we must develop new center forwards."

Klopp's squad includes two center forwards from Eintracht Frankfurt, Burkhardt and Ebimbe. How do you rate their performances, especially Ebimbe, who played the full 90 minutes against Serbia?

Littbarski said: "I don't think Burkhardt's performance was particularly outstanding; he didn't link up much with the team, and perhaps he got too little playing time. Ebimbe impressed me a lot, even though it was a difficult match for him. He's very fast and combines height, speed, and technical ability, which I like. He's not just a player responsible for finishing chances. But he's good at getting into the right areas for crosses. I believe he still has a lot of untapped potential."

He's only 23, so there might still be room for further growth. Do you believe he can play an important role for Germany in the future?

Littbarski said: "I believe so. We always have to look at a player's basic qualities. If someone has two or three genuinely outstanding strengths – like ball control, speed, and height – then he is certainly a player who can develop well under Klopp and potentially score the goals the team needs."

Germany's U21 team also has two promising young strikers, Tresoldi and Brunner, who are vying for further progress. What do you think of their prospects?

Littbarski said: "We shouldn't get too excited now. The U21s play a bit differently; Brunner plays on the left there, and Pejčinović on the right. This is not comparable to playing as a central striker, so we'll have to see how they develop. The important thing is for them to become regulars first. But overall, it's still a bit early. I wouldn't call them up for the next few international matches yet. They still need some time."

These two might not even want to play for the senior team yet, as they may not have decided which association to represent ultimately. Italy is pursuing Tresoldi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo is pursuing Brunner. How important is it for the DFB to retain them?

Littbarski said: "This must be looked at from both sides. Players also consider: where can I get better opportunities? Playing striker for Italy isn't necessarily easy, after all, they aren't known for their excellent attacking football. But on the other hand, the competition is there, and it's quite fierce. This isn't finalized yet, and of course, the DFB wants to keep all good players. But if you have 8 forwards and only 2 can play, what good is that?"

Tresoldi is about to break your Germany U21 goalscoring record. He has scored 16 goals, while you scored 18 goals in your Germany U21 career. Will you cheer him on?

Littbarski said: "Yes, of course. I think this record will be broken very soon. The young man deserves this achievement, which in itself speaks to his consistency. Whenever the team needs a goal, he always steps up. If someone earns such an opportunity through their performance, of course I'll cheer them on."

You just mentioned wingers. Compared to Nagelsmann, Klopp relies more on traditional wingers. What do you think of this new approach?

Littbarski said: "This new approach is simpler for the players. Under Nagelsmann, the team tried to find a position for everyone. Now under Klopp, players must perform in the position he assigns them. Whether I look at it as a spectator or a coach, it's easier to understand and easier for the players to execute because the demands are clear. For example, Traoré sometimes appears in the half-spaces, but overall, our current structural positioning is more logical."

This new arrangement might also suit Saïd-Marah, who made his Germany debut against Serbia. How do you rate his performance?

Littbarski said: "I don't think his performance was that impressive. He had one good moment, a shot, and another time he was unlucky. But overall, there were too few moments that truly showcased Marah's qualities; he still has a lot of room for improvement. He certainly has potential, but his competitors aren't standing still either. There are some very good players here, like Scherrhant, Karl, and Gnabry. It will be interesting – perhaps a happy problem for us. Klopp wants this kind of competition."

Furthermore, there are Adeyemi and Kevin Schade.

Littbarski said: "Exactly. I think Schade's performance was rather subdued, while Adeyemi played very well. He surprised me a bit because he was also very active on the field. However, one characteristic of his is very clear: when he starts from midfield and sprints forward, he often delivers very exciting performances. He had similar moments at Barcelona, where he created a shooting chance for Yamal in this way. But in the German national team, such scenarios won't happen often."

With these players, competition on the wings is already very intense. Do you think Sane's Germany career is over?

Littbarski said: "I think it will be very difficult for him to make a comeback. He's not even a regular starter at Galatasaray now. So things would have to change significantly."

Finally, please give an overall assessment of the initial period of the Klopp era and the first few matches. Despite mixed results, do we have reason to be optimistic for the coming months, or even years?

Littbarski said: "Yes. I think his ideas are very good. We've also seen some new faces emerge who weren't previously in the spotlight. I think this courage is truly commendable. Klopp also knows that results must be delivered, of course, but he still shields the players from pressure to some extent, because he wants to try them out and see how young players perform under pressure. This is not the comfortable environment of a club, after all; he wants to see who can perform for Germany.

I think this approach is excellent. By November, he will need to make choices more based on performance. But doing so at this stage is absolutely correct. If we can win in Greece, then there's still a lot to play for in the Nations League. I truly believe that the team can build on this foundation. Against Serbia, we already saw touches of Klopp's style in the game, which also rekindled some hope for us."

AF's PC site is now live! Browse full news, comments, match details and stats on your computer. Visit: www.allfootballapp.com