World Cup Watch: Former Bayern Munich star Javi Martinez assesses Germany’s striker issue

Former Bayern Munich star Javi Martinez is using his break from club football to do a little analysis of Germany’s vacancy at center-forward.

Martinez does not see an easy answer to the complex question, but he does think he knows a couple of players who do not fit the bill: Bayern Munich’s Thomas Müller and Chelsea FC’s Kai Havertz.

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“For me Thomas shouldn’t play as a striker. He’s better when he doesn’t have a defined position. He knows where the dangerous situations are, he knows where he can hurt the opponent. For me, he’s more of a No. 10 who plays behind the striker,” Martinez told Magenta TV (as captured by @iMiaSanMia). “Kai Havertz is a top player, but he’s not Gomez, not Klose, not Pizarro. He’s not a No. 9 who can tie down center-backs, keep opponents busy and hold long balls. He makes good movements, but I don’t think Germany has that type of player as No. 9.”

Martinez stopped short of saying what he would do from there. but it is clear that he knows who he would not use at center-forward.

Want some thoughts on the Germany-Spain matchup? Check out our Weekend Warm-up Podcast:

Interested in a more in-depth (and miserable) review of the Japan game and what went wrong? Then why not check out our postgame podcast? We talk about Flick’s selections, underperforming players, tactical issues, and more! Listen to it below or on Spotify.

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