Julian Brandt needs to work on consistency – Joachim Löw

Germany head coach Joachim Löw has said that he wants to see more from Julian Brandt, and has called for more consistency from the Borussia Dortmund midfielder.

Julian Brandt played 90 minutes for Germany for only the fifth time in his international career on Wednesday evening, as Die Mannschaft enjoyed a 1-0 friendly win over Czech Republic. Brandt created some impressive openings for his teammates, but also missed a good chance to score in the first half. After the game, Germany head coach Joachim Löw was asked about the performance of Brandt, and while he praised the Borussia Dortmund play-maker, he called for him to work on his consistency.

"“Julian has so much ability. He needs to work on consistency. His performances can be a bit fluctuating in his performances. His potential is very good. When he is active, with his skill and technique, he can be very dangerous. But he still has to clear the next hurdle.”"

Löw was impressed with the former Bayer Leverkusen man’s efforts in the win over Czech Republic, and praised the commitment that he showed in the game. “He was not always completely happy with every one of his actions,” Löw said. “But he was very committed, he was on the move a lot.”

It hasn’t been the easiest of starts to the season for Brandt, who has found himself going in and out of the starting XI for both Borussia Dortmund and Germany.

While he has been involved in all 12 games for the Black and Yellows, he has only made four starts. He has also been used in three different positions already this season, and the lack of continuity has prevented him from making the desired impact for club and country on a more consistent basis.

Brandt, who has three goals in 34 appearances for Germany, will likely be back on the bench for his country’s upcoming UEFA Nations League games against Ukraine and Spain, with Leroy Sané, Timo Werner and Kai Havertz all set to return to the starting XI.