No approach = No attacking impact.
For those who saw my last piece after the Lille game, I gave some credit to Kovač and his men for their sudden stern defending following his appointment. While I still maintain that it has improved on what we had previously, there is absolutely no attacking approach or identity, and individual brilliance or transition will not bail you out every time.
To me, it starts with the midfield. Brandt simply can not hide anymore, and is being demolished by fans, but today showed me yet again, that he is simply not an influential playmaker. When I think about a number 10, I think of someone who has influence wherever he seeks it. A player who has magic moments. A player who can play in tight areas and find pockets of space. A player comfortable to receive on either foot, whether pressured or not. Brandt provides none of this. However, Groß is not completely free either, although I won't put as much on him as he is clearly being instructed to drift out left. Having no one between the lines and in the half-spaces to be willing receivers, and to constantly throw off the opposition's structure, makes it so that going wide and taking a chance on a cross are the only chances. But, this doesn't work against dominant box defenders like Augsburg's.
Then comes the attack. Adeyemi not being taken off at half-time is crazy to me. He is a transitional weapon, who thrives off exploiting space. Yet, there was no space to exploit. Gittens showed some signs, despite the criticism I have seen online. He was staying direct, taking defenders on, winning corners, but struggling to find that final spark. His passing was just a little off for the most part. But, overall he was the player who for at least the first 45, I was thinking, he could make something happen. It is clear that he is mentally fatigued, he was went from hero to zero, and has been shown no support online, which is a bigger impact than people like to believe. I personally feel disgraced by his treatment, and I would like to see him flourish yet again, even if it isn't in black and yellow.
Duranville should've been granted a longer appearance. Him and Gittens are the only players in the squad who can individually break down a strong block, therefore, why not have them on together? Instead, Niko's men continued with minimal threat. To be clear, there shouldn't be reliance on 20 and 18 year old wingers, but, the situation is so dreadful that it comes down to this. If Kovač doesn't establish an impactful attacking identity soon, I will have no concerns with his sacking, even before the Club World Cup.