Michael Ballack wants Germany to revert to real strikers in future after toying with a false number nine in recent matches.
Mario Gotze and Marco Reus have both been used by head coach Joachim Low in the past few months in a central position similar to that which Lionel Messi has made his own at Barcelona.
However, the former Germany captain is disappointed with the classic centre-forward spot being dropped and believes the team would benefit more with a more traditional striker.
Ballack told ZDF: I m still a fan of real strikers. The likes of Mario Gomez and Miroslav Klose are needed.
The game is fluid but when the ball comes into the box, you need a centre-forward. I doubt it (false nine) is a model for the future.
Germany eased past Kazakhstan on Friday night with a 3-0 victory and, though he prefers having traditional strikers, Ballack is pleased that his former team-mates have adapted with ease to Low s tactical changes.
We can be happy that the team is able to play in such a system, he said.
This shows how many outstanding players we have and all of their potential. That was not the case in the past.
Ballack and Low infamously fell out over the latter s decision to give Philipp Lahm the captaincy on a full-time basis after World Cup 2010, which Ballack missed, but the veteran insists that the pair s disagreements are in the past.
We had a bad relationship (in the past), the 36-year-old confessed.
That s what happens in football when coaches and players have different opinions. But it was a long time ago now.
Germany host Kazakhstan on Tuesday.
They top Group C with 13 points after five games, five points ahead of their nearest rivals Sweden.
