As far as friendly wins go, Germany’s 2-0 victory over France last week made a profound statement. Julian Nagelsmann’s team took the game to the 2022 World Cup finalists and demonstrated just how dangerous they could be at Euro 2024 on home soil this summer. Nagelsmann is turning Germany around.
Nagelsmann has only been in the job for six months. He was appointed on a short-term contract last September after a disastrous period under Hansi Flick which saw Germany got five matches without a win. A 4-1 humbling at the hands of Japan proved to be the final straw for the DFB who fired Flick.
The stakes are high for Germany. They haven’t made it past the round of 16 of a major tournament since 2016 when they made the semi-finals of the European Championships. Germany have crashed out of the group stage of the last two World Cups and only made the last 16 of Euro 2020. That is well below the country’s expectations.
With Euro 2024 being held on home soil, the DFB wasn’t willing to take the chance that this summer would be another embarrassing one for the national team. This is why they went to Nagelsmann with a proposition to take over on a short-term basis to ensure Germany would be competitive at its own Euros.
So far, the signs are that he will achieve this. Nagelsmann is remoulding Germany in his own image with the impressive performance against France providing an idea of how they will play at Euro 2024. It was a modern, proactive display that hinted Germany will be among the favourites to win another title this summer.
Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz both caught the eye against France. Wirtz scored the opening goal of the match after just seven seconds while Musiala was a constant threat in the attacking third of the pitch, drifting and picking up pockets of space in between the lines. They are the creators Nagelsmann is building around.
With Musiala and Wirtz in the lineup, Nagelsmann has been able to reshape Germany in the 4-2-2-2 formation that has worked all the way through his career. This set-up requires in-game intelligence and not every team can pull it off, but Germany have intelligent players – and now they have an intelligent manager.
Toni Kroos was another player who shone against France. The 34-year-old has been lured out of international retirement by Nagelsmann and has picked up where he left off as Germany’s pace-setter at the base of the midfield. Kroos is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career at Real Madrid and Germany hope he will carry that into this summer’s Euros.
Under Flick, Germany had grown stale. They had experienced veterans, but no new ideas. Nagelsmann, on the other hand, has made an effort to call up as many fresh faces as possible, selecting six new players for the March international window. He wants to bring down the average age of his squad.
It has long been assumed that international managers don’t have the time on the training pitch to implement modern ideas. They simply don’t have the freedom and license to impose intricate tactical ideas on a group of players they have for just a few days every couple months. Nagelsmann, however, is testing this theory.
Against France, Germany played with intensity in and out of possession. They had an identity. The players on the pitch were aware of their roles and they performed them well. Such has been the impact made by Nagelsmann, recent reports claim the DFB is attempting to tie down the 36-year-old to a contract that extends beyond the summer.
The lure of club soccer might prove irresistible for Nagelsmann, especially with a number of high profile jobs up for grabs this summer, but the Germany position has given him the opportunity to put his own stamp on a team again after an ill-fated period at Bayern Munich where he was continually undermined. An extended stay might be the best thing for all parties, especially if it leads to Euro 2024 glory at home.
