National soccer team: jubilee Nagelsmann and the sudden job question

Julian Nagelsmann looked in astonishment when a reporter from Northern Ireland asked him about possible concerns about his job as a national coach before his 25th international. In the event that the German national football team should experience the next deep beat in the World Cup qualification after the sobering 0: 2 in Slovakia in Slovakia on Sunday (8:45 p.m./RTL) in Cologne.

“Being worried is never a good approach. I’m still brave enough, I want to win,” said Nagelsmann, in order to then get his person out of his focus if possible. “The team is important, not me. We want to do a better job than on Thursday.” This is also urgently needed.

Now what, Mr. Nagelsmann? Football fans in Germany also ask themselves this question. The disturbing opening bankruptcy in Bratislava was finally the continuation of the downward trend at the final tournament of the Nations League with the defeats against Portugal (1: 2) and France (0: 2).

At the beginning of the final training, sports director Rudi Völler hugged the national coach. At that moment it looked like a demonstrative shoulder. Nagelsmann then went vigorously onto the pitch.

His keywords for the second group game were quite expected at the press conference in front of it. The 38-year-old demands “emotionally play football” and an “energetic cooperation” on the square.

Goalkeeper Oliver Baumann spoke to Nagelsmann’s side of the “Basics”, which after the “lifeless” appearance in Slovakia, according to Völler, was now concerned. “Energy, duel behavior, win second balls,” said Baumann.

Nagelsmann is no longer thinking big (“becoming world champion”), but small. “It’s not now about thinking about the qualification, but of the game,” he said. For this he developed a new “idea” that starts with the staff. “A little will happen, but not all ten (field players) are rotated out,” he announced.

Not only the Frankfurt Namdi Collins should lose its place in the starting eleven. The Dortmund Pascal large could begin to the rear because captain Joshua Kimmich should remain in midfield as a leader and driver. An emotion player like Robert Andrich, on the other hand, could now be in demand next to Kimmich.

World champion Hummels is adopted

Who goes ahead? Such a player is adopted before the kick -off. Mats Hummels, one of the big figures from the last German World Championship team in Brazil in 2014, is honored for his services almost two years after his last international match from the DFB. Völler praised the 36-year-old in advance as a “leading player” and “identification figure”.

A bumblebee in the previous world champion form would be good for the shaky German defense. But also in the offensive, there are relocations, even if the options in the squad without painfully missing quality players such as Jamal Musiala and Kai Havertz as well as the also injured center forward Tim Kleindienst are low.

Tricky Cologne return for Wirtz

“There wasn’t much going on in front of the box,” complained captain Joshua Kimmich after the offensive zero number in Bratislava. Nagelsmann missed “aggressiveness in his own ball possession”. In addition to Nick Woltemade, who continues to go to his first goal after three international matches, Florian Wirtz is particularly focused.

Especially in Cologne. The 22-year-old was trained as a youth player at FC, but then switched to the unloved neighbor Bayer Leverkusen. Two and a half years ago, at the last international match in Cologne, the blood boy Wirtz was replaced by the then national coach Hansi Flick in the 2: 3 against Belgium after just 32 minutes.

Germany’s “Footballer of the Year” will certainly not happen this time. Despite the search for form since the millions of Liverpool FC since the millions, Wirtz remains an elementary and inviolable difference for Nagelsmann. “Flo is an extremely important player for us. He will also try a lot tomorrow,” said Nagelsmann.