World Cup's following stage sparks inferno, instigated by Nagelsmann
With just over 300 days to go before the World Cup final near New York, the German national team finds itself in a transitional phase. Other teams seem more mature and stable, but coach Julian Nagelsmann is determined to change that narrative.
Nagelsmann, who has been in the job for three years, has already overtaken summer fairytale coach Jürgen Klinsmann. His current favourite word is "dominance," and he aims to demonstrate it in the six games of the qualifying round against Slovakia, Northern Ireland, and Luxembourg.
Strengthening the center has been a guiding principle for Nagelsmann. He might place Angelo Stiller, Leon Goretzka, or even both next to captain Kimmich in the center. Kimmich himself is moving from right-back to defensive midfield due to tactical adaptation.
The final impression from previous games, such as the 3:3 draw against Italy and the 1:2 defeat against Portugal, was disappointing. However, Nagelsmann's points record ranks tenth among the twelve national team coaches so far, with an average of 1.83 points after 23 games.
Nagelsmann has not yet revealed the details of the changes in the overall structure and on the defensive right flank. A fluid system with a defensively-oriented right-back might be implemented, with Namdi Collins of Eintracht Frankfurt possibly destined for the role.
The World Cup qualifiers begin with an away game on Thursday in Slovakia. The player who will play in the defensive midfield in the first qualifying match against Slovakia is Joshua Kimmich. He will return to the defensive midfield position to have more influence on the game and no experiments will be made in this crucial midfield zone.
A new hierarchy must form and prove itself by November due to several players missing for the entire qualification round. Former striker Rudi Voeller is always by Nagelsmann's side during the World Cup season, driving optimism.
Nagelsmann's record in knockout games is two wins, one draw, and three defeats in the Euros and Nations League. However, he wants to prove that winning the World Cup is a realistic and not an arrogant goal.
Germany, the world champion of the qualifiers, with only three losses out of 104 games in the long history, and is unbeaten away on the way to World Cup finals. Nagelsmann's mission is clear: to lead the team to another World Cup victory.
