STUTTGART — Julian Nagelsmann, or “Julsi” as he is known following the blaze of intimacy with partner Lena that followed Germany’s rout of the Scots on the opening day, has yet to arrive at training on a skateboard, nor has he travelled around their Bavarian base in Herzogenaurach on his motorbike, yet all this might soon be possible if he continues to rise in the affections of the public.
Germany’s opening 5-1 victory over Scotland set an exhilarating standard, changing the narrative around the national team, and to a degree the nation itself. Euro 2024 kicked off against a background of division and complexity with questions about the ethnic make-up of the squad reflecting a rise in right wing sentiment.
In moments like this football can be a propaganda sledgehammer for the greater good, creating a sense of togetherness and nationhood by connecting in the most basic, emotional way with its audience. Before the tournament captain Ilkay Gundogan was dismayed to be answering questions about a survey which threw up some worrying results concerning the team’s ethnicity and the desire for greater Caucasian representation.
The euphoria swept all that away, the scale of an exhilarating win shifting the focus and allowing Gundogan to gather up only positive threads. He described the atmosphere in the stadium as “pure” and said Germany hoped to “take the euphoria, the atmosphere with us”, adding: “We played a really good game. Played with really good intensity, scored goals… that’s how you have to do it, that’s how you have to start.”
Nagelsmann, a coach dispensed by Bayern Munich for his failure to forge connections with the more experienced members of his squad, is enjoying a kind of rehabilitation, the first 20 minutes against Scotland changing the temperature for him and his team. Goals by exciting young stars Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala lit a flame that would utterly consume the Scots.
The 5-1 scoreline was the best by Germany in the history of the competition. Nagelsmann’s partner smothered him in kisses at the final whistle wearing a shirt bearing his affectionate nickname, another unscripted propaganda boost that moved the love needle. Even his shirt, a black number from the team’s clothing supplier van Laack, yours for 199 euros and buttoned to the neck, got the thumbs up, which has not always been the case for a coach who has made his share of sartorial blunders.
Germany face Hungary on Wednesday with renewed anticipation. It feels like the Sommermarchen of 2006, the fairytale vibe that characterised that World Cup summer. Contrast that with the English experience, a coach on the backfoot, an unfulfilled fan base frustrated with the crippling caution of it all.
England were also impressive in the first 20 minutes against Serbia with Jude Bellingham starring in his own, one-man blockbuster. But by increments they fell into a passive shell that left fans underwhelmed and confused. The role of Trent Alexander-Arnold in the middle of the park raised familiar questions, as did Phil Foden’s weirdly stifled display.
What Gareth Southgate would have done for a Maximilian Mittelstadt, a left-footed left back with a license to belt down the pitch. So much of Germany’s thrust and balance came from him. In advanced positions his ability to hug the line gave Germany width, and unlike England’s stand-ins for Luke Shaw, he had the option to go outside as well as in.
For all Germany’s bountiful attacking threat, the mystery of Musiala and the pace of Wirtz, for all the midfield coherence provided by those wizened vets Gundogan and Toni Kroos, the late-flowering Mittelstadt might just be Nagelsmann’s secret weapon.
After a career of middling returns at Hertha BSC, Mittelstadt, 27, joined VfB Stuttgart last summer and made his Germany debut in March. It is too late for Mittelstadt to match the long international careers of Philipp Lahm, Andreas Brehme and Paul Breitner down Germany’s left side, but he is certainly meeting a need here.
Shaw was named among the England substitutes against Serbia as he continues to build his fitness after missing much of the season with Manchester United. He has not played a competitive match since February at Luton Town, itself a rushed return from a recurring hamstring injury. England have found Shaw as difficult to replace as United, the balance and shape he offers is arguably the answer to so many of Southgate’s difficulties, since the lack of his attributes perverts the whole.
That notwithstanding, despite the power and the glory of Bellingham, England still appear overregulated by a coach consumed by technical issues. Mittelstadt accounts for his recent success in terms of the connection and atmosphere both club and national coaches create. Southgate is good at that stuff but gets in his own way and the players’ with his technical sobriety.
Shaw’s absence is a nuisance, of course, but to prevail Southgate must, one way or another, find a route to the same sweet spot he found in Qatar. Perhaps it’s time to trust good players to sort it out for themselves, to let Harry Kane follow his instincts and get both him and England back on the ball.
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