A completely disastrous performance! Julian Nagelsmann has done himself no favours with a series of questionable decisions

Just as after the crushing exit from the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, observers will soon look beyond the on-field action and examine the bigger picture. Back then, the debate centred on the team's political stance and the players' public statements, issues that many claimed hindered their performance.

Four years on, the crux of the problem lies in the present, during these final days of the Bundesliga season. "There will be decisions that probably won't be met with a great deal of understanding," national coach Julian Nagelsmann had already revealed to kicker on 1 March regarding his selection policy for the World Cup. It was the central statement in a remarkably extensive interview in which Nagelsmann, unlike almost any national coach before him, offered decisive individual critiques of players, some of them unsolicited.

That prediction has already proven prescient, even though the final squad for the USA, Canada and Mexico tournament has not yet been officially announced. That judgment is partly driven by the now near-uncontrollable communications disaster surrounding Manuel Neuer's return as first-choice goalkeeper, which has further shaken Nagelsmann's credibility in the public eye—and almost certainly within parts of the squad. 

On the other hand, it is only fair to note that the leaks revealing which players will join the squad and which will go on holiday cannot be pinned on Nagelsmann alone. The DFB is clearly unhappy with this situation, which, on such a scale, is unhealthy and does not occur in any other major footballing nation.

As a result, Thursday's announcement is unlikely to spring any major surprises; the suspense has evaporated. Nagelsmann's explanations will therefore be closely scrutinised, especially his reasoning behind the goalkeeper decision. Several pitfalls already await the national coach, as recent history reminds us.

From Joshua Kimmich's surprise demotion to midfield, to contradictory statements about the roles of Leon Goretzka and, especially, Aleksandar Pavlovic—whom he recently misrepresented on Aktuelles Sportstudio—to the Deniz Undav affair, Nagelsmann has already stepped on several land mines and owns full responsibility for the fallout.

Take his appearance on ZDF last Saturday, for instance: it is to Nagelsmann's credit that he did not cancel the long-scheduled slot, even though he had in the meantime postponed the squad announcement by a few days. However, given the controversy surrounding Neuer and Oliver Baumann – which the media had blown out of all proportion just hours earlier – his appearance was now accompanied by high expectations.

Yet he disappointed on every front, saying nothing of substance and uttering not a single word on personnel matters. Instead, he claimed he had not even seen the 55-man preliminary squad list that must be submitted to FIFA. Nagelsmann might have been better off spending the evening at home rather than travelling to the Mainz studio. As it stands, the appearance has undoubtedly damaged his reputation.

That shift has been clear ever since in countless comment sections, both in the media and among fans. Nagelsmann has lost considerable credibility, taking a surprising turn for the worse.

Two years ago, on the eve of the home European Championship, the 38-year-old enjoyed a significant rise in popularity and high approval ratings. Now, however, Nagelsmann faces sharp criticism from experts—including powerhouse opinion-maker Uli Hoeneß—over his strategic approach, and the public mood has soured accordingly. 

There is little sense of optimism among fans or experts ahead of Thursday's squad announcement and the first group match a few weeks later, despite Germany's current seven-match winning run.