Now give me some proper detail
Ultimately, it was a Japanese cross, kept in play by millimetres before being bundled into the Spanish net, that caused Germany’s group-stage exit from Qatar 2022. The thickness of a thermally-bonded polyurethane panel – the difference between going on, and going home.
But even the most die-hard fan of Die Mannschaft would accept there were more macro factors at play to explain Germany’s second World Cup failure in a row.
Some commentators said their traditional values, centred around physicality, were outdated, and that the coaching system should instead promote freedom of expression. In defence of tradition, Germany legend Bastian Schweinsteiger blamed former Bayern coach Pep Guardiola for importing “short-pass” football into the Bundesliga, which spread contagiously, wiping out those traditional values.
It’s doubtful any of the old guard, who triumphed through mental fortitude and reliability, would ever have imagined a German World Cup campaign unravelling in chaos as the goalkeeper lost possession while dribbling around the edge of the opposition box, as Manuel Neuer did in 2018.
So coach Julian Nagelsmann has had to wrestle with the arguments above – what should his Germany be? The available evidence suggests a marriage of flair and solid fundamentals. The former, at least, shouldn’t be a problem.