It’s a strange time to be a fan of die Mannschaft. On the one hand, this is Germany we’re talking about. They’ve won four World Cups, three European Championships, and their last trophy came in 2017.
Managed at the time by the seemingly ever-present Joachim Löw, a considerably weaker team travelled to Russia for the Confederations Cup, viewing the tournament more as an opportunity to give fringe players an experience of playing tournament football, rather than to take home another trophy.
They won it anyway.
Back then, it seemed like Gary Lineker was right. Football is simple; 22 men chase after a ball and then, after 90 minutes, Germany win. But that’s not exactly the case now.
It’s been a tumultuous seven years since then, and that’s putting it lightly. 2018 saw their worst-ever World Cup performance, finishing dead last of Group F. At EURO2020, they were eliminated in the round-of-16 by England. Come the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with treble-winner Hansi Flick at the helm, they were eliminated in the group stage yet again; the full-time whistle of their third game signifying not only the end of their campaign, but also Flick’s time as boss.
Embed from Getty ImagesBut now it’s 2024, and how Germany will perform is really anyone’s guess.
First and foremost, it’s a tournament in their own country. While that brings a unique element of hope for fans, it also means that it’s very hard to judge just how they’ll perform in a competitive setting because, as hosts, they didn’t go through a qualifying campaign.
That said, they have been playing friendlies – but their results have been patchy to say the least. Now managed by former RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann, the start of his tenure was rocky: only one win in his first four games, especially considering their opponents, sowed more than a couple of seeds of doubt. For a side always aiming for silverware, a draw with Mexico and losses against Turkey and Austria didn’t exactly fill up confidence levels.
It’s been better this year. They’re yet to lose in 2024 and managed to beat France back in March, with Florian Wirtz scoring their fastest-ever goal after only seven seconds. A win against their traditional Dutch rivals followed, and things have started to look on the up.
But while things may have looked shaky at times, the Germans now boast a phenomenal squad, and you’d be foolish to underestimate the talent at Nagelsmann’s disposal. There are differences this year; it’s not just the established names we’ve become accustomed to, with the likes of Mats Hummels and Leon Goretzka omitted in favour of some surprising inclusions.
Embed from Getty ImagesA notable struggle they’ve had at recent tournaments is stagnation, with the same players playing the same football, arriving at unimaginative and, ultimately, detrimental conclusions. This year, there’s a refreshing mix of youth and experience that paints the picture of a side which doesn’t really look like any Germany squad we’ve ever seen.
From front to back, die Mannschaft isn’t just filled with quality, but also depth. Not many countries have the luxury of two world-class goalkeepers, and with Manuel Neuer fully fit, it will almost certainly be him who fills the sticks over Barcelona’s Marc-André ter Stegen – as has been the case for almost the last fifteen years.
One thing that has heavily impacted Nagelsmann’s selections has been the performances of club sides, particularly those from the Bundesliga. There is, for example, a big core of Stuttgart players who make up a large portion of the more unfamiliar names for Anglocentric fans: defenders Waldemar Anton and Maximilian Mittelstädt, along with Chris Führich and Deniz Undav, make up a talented quartet of players who starred for the Bundesliga’s runners-up.
Then there’s Bayer Leverkusen who, all things considered, had a pretty decent season and it’s no surprises, then, that stalwarts Jonathan Tah, Robert Andrich and the mercurial Florian Wirtz all made the cut.
Embed from Getty ImagesWith excellent defenders like Antonio Rüdiger, Nico Schlotterbeck and Joshua Kimmich, it should prove rather difficult to score against the Germans this summer, and their form in 2024 is testament to that: they’ve only conceded two goals in their four matches this year.
That said, their midfield is – all things considered – probably their biggest strength. Along with the aforementioned Wirtz, Führich and Andrich, there’s Toni Kroos on his farewell tour from football, captain Ilkay Gündogan, Brighton’s perennially underrated Pascal Groß and Bayern’s incredible Jamal Musiala in the middle of the park. They really do have a bit of everything there.
That leads us to the forwards. After debuting at the age of 29, Niclas Füllkrug has scored a ridiculousl impressive 11 goals in 16 appearances for die Mannschaft. Then there’s the enigma that is Thomas Müller: the country’s sixth’ all-time top-scorer, but he’s never scored at the Euros, and hasn’t scored prolifically since the 2014 World Cup.
Those two will be along side the likes of Arsenal’s Kai Havertz, and Manchester City’s one-that-got-away Leroy Sané. With those names, and the attacking midfielders behind them, they should have enough going forward – and then some.
The squad is good, their form is decent and they’re on home soil. There’s a lot riding on this for die Mannschaft going forward, but there’s not a lot of expectation in Germany; they just don’t want their team to fall asleep at the wheel in yet another major tournament.
Embed from Getty ImagesSo, what can we expect? Well, the jury’s still out. There’s more than enough quality in the side and Nagelsmann is starting to make his imprint on it. They should escape their group; they’re joined by Hungary, Scotland and Switzerland in what is the perfect group for them. On paper, they should breeze through and then, with a good run of form behind them, the sky would be the limit on their journey to their own capital – Berlin. But football isn’t played on paper, and the Germany we’ve seen on grass for the last decade has left a lot to be desired.
Maybe Gary Lineker was wrong. Maybe football is a tricky game, where 22 men chase after a ball and, after 90 minutes, Germany are knocked out. They’ll hope it’ll be different this year; they need it to be different this year.