Manchester United’s shortlist of manager candidates this summer includes current Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann.
While Michael Carrick is a frontrunner for the Manchester United head coach role this summer, he is still facing competition for the job from the likes of Luis Enrique and Julian Nagelsmann.
According to reports, Nagelsmann is open to taking the United job, but he is currently focused on leading Germany into the 2026 World Cup.
Nagelsmann’s comparison to Carrick shows that he has more experience at an elite level, and he is currently on a win streak with Germany.
Where does Julian Nagelsmann rank in Man United’s new manager shortlist?
Would you be concerned of his similarities with Ruben Amorim and Erik ten Hag?
Julian Nagelsmann criticised Germany players for poor positioning
Nagelsmann has shown tactical versatility across his managerial career, but the German coach clearly wants positional discipline from his players.
Following Germany’s 2-1 win over Ghana on Monday evening, Nagelsmann questioned why his players were leaving their positions.
“We got a bit impatient and stopped sticking to our positions. It was a lot of freestyle again, just like against Switzerland. And then sometimes we simply aren’t secure enough on the ball to pull off that kind of freestyle,” Nagelsmann said.
“There are certainly a few players who can play in any position, but there are also a few players in the squad who simply feel more comfortable in one position and are happier when they can hold that position and then play well in it.
“The team is making life difficult for themselves. You can prevent seven or eight out of ten counter-attacks if you simply stay a bit more disciplined in your structure.
“They want to win and score a goal, but it’s enough if we do that late on. The important thing is that we don’t concede two or three because we’re caught on the counter-attack.”
Who do YOU want as the next Man Utd manager?
What traits are you looking for?
Julian Nagelsmann wants tactical control if he joins Man Utd
In the early stages of his United tenure, Ruben Amorim questioned United’s positioning and suggested that players were overthinking about where they needed to be.
If Nagelsmann does take charge in the summer, his instructions at Germany can act as a warning to United players that they will need to strictly follow his tactical instructions.
Nagelsmann is using a 4-2-3-1 shape with Germany which is similar to that used by Carrick at United.
But Carrick has given more responsibility to players to fix problems on the pitch themselves rather than handing out strict tactical instructions.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
