Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann was long rumoured to be a potential alternative to Michael Carrick for Manchester United.
Before Michael Carrick became the undeniable choice for Manchester United to appoint, Julian Nagelsmann was considered his nearest competitor for the role.
The caveat around Nagelsmann, as great a tactician as he is, was that he wouldn’t be available until after the World Cup.
He led Germany into the competition off the back of horrid campaigns in 2018 and 2022, but there was a feeling he would go far, therefore missing pre-season if United had appointed him.
But it hasn’t panned out that way.
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Julian Nagelsmann sees Germany knocked out by Paraguay
If Ineos had any doubts over appointing Carrick instead of Nagelsmann this summer, those concerns should have dissipated after Monday night saw Germany crash out.
Germany have been woeful all tournament long despite winning their group, and against Paraguay they were terrible again.
Meeting a defensively solid Paraguay side, Germany created nothing and went on to lose on penalties for the first time in their history, crashing out at the round of 32 stage.
Nagelsmann was under pressure before this, and he is now sure to be slaughtered by the press in Germany, and we assume he will be relieved of his services.
If United had agreed to appoint him after the World Cup, it would be a disaster in the making. Nagelsmann would be joining United with his tail between his legs, likely low in confidence and at the lowest point he has been in his career.
He would have to turn around and start pre-season next week, with his mood likely to affect players, create a bad environment from day one, and it would be impossible to envision him succeeding.
Tactically, Nagelsmann showed little against Paraguay or throughout this tournament, persisting with his unsuccessful system and making baffling decisions such as dropping Jamal Musiala for Florian Wirtz.
Nagelsmann had a lot of supporters who wanted to see him take over at United, but surely this would put off even his biggest fans.
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Michael Carrick’s summer will be much better for Manchester United
While Nagelsmann’s summer will be ruined by Germany’s loss to Paraguay, he won’t have been able to even think about his hypothetical United move until now.
On the other hand, Carrick will have had time to rest, recuperate and plan for the 2026/27 season.
He has been part of the recruitment process, will have spent all summer plotting and scheming ideas to mount a serious title charge next season, and he will be desperate to get stuck in next week.
This summer is so much better for United than Nagelsmann coming in after a humiliating and career-altering defeat while managing his national team.
So if there were any lingering doubts, United quite clearly made the right decision, and it is ageing like a fine wine.
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