Bonus Issue: Julian Nagelsmann Explainer

Finally, it's my time to shine. Here are some thoughts on Julian Nagelsmann as he has been linked to the Tottenham manager job—although he is now just one of many potential candidates after further additions to the managerial merry-go-round in recent weeks.

As many of y'all know, I'm also a big supporter of Bayern Munich, so this moment in time feels like it has been specially brought about to cause me personal pain. But as they say in football:  we move.

To simplify this explainer, I've broken it down into the classic five Ws + How format, but slightly out of the traditional order.

Who

Who is Julian Nagelsmann?

The short answer is that he's a German football manager.

The long answer is that he's something of a prodigy in European football. He was appointed as head coach of FC Bayern München at just 33 years old (notably, he's younger than Bayern's first keeper, Manuel Neuer). Since Bayern is his boyhood club, this put even more pressure on him to succeed with Der Rekordmeister.

But even before his (sadly brief) stint with Bayern, he was already making a name for himself in the Bundesliga and in European competition. With Hoffenheim, he became both the youngest Bundesliga head coach at 28 years old and the youngest manager in the Champions League at 31 years and 58 days. In his first two years with the club, he took them from escaping relegation to qualifying for the Champions League qualifying phase for the first time in the club's history, securing direct qualification the next season.

Nagelsmann had further success at his next club, RB Leipzig, becoming the youngest coach to win both a Champions League game as well as a knockout stage game, with Leipzig reaching that stage of the competition for the first time in club history.  He also became the youngest coach to manage a side in the semi-finals of the competition. Leipzig were runners-up in the Pokal (the German equivalent of the FA Cup) for the 2020/21 season.

His actual playing career had been cut short by injury, which is why he retired at age 20 and transitioned into management at his last playing club.

Oh, and the coach who first identified his managerial potential and mentored him as a scout at FC Augsburg? None other than Thomas Tuchel—his successor at Bayern. There's a reason they call it the managerial merry-go-round (especially in the Bundesliga).

What

What did he achieve with Bayern?

Three titles:  two DFL-Supercup titles and one Bundesliga title.

This season, Bayern were still alive in the Pokal and the Champions League (having kept a perfect winning record through to the quarter-finals) and were just one point behind Dortmund in the Bundesliga.

Why

Why was he sacked by Bayern?

The flippant answer is that I would love to know what the Bayern board were thinking, because they've clearly lost their minds.

But the serious answer involves a bit of speculation. It was heavily rumored that the board decided to act during the international break because Thomas Tuchel had made it known that he was available then, and only then. Tuchel had been a longtime target for the Bayern manager position. Other clubs were courting him, so if Bayern wanted him, there was no choice but to accelerate the departure of Nagelsmann—who was already under some criticism for inconsistent performances in the league, if not the cups.

There had been some hints that Nagelsmann might be sacked back in September (which would have been even hastier in my opinion). It made for a rather uncomfortable team gathering at Oktoberfest.

So the eventual timing felt very weird. I won't lie and say that the league performances had been great because they hadn't, but for the most part, the club was still on course to challenge for a treble this season. Since the CL was the only trophy still missing in Nagelsmann's career, you can't exactly blame him for putting more emphasis on that competition. The club's Bundesliga destiny was still in its own hands thanks to the next fixture against Dortmund (which Bayern did win under Tuchel, as it happens).

I also think Nagelsmann was placed in quite a bind with the squad because the defense was a known issue going into the season, and Brazzo (Bayern's sporting director, Hasan Salihamidžić) and the board did not do enough in the transfer windows to rectify it. It didn't help that Bayern's best defender (again, in my opinion), Lucas Hernandez, was sidelined with an ACL injury halfway through the season. Instead, they focused on making another marquee transfer (Sadio Mané, who hasn't worked out, to put it mildly). Tension between Brazzo and previous Bayern manager Hansi Flick was also well-documented.  

Bayern is kind of a unique club in modern football in the sense that most of the upper management is made up of former Bayern players. Pre-conceived notions about their own importance to the club would often entrench them into single-minded decision-making. It's possible that Nagelsmann's personal loyalty to the club wasn't enough to make up for the fact that he never played for Bayern, but even Flick was overruled on transfer decisions and other matters despite his history as a former player.

So the Bayern board got their man, but so far, the plan has backfired spectacularly. But one club's loss will be another club's gain...

Where

Where could Nagelsmann manage next?

Crucially, maybe at Tottenham Hotspur! But we are of course not the only interested club. He's also been linked with Real Madrid and Chelsea.

Realistically, Real Madrid would probably be the "safe" option (not to mention most prestigious), because both Spurs and Chelsea have had issues with their boards/ownership and sporting structures made public this season, and Real Madrid would represent a relatively stable environment in comparison. Nagelsmann would have to navigate a lot of friction with the sporting director (or lack thereof) at both of the Premier League clubs, and he may not be eager to get into such an arrangement again so soon.

Still, it sounds like he's more interested in a Premier League job as a challenge and a growth opportunity in his still young career. Since Spurs are (supposedly) looking for a project manager, it would be a natural fit with Nagelsmann. But money could win out, of course, and Chelsea undoubtedly has the edge there.

When

When will he decide?

The fact that Carlo Ancelotti is still in charge at Real Madrid (their board, at least, has some sense to them) and interim managers have been named at Spurs and Chelsea (Cristian Stellini and Frank Lampard, respectively and hilariously) suggests that his next move will likely come in the summer. And you can't blame him for wanting a bit of a break after the high-pressure situation he left at Bayern. Plus, he'll want to see how the teams he's considering joining fare in the rest of the season to know what he'd be getting into for the next season; if he's wanting to manage a team in the Champions League, Real Madrid will be his best bet, followed by Spurs with an outside chance of qualifying and Chelsea with a "miracle required" chance of qualifying by winning the current tournament.

If Spurs do manage to secure his services, or even if they don't, I hope we get clarity on it in a timely manner—not the long drawn-out manager search of two summers ago.

How

How would he manage at Spurs?

Nagelsmann's tactics would be a marked departure from the stodgy, conservative style we've seen Spurs playing under the last few managers post-Pochettino. He's definitely a modern manager and a big proponent of the "gegenpress." Not only would we see Spurs transformed into a team that actually seeks possession as well as retains it, we would likely see some flexibility in lineups and formations used as well.

I for one think it would be refreshing to finally have a manager again who is proactive and adaptive, rather than one who sticks to a rigid system and philosophy as Mourinho and Conte both did.

As far as man management goes, the majority of the Bayern players have only had positive things to say about their now-former manager, and it seems like the few discontents were dissatisfied more so because they were sold a false vision of their role in the team by Brazzo and less because of Nagelsmann's treatment of them. On the whole, I think he did a pretty good job of rotating the squad and keeping everyone fit and happy, which was not easy in a season where many of the players were returning from the World Cup in defeat. In fact, the only major injuries suffered in the squad happened either during the World Cup (Hernandez) or shortly after during the winter break (Manuel Neuer, don't even talk to me about it).

My one slight (and I mean slight) concern is on the defensive side of things, but there's no denying the fact that Spurs' squad needs refreshment and upgrading in this area already, and I think Nagelsmann would at least improve the defense by shifting the balance of pressure into the attack and therefore lessening the amount of actual defending the team has to do. With the right pieces, he's perfectly capable of building a solid defense. And most importantly, he's shown a willingness to shift between a back-3 and back-4 from game to game depending on the opponent.

Plus, he actually makes timely and smart substitutions, so that will be a nice change from the current status quo.    

Overall, I think Nagelsmann would represent the kind of dynamic, innovative manager that would return Spurs to the club's historical identity as an attacking-forward side. For him, the move would provide a chance to further solidify his reputation as one of the most tactically astute managers working in world football. Much as the nostalgic part of me is still lowkey hoping for the return of Poch, my sensible side says that Nagelsmann is the better option long-term.

Feel free to drop a comment if y'all have any other questions about Julian Nagelsmann and his potential fit with Spurs!

It's been a long time since I've missed doing a full match recap, but to be honest, something had to give this week (more on that in a second), and I really wanted to get this bonus issue out first and foremost.

Tottenham 2 - 1 Brighton

I also didn't watch the Brighton match with as close of attention to detail as usual, because I first watched it in a car on the way up to Austin to see the USWNT play, and then hastily rewatched the next morning ahead of podcasting with the Tottenham Depot. So I don't have much to offer in the way of tactical analysis this week. In the big picture, what I did see of the performance didn't necessarily make me feel any more confident about our top 4 chances, and it's fair to say we got pretty lucky in gaining all three points since Brighton had a clear penalty chance not given.

The one moment I have to highlight, though, is Son's milestone goal. He scored his 100th Premier League goal in classic Sonny fashion, a curling shot from outside the box.

The one moment I have to highlight, though, is Son's milestone goal. He scored his 100th Premier League goal in classic Sonny fashion, a curling shot from outside the box. It was one of those shots where as soon as it left his foot (his right foot, in this case), you knew it was going in.

Son becomes the first Asian player to reach this achievement in the Premier League. It hasn't been the easiest season for him, so I was delighted to see him get this moment to remind fans across the league and across the world that he is one of the best to ever do it. Here's to hoping that next season under a more attacking-minded manager, he can get back to his prolific goal-scoring best.

I'm writing this the night (well, morning now...) before leaving on a trip to Louisville to see my local USL club, San Antonio FC, play in the rematch of last year's USL Championship final—which SAFC won, naturally. So no match preview for the weekend game against Bournemouth, but I'll share a recap probably on Tuesday or Wednesday after getting back from my trip. It's another match that I'm going to have to watch after the fact on replay. Spurs Women don't have their next match until the following weekend, so at least I'm only missing one game!

COYS

Thank you for reading!

If you’re enjoying the newsletter, make sure to sign up for a free subscription to receive new issues in your inbox, or upgrade to a paid membership to unlock additional bonus content every month. You can also buy me a Ko-fi for a one-time tip. Your support keeps Spurs Across the Pond running and is much appreciated.

You can also find me on Twitter and podcasting at N17 Women and The Tottenham Depot.