Jurgen Klopp is leaving nothing to chance as his punditry at the World Cup casts a shadow over Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann. The former Liverpool manager, now a high-profile analyst for Magenta TV alongside Thomas Muller, has already irked Nagelsmann with his comments on team selection.
Nagelsmann Under Pressure
Julian Nagelsmann's job could be on the line if Germany endure a poor World Cup in North America. Klopp's opinions might be the least of his problems if results do not go well. However, for now, Klopp is getting paid handsomely to speak his mind, and his suggestion to drop Jamal Musiala from the opening game has certainly undermined Nagelsmann.
Klopp's Ruthless Side
Klopp is not one to stand on ceremony. Behind his beaming smile lies a ruthless and intimidating individual who stops at nothing to get what he wants. It remains to be seen if this includes replacing Nagelsmann. The nudging and winking between Klopp and Muller on national TV leaves little doubt about what the future might hold.
Nagelsmann, aware of the situation, breezed into his opening media conference looking relaxed. When challenged on Klopp's disrespectful comments, he responded: "We have a lot of experts, cool guys with a lot of success in soccer. They can talk about what they talk about, I will concentrate on the games."
The Shadow of Klopp
Klopp is starting to resemble a grim reaper to Nagelsmann—a dark shadow hovering over him. Klopp is popular, while Nagelsmann divides opinion. Most German supporters want Klopp as national team manager, while they wait for Nagelsmann to fail. Nagelsmann can change the narrative by engineering success in North America, silencing the noise from back home. But if he cannot win games, the clamour for him to go will be deafening—and Klopp won't even have to say a word.
