LAST month, Toni Kroos posted a “short and painless” update to his Instagram feed, confirming that he had decided to heed the honey-soaked call of Julian Nagelsmann, Germany’s relatively new coach, and rescind his international retirement.

He would, he wrote, return to the national team – after three years away – and be available for selection for this summer’s European Championship.

Given how torrid Germany’s preparations for the tournament have been, it was a welcome boost: The cavalry was arriving, albeit, this being Kroos, at a gentle, unruffled sort of pace.

There was something about the caption, though, that did not quite fill you with confidence.

“Why?” Kroos asked, rhetorically, of his decision to return.

“Because I was asked by the national coach, I’m up for it and I’m sure that a lot more is possible with the team at the European Championships than most people believe!”

It was not exactly a marketing slogan to stir the soul. As a representation of exactly where Germany is, three months out from a tournament it will host, though, it is hard to beat:

Julian Nagelsmann and his team will carry the hopes of the host nation into this summer’s Euros.