Was the tactic wrong? Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel has to put up with questions after the 3-0 loss in Leverkusen. And he knows: “The result doesn’t agree with me.”
After the top game humiliation for FC Bayern, coach Thomas Tuchel quickly became the focus of criticism. For many observers, the Munich coach was the main culprit for the well-deserved 3-0 loss at Bayer Leverkusen, after which the series champions are now five points behind the league leaders. And the support for the coach from the Bayern camp sounded rather half-hearted.
“Nothing will change at all” in the collaboration with Tuchel, assured CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen and when asked only said: “I don’t like to repeat myself.” That was probably supposed to be a bummer, but it seemed like the opposite. Dreesen struggled to express an explicit commitment to Tuchel.
Bayern were surprised by Leverkusen
Especially since the Bayern boss analyzed that they had “lost the thread” after a good initial phase. And then he even added: “Why is that? There are experts for that. We have to ask the coach.”
Before the important week with further away games at Lazio Rome in the Champions League and at the uncomfortable VfL Bochum in the league, Tuchel is at least in need of explanation. “That was one of our worst performances on the most important day and in the most important game,” said captain Manuel Neuer. The national goalkeeper also admitted that “we didn’t expect Leverkusen to be like that. We were already expecting different personnel.”
So was Tuchel out-coached by Xabi Alonso, the former Bayern professional and possible Leverkusen champion, who has long been considered Tuchel’s successor? At least Tuchel’s switch to the unfamiliar three-man defense didn’t work – and even sent a fatal message to the opponent.
When the Bayern line-up was shown in the dressing room, “we felt how much respect they have for us,” said Leverkusen defense chief Jonathan Tah: “That definitely gave us more courage and self-confidence.”
Tuchel: “Defeat had nothing to do with tactics”
Tuchel declared contritely that he “always takes responsibility for the tactics. So it goes without saying that I’ll take them on today too.” But the defeat “had nothing to do with tactics.” The result doesn’t prove him right. “But we prepared well for a week,” assured the coach.
The fatal mix at Bayern also includes the fact that Tuchel’s spokesmen Joshua Kimmich and Thomas Müller only enjoy limited trust. Both of them only came into a game that had almost been lost in the 60th minute when the score was 0-2 – and expressed their frustration afterwards.
Müller was primarily addressing his colleagues when he explained: “I’m missing the balls, I can now quote Olli Kahn.” Tuchel expressed his understanding for this. Edeljoker Müller even expressly protected the coach when he said: “There were enough players of international caliber on the pitch with us. You don’t even need to go to the coach.”
He says his colleagues miss “that flash in their eyes that allows them to influence such a top game. At Leverkusen, you mostly have the feeling that they are having a lot of fun together,” analyzed Müller and complained that there was a lack of freedom in his Bayern game. “The Leverkusen team just gamble, they play football, they look for solutions. We do that too, but not in the game when the pressure is there.”
Kimmich commented on this almost word for word, who did not hide his disappointment about being placed on the bench after recovering from a shoulder injury. “In general, there is little to be seen in the game of joy, creativity, lightness and freedom.” For many listeners, the question immediately arose: Do the players feel restricted by the coach’s instructions?
Dreesen: “We have to collect ourselves and look forward”
Kimmich was therefore asked whether it was appropriate to change tactics in what was perhaps the most important game of the season. “In general, I’m a fan of the fact that we should be so good that we don’t have to adapt to the opponent,” said Kimmich.
“Still, I think you always have to adapt to a top opponent to some extent. We did that, even if it didn’t work out. But I don’t think it was because of the tactics.” Tuchel has “adjusted the team well. We have to fill the whole thing with life.”
Dreesen gave the coach and the team an announcement for the game in Rome. “After a game like that, where we were clearly the worse team, you have to collect yourself and look forward,” he said. The first leg of the round of 16 in the premier class is an “opportunity to repair the gap.”
What Dreesen wants in the long term: “We used to always hear about Bayern-Dusel, which is actually a quality. We have to get back to that so-called Dusel.”
This will probably require a change in the summer. The only question is whether Tuchel can still lead him.
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
