When FC Bayern were eliminated from the DFB Cup by SC Freiburg, coach Thomas Tuchel saw for the first time exactly where his new team’s problems lie.
You couldn’t tell from his face what Thomas Tuchel felt in the second half of FC Bayern’s quarter-final defeat against SC Freiburg. The baseball cap pulled low over the face and the scarf over the mouth, almost up to the tip of the nose, prevented a look at the facial expressions of the new Munich coach during the 90 minutes. His body language, on the other hand, gave an idea of what thoughts were on his mind in this game.
Almost motionless, almost petrified and with his arms crossed, the 49-year-old watched most of the action – and he seemed a little disillusioned with what he saw from his players. “We always had good moments, sometimes very good phases. But we find it difficult to keep them. We find it difficult to keep up the pace in the good things until it really tips in our favor.”said the FCB coach when analyzing the 2-1 defeat in the sports show.
Another alarm signal
Again and again, his players bit their teeth at the well-organized SCF defense. Again and again the crosses ended up with a Freiburg defender. The few Munich (game) ideas shattered by the attention of the opposing defensive. The number of chances to score was frighteningly low in terms of possession and one-sidedness in the second half.
The “last hunger” was missing a bit. “Forcing the thing when it’s tight and the opponent is defending deeply. That was missing.”, said Tuchel remarkably openly. A judgment by the new coach that was devastating for Munich’s self-image. FCB had often decided games in the final minutes, much to the annoyance of the rest of Germany. The record champions could not be defeated so often in elimination games.
The fact that these skills could not be seen in such an important game should have been another real alarm signal for the club officials around sports director Hasan Salihamidzic and club chairman Oliver Kahn – and for Tuchel.
Consistency at the highest level is missing
It is possible that Tuchel could take part in this “disappointing Tuesday night“It has become clear that after the separation from Julian Nagelsmann, his new team didn’t just need a mood booster to get back on track. That Bayern Munich had meanwhile lost a nine-point lead over Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga , fits into the Munich picture against this background and does not appear to be a coincidence.
The team has lost consistency at the highest level. Striker Robert Lewandowski, who scored the redeeming goals so often even in difficult situations and games, is no longer available.
Salihamidzic strengthens Tuchel’s back
Tuchel should and must ensure that the players permanently exploit their undoubtedly high potential. However, the question arises as to how the football coach is supposed to impart these skills in such a short space of time. There is almost no time for training sessions in which Tuchel can work specifically on this problem.
The coach released his players for the Wednesday “after” so that “The national players are sleeping in their own beds again”. The Bavarians are chasing deadlines, regeneration is the focus these days – in the final sprint for the remaining titles.
Salihamidzic apparently knows about the extremely difficult task of the new coach and demonstratively backed him after the bankruptcy, which cost Bayern’s first goal of the season: “It’s bitter for all of us, but it has nothing to do with the coach. It’s a process. He makes a very good impression and does a very good job.”
Find the right words
FCB are already playing in the Bundesliga in Freiburg on Saturday, and the first leg of the quarter-finals is in the next Tuesday Champions League at Manchester City. Thomas Tuchel and FC Bayern are in a dilemma. All that remains for the coach in the coming weeks is to give the right words and the best possible tactical instructions – and hope that his players will be able to implement them.
Tuchel can only start his actual (soccer) work after the end of the season. It is possible that this realization made him freeze at times on the sidelines.