Is Bayern Munich big enough for two Thomas-es? Apparently not, if Thomas Tuchel is anything to go by. Repeating the exact same mistakes as his less-successful predecessors — the likes of Carlo Ancelotti, Niko Kovac, and Nagelsmann — the new coach has decided that he can find a way to win consistently without playing Thomas Muller. We know how this ends.
Unfortunately, Tuchel can’t seem to even come up with a convincing argument for why Muller has been benched. His latest comments, before Bayern’s game against Werder Bremen, come across as genuinely absurd.
“It was the same against Hertha, we did quite well there, Serge scored. It was a close call, just like with Leroy. That will always be the case at FC Bayern.”
This is what he says about a player who has made a career out of attacking the right half-space. Someone who has won multiple Champions League titles and a World Cup, and even in this season — considered by many to be a poor year for him — stood tall in games versus the likes of Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund.
While certain players like Sadio Mane get chance after chance despite not fitting in with the setup, Tuchel brings up inane reasons for keeping one of the team’s key players out of the lineup. Why the double standard? If it’s about performances, shouldn’t there be more rotation in the starting XI?
With three games left in the league season, Bayern Munich seem headed for another title. Thomas Tuchel may well enjoy his wins versus Hertha Berlin and Werder Bremen with subpar setups and tactics. But if he wants to bring in performances worthy of a Bayern Munich coach, there’s one player he needs. He better stop making excuses and start giving him time.
Interested in an in-depth discussion of the win over Bremen? Then check out our postgame podcast! Listen to it below or on Spotify.
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