Bayern Munich’s decision to replace Julian Nagelsmann with Thomas Tuchel could end up being a masterstroke.
Bayern Munich have decided to part ways with Julian Nagelsmann, a manager who was considered a perfect fit for the club by their chairman Herbert Hainer. Things did not go according to plan for the German manager at the club, and he was shown the exit door.
Despite being just one point behind league leaders Borussia Dortmund and making it to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, the former RB Leipzig manager could not save his job at Bayern. Nagelsmann had an impressive record with just three league defeats in the ongoing season.
He averaged 2.31 points per match in his 19 months at the helm. But the club’s board was dissatisfied with the team’s lack of progress, the struggles of highly-paid players such as Sadio Mane and Leroy Sane, and the manager’s tendency to antagonise key members of the dressing room.
The German giants paid Nagelsmann’s release clause of €25 million to RB Leipzig in 2021 to land him at the club. While it was all going well as far as results on the pitch are concerned, things were not really that great off it. The former RB Leipzig manager had a few conflicts with the players. And, in general, he did not really have the support of the club.
Bayern finally decided to cut ties with Nagelsmann during the international break. And they have decided to go ahead with former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel. Several clubs are now ready to pounce and sign the German tactician. Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at it this appointment and what impact it will have on the remainder of the season.
The arrival of a proven winner in Thomas Tuchel
Tuchel had done a great job during his time at Borussia Dortmund. He was in charge of Dortmund for over 100 matches and averaged 2.12 points per game. While he was rejected by Bayern Munich in the past. But the former Blues manager has gone from strength to strength since leaving Dortmund.
Tuchel joined Paris Saint-Germain in France after leaving Germany. He won a few trophies at the club and averaged 2.35 points per game. After parting ways with PSG, he joined Chelsea, where he did wonders.
The German manager guided them to their second Champions League title. He defeated Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City 1-0 to win the biggest prize in club competition. And, when he decided to take on the role at Bayern a few days back, he would have surely thought about winning the UCL with the reds.
Tuchel has proven himself in the Bundesliga as well as the Champions League in the recent past. And, his arrival will surely give the squad a boost. Bayern are just one point behind league leaders Borussia Dortmund. And, Tuchel’s first match in charge is going to be a title-deciding fixture that too against his former side.
He has the opportunity to get off to a perfect start with a win over Dortmund to help his current side regain the top spot in the league. As far as the Champions League is concerned, they have a sizable assignment of squaring up Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City in the quarter-finals. While it is a tough task to go up, Tuchel surely has high-quality players at his disposal who can get the job done for him.
A squad that can adapt to his system
While Julian Nagelsmann preferred having a back four, he did go ahead with a back three in quite a few Bayern Munich matches. And, it is quite evident that there are enough quality players in the squad that will complement Tuchel’s preferred 3-4-2-1 formation.
Matthijs de Ligt, Lucas Hernandez, and Dayot Upamecano are amongst the best defenders in world football. They will give Tuchel’s team defensive solidity in a back three. And, the likes of Joao Cancelo and Alphonso Davies can be deadly in the wing-back roles. Both of them love to be a part of attacking play. And if Tuchel ends up going ahead with the back three system, the duo will surely enjoy joining the attack as wing-backs.
Bayern Munich are home to some of the best midfielders, players who love to keep the ball at their feet and control the pace of the game. Tuchel would surely love working with the likes of Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka.
Overall, when we look at the Bayern Munich squad, they do have every base covered. The squad is full of high-quality players who can fit into different systems. But, one thing is certain, Tuchel does have enough in his ranks to push for both titles. Whether he manages to get the job done is something only time can tell.
Bayern Munich’s executives wanted their new coach to not only bring tactical prowess and a winning mentality but also to revive the struggling attacking players, namely Sadio Mane and Leroy Sane. And, they seemed to have bet on the right man in Thomas Tuchel.
The former Chelsea manager is a ‘players coach’, as he can effectively communicate with the team and build a sense of unity and motivation. His track record of successful stints at PSG and Chelsea has shown that he has the ability to adapt his tactics and form positive relationships with his players.
Tuchel has a tendency to clash with the boards. But overall, when we look at his appointment, it looks like a safe bet given the project at hand and the players at his disposal.
The Champions League favourites!
In general, when a club sack a manager it means that the team is not doing well and struggling on the pitch and things are not that great behind the scenes. But, at Bayern Munich, things are quite smooth on the pitch.
Their only concern was their former manager and his relationship with the players. Bayern were not happy with Nagelsmann’s work at the club. So they decided to part ways with him. The project remains the same, the ambition is the same, and they might have just found the perfect manager to guide them to glory.
Once a club sack a manager just months before the end of the season, counting them as favourites in any competition would be illogical. However, the quality of the players at Bayern and the fact that they perfectly fit into Tuchel’s system suggests that they are favourites to win the UEFA Champions League.
But, it will all depend on how much time the players need to adjust to the change in tactics and whether they manage to fit into the new playing style. If they manage to get a grasp of it in the first week or two, then they will surely cause a lot of trouble for the big club across Europe and most importantly Guardiola’s Manchester City might have a huge task at their hands in the quarter-finals.
