It has been almost nine months since Thomas Tuchel took over the reins at Bayern Munich after the dismissal of Julian Nagelsmann. However, while the record champions were able to reclaim their Bundesliga title, they still went on to crash out of the Champions League and DFB-Pokal during Tuchel’s initial few months in charge.
Nevertheless, as reported by Kicker, there is reason behind Der Rekordmeister’s poor form. Upon Tuchel’s appointment, after first meeting his squad, the Bayern head coach is said to have been shocked by the lack of fitness and mental strength of the side.
The then-49-year-old realised early on the drastic changes that needed to be made to his side if they were to transform their fortunes going forward. This is something that may become more obvious when recalling the incident between Sadio Mané and Leroy Sané after the Rekordmeister’s first-leg defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad.
However, as well as this, there were also issues regarding the playing squad when Tuchel took charge. He made it quite clear how he believed Bayern would be unable to succeed without a world-class striker, and in the summer, his wishes were granted with the arrival of Harry Kane.
Nevertheless, he has not yet been given the number six that he truly desires after insisting that Joshua Kimmich is not naturally suited to that role. As the January window opens, a defensive midfielder may be signed by the Bavarian outfit, but it has been reported that they are targeting additions to their backline instead.
Regardless, Tuchel has been responsible for the change in fitness and mental strength of this Bayern side, and while their issues may not be completely solved, they are certainly coming close to doing so. The record champions have faced a number of setbacks this season in the DFB-Pokal and against Eintracht Frankfurt in the league, but they have bounced back emphatically each time.
It is far from perfect at the Allianz Arena, but in truth, it very rarely is, and without Tuchel, Bayern could currently be in a much worse position than they are now.
GGFN | Will Shopland
