Tuchel under fire as Neuer urges unity after Bayern loss

By Klaus Bergmann, dpa I Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024

 

MUNICH – Coach Thomas Tuchel has the backing of Bayern Munich officials and players despite a latest defeat but the alarm bells are ringing that the club could face a first season in 12 years without silverware.

Tuchel and the team can not afford to falter again on Sunday in the Bundesliga at Bochum, after first losing a league topper 3-0 at Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday and then also crashing 1-0 on Wednesday at Italy’s Lazio in a Champions League last 16 first leg game.

Bayern played a decent first half in Rome but it all unravelled as Dayot Upamecano saw red for bringing down Gustav Isaksen and Ciro Immobile converted the ensuing penalty.

“These are days you have to learn to deal with,” Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen said at the traditional post-game banquet.

Captain Manuel Neuer urged a collective effort to end the negative run.
“We have to stick together and play the next game in Bochum as well as we can. We need a sense of achievement, positive emotions, a win. It’s difficult to find the right words,” Neuer said.

At the centre is former Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea coach Tuchel who was signed 11 months ago when Bayern bosses saw season goals endangered under Julian Nagelsmann.

Bayern are five points behind Leverkusen in the league, went out in the German Cup in autumn against third division Saarbrücken, and need to turn around the deficit against Lazio to stay in Europe.

Bayern’s last season without silverware dates back to 2011-12. They have since won all 11 Bundesliga titles, five German Cups and two Champions Leagues – with title trebles in 2013 and 2020.

A tight-lipped Tuchel said “no” when asked whether he was concerned about his future, and sporting director Christoph Freund backed the helmsman.

“We’re all in the same boat. It’s not easy now, but we’ll get out of this together, that’s our big goal,” Freund said. “Of course, he is also struggling with the situation because he wants to see the team differently on the pitch.”

Forward Thomas Müller said questions on Tuchel’s future showed a lack of respect.
Tuchel said about the latest setback: “Of course we’re frustrated and angry about the defeat. I don’t know why, but we lost the plot at half-time. We ended up with no shots on goal, and that means you can’t score either.”

Tuchel returned to his usual formation after a failed experiement in Leverkusen, and also fielded the experienced Joshua Kimmich and Müller as starters but it was to no avail as Bundesliga top scorer Harry Kane and the whole team failed to find the net again.

“We’re not carefree at the moment,” Neuer admitted. “You can feel the nervousness.”
Müller agreed, saying: “We’re not in a situation at the moment where everything is coming easily to us.”

But he vowed that “we’ll keep going and now have three weeks until the second leg. Now we’re consciously looking positively towards the Bundesliga.

“We’re not happy, that’s absolutely clear, but we’ll give our all in all competitions right up to the last second,” Müller said.

Dreesen also insisted that Bayern have every chance to reach the quartzer-finals in Europe as he cited former club bosses.

“Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeneß always said when we were 1-0 down away from home: ‘That’s a result you can live with. You can still win at home.’ That’s the message we have to take with us. Our team has the quality,” Dreesen said.