Tuchel’s long run and name on knife-edge as Bayern lurch against unthinkable | Andy Brassell

Tright here was once a way by which it’s worthwhile to argue that this was once to be anticipated. This was once, in spite of everything, the 3rd time in successive seasons that Mainz had despatched Bayern Munich house with a defeat in overdue April. “Oops, I did it again,” was once the caption at the membership’s social media put up, that includes the inevitable Britney Spears mid-dance with the Mainz membership crest on her jumpsuit.

It was once the one factor that was once acquainted about this situation. More correct was once the later, moment strive from the wags doing the socials for Die Nullfünfer, It featured Homer Simpson coming house – Mainz crest imposed on his swimsuit – joyfully proclaiming “I got the job!” and greeted by means of a proud Lisa (dressed in a Bundesliga badge) telling him she all the time knew he may do it. Bart, rocking the Borussia Dortmund emblem, joins in whilst sneakily turfing a cake iced with the phrases ‘At Least You Tried’ into the bin.

We do not but know if that is the sport that definitively modified the process the Bundesliga name race, with Bayern’s slip permitting Dortmund to head most sensible with 5 video games to head, courtesy of a 4–0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt in a while after. It is no less than sufficient for us to consider in an exciting finish to the season, 11 years after a workforce rather then Bayern lifted the Meisterschale (naturally, it was once Jürgen Klopp’s BVB).

What we surely know is that there’s something actually, severely flawed at Säbener Strasse. The nuclear possibility of taking away Julian Nagelsmann and changing him with Thomas Tuchel may also be showed as a failure, torching the long-term for the fast and making issues a lot worse. Few would blame Tuchel himself – in spite of the wry recommendation of Bild’s Walter M.Straten that he might be fired now given his “catastrophic start” matching the “unbreakable” sluggish get started of Sören Lerby in 1991–92 – however neither would many declare that the The former Chelsea supervisor has executed a excellent task up to now.

The means in their second-half implosion on Saturday was once jaw-dropping, and obviously the straw that broke the camel’s again. They had led at half-time, due to Sadio Mané’s first membership function for the reason that finish of October towards the similar opposition, which were the 3rd in a 6–2 win, when Bayern had been swaggering in acquainted style. Losing at Mainz can occur. Mistakes can occur, like Yann Sommer’s failure to assemble Lee Jae-sung’s bouncing shot, which opened the best way for Ludovic Ajorque to go within the equaliser. What can’t occur is the flurry of 3 unanswered objectives in 14 mins, and not using a actual reaction carved from 74% ownership. The loss of need was once one thing Oliver Kahn could not settle for. “Who was the team that wanted to become German champions?” he ranted. “It definitely wasn’t ours. In the end there are 11 men who are on the pitch and who simply have to work their butts off for the goals of this club.”

Yet if the players’ behavior – under particularly intense scrutiny following the altercation between Mané and Leroy Sané in Manchester 13 days ago – is taking some heavy criticism, Tuchel is no longer getting a free pass either. The Mainz defeat means he has accrued as many competitive losses (three) in his first seven games as Nagelsmann managed in 37 this season, taking in exits from the Champions League, the DfB Pokal and the hitherto seemingly impossible of being deposed from Bundesliga top spot .

Like so much of this, though, it was about the manner rather than just the raw data. Or, more precisely, Tuchel’s manner. His post-match press conference after the quarter-final first leg in Manchester had caught the attention with its soupçon of eccentricity, as he claimed he was delighted with his team’s performance (“a huge step forward”), the 3-0 scoreline had been harsh, and his side were “brutally punished” for their mistakes.

German media were less forgiving of his words in the Mewa Arena on Saturday. “Tuchel used the word “obviously” eight times in his press conference after the 3-1 (loss) in Mainz,” wrote Mario Krichel in Kicker. “Six times he said: ‘I don’t know'” Bild called his words “completely clueless”.

Many of Bayern’s problems predate Tuchel; the defensive flakiness (even if that is an area where he toughened up Chelsea pretty quickly), a questionable transfer policy and more. Yet for a supposedly ruthless coach, he sounded uncertain when asked to explain this damaging defeat. “Obviously we don’t have the energy at the moment to fight back, to deal with setbacks,” he said. “I don’t know why now.”

This sense of not knowing the answers, but also not knowing how to seek them out, has concerned many Bayern observers. It is all very un-Bayernlike. With doubts over Kahn’s and Hasan Salihamidzic’s abilities to take charge of the situation, it has been suggested that board member Uli Hoeness might make a renewed break for power and attempt to bring back Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

Bayern must salvage the absolute bare minimum from this season, the Bundesliga title, and it isn’t in their hands. Of Dortmund’s five remaining games three are at home, and the highest placed side they will face are Mainz, Bayern’s conquerors, on the last day. They currently sit in seventh.

That Edin Terzic’s side conjures a slip of their own is far from impossible. With the coach following his sporting director, Sebastian Kehl, in openly admitting his team are fighting for the title, it is perhaps no coincidence that Dortmund have played as if they have something to lose in their last few games – even against plummeting Eintracht, BVB look very twitchy and vulnerable at 2-0 up, with Mats Hummels taking time off from making vital blocks to head a third before half-time and calm the nerves.

Donyell Malen had been the star man with a brace (“it was his best game for us,” said Terzic) and BVB celebrated by mocking up a photo of the Dutchman with Ronaldo’s 2002 World Cup haircut, annotated with the captain ‘Ronyell Malen’ . How Bayern could do with someone ready to step up and take center stage in a similar fashion right now.

Talking points

The underdogs are taking over the top four. Union Berlin’s win in the late game at Borussia Mönchengladbach and Freiburg’s more predictable 4-0 spanking of Schalke puts them third and fourth respectively, with on-fire Leverkusen doing them the favor of beating Leizpig 2-0 with a dogged defensive display, underlining another string to Xabi Alonso’s bow.

Pál Dárdai’s Hertha comeback was not what he hoped for, with Marvin Ducksch stepping up in Niclas Füllkrug’s absence and scoring a hat-trick to power Werder to a win in Berlin. They are not stranded due to Schalke’s ineptitude, Stuttgart only drawing at Augsburg and still-not-in-the-bottom-three Bochum being hammered at home by Wolfsburg. Bochum’s coach, Thomas Letsch, talked of “catastrophic errors” as their house shape falls to bits – and near-neighbours Dortmund talk over with on Friday.