Coaching Carousel at Bayern Munich

Now that the dust has settled on the recent coaching change at FC Bayern Munich, it is time to look into the reasons for the dismissal of Julian Nagelsman and the subsequent appointment of Thomas Tuchel. The reasons provided by the Bayern Munich board only covers some of the issues and in this piece, I will attempt to go into more details.

Firstly, let’s start off with the obvious, most coaches at top premier European clubs including Bayern don’t last for more than 2-3 seasons on an average, since I started following the club in 1999, the financial muscle of Bayern has grown substantially, subsequently increasing sporting demands especially on the European stage. The Bundesliga title is considered a new minimum, even coaches like Jupp Heynckes and Pep Guardiola have not been at the helm for more than 3 years. It was noble of the board to give Nagelsman a five-year contract to build a long-term successful football project, however the compulsions of immediate success on the pitch along accompanied by an attractive style of play proved too much of a challenge for a young coach in his first high profile job. It is not a coincidence that the successful managers at the club in the last two decades have been established names with strong resumes like Ottmar Hitzfeld, Heynckes, Pep, Louis Van Gaal with Hansi Flick being the only notable exception. Unfortunately, at this stage of his career, Nagelsman did not possess the requisite experience and authority to get the strong Bayern dressing room on board.

Secondly, like in the case of Flick, lack of trophies on your resume can be compensated for if one can convince the players of the tactics and systems to be implemented. Flick kept it simple with a basic 4-2-3-1 formation with a high pressing system, it was not rocket science and therefore easy to implement. Unfortunately, Nagelsman in an attempt to forge an identity and stamp his authority experimented with too many systems and consequently personnel, including in games it was 3-5-2. 4-3-2-1, 3-4-3, 4-2-2-2 etc, flexibility is desirable especially in tight European games where the margins are minimal, however it becomes a problem especially when the team lacks a primary systematic identity. It was no coincidence that Tuchel started his first game in the 4-2-31, a staple system for Bayern 10 plus years. In an uber competitive dressing room and a board room where the demand for immediate success is compulsive, a stable system gets the senior players on board with others following suit. System changes can happen once an established base and rapport has been built.

Finally, unfortunately for Nagelsman, the availability and desirability of Tuchel was the final death knell. Tuchel is a rare breed, a German coach with a champions league title on his CV along with a proven track of handling of tough dressing rooms and even tougher bosses (Chelsea and PSG). It may not be a long-term association, but as long as he delivers the champions league, all will be ok. It’s a long way to go but the initial signs are promising both on and off the pitch.

As for Nagelsman, it’s been a tough experience but I am sure its only going to make him stronger. I think its good for him to take some time off and reflect. It would be best for him to avoid a volatile job like Chelsea and instead take up a job like Spurs, with a little less pressure and more time to mould a project like Pochettino did. One thing is for sure: He will be back and we should not be surprised if he comes back for a second spell at Bayern in the future.