Thomas Tuchel has so far held back on making unpopular personnel decisions at FC Bayern and basically trusts the same players as his predecessor Julian Nagelsmann. According to reports, however, there is one candidate whose regular place under Tuchel is shaky. Leon Goretzka is said to have driven the 49-year-old crazy against Hoffenheim.
Under Julian Nagelsmann, Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka were absolutely set in central midfield. Tuchel also relied on the DFB duo in his first games. However, it seems that this could change soon. Accordingly, Goretzka in particular will have to improve significantly if he is not to lose his regular place at the record champion.
Tuchel currently has few alternatives in midfield
In the past, Goretzka was considered one of the most goal-scoring midfielders in Europe and was compared to ex-FCB professional Michael Ballack. His season record so far has been mixed. In 34 games he has „only“ scored six goals. In addition, he repeatedly shows weaknesses in his passing and is hardly in a position to enrich Bayern’s offensive play.
Goretzka drove Tuchel crazy today. No other player frustrated him as much as Goretzka. The coach called him to the sidelines a couple of times and gave him instructions. At the moment Goretzka still has his place, maybe also due to a lack of alternatives. pic.twitter.com/cBdeQKoh5n
— Bayern & Football (@MunichFanpage) April 15, 2023
Interestingly, according to a Bayern fan who was sitting directly behind the FCB coach’s bench on Saturday, Thomas Tuchel was anything but enthusiastic about Goretzka’s performance against Hoffenheim. According to the report, the DFB star „drove his coach crazy.“ No other player is said to have frustrated Tuchel more than Goretzka. The 49-year-old has called him to the touchline several times and given him instructions.
This would explain, among other things, why Tuchel replaced Goretzka with Jamal Musiala in the 60th minute, with the score at 1-0 to Bayern. Later, even Joao Cancelo moved into central midfield next to Kimmich.
However, it is also clear that Tuchel has hardly any alternatives in midfield at the moment. With Ryan Gravenberch, only one regular player is available for the centre. However, the Dutchman has not been able to leave a lasting impression in recent months. Other options are Musiala and Cancelo.
