Bayern Munich thought they had their next coach lined up. But now it seems they don’t. Because although Jupp Heynckes will leave the club in the summer as has been clearly agreed, Thomas Tuchel (the man who was thought to be coming in to replace him) is definitely not going to be his successor.
According to the newspaper SZ, the end of last week saw Bayern’s top men – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Uli Hoeneß and Hasan Salihamidzic in a series of desperate meetings trying (in vain as it turned out) to persuade Tuchel to take over the job in Bavaria after Thomas Tuchel had informed Bayern that he would, after all, be going to another European top club. I suspect he fancied a task where winning the League every year was not simply a baseline starting point.
Apparently, also, Bayern Munich had been a little bit vague about the contractual details, having taken it for granted that every man and his dog would want the job, and so tried to step up the process of getting Tuchel to sign. Then they realised that actually they had omitted to make a formal offer or draw up a contract (an easy mistake to make in all the hurly burly of football whatnot, and the sort of muddle of which Arsenal are often accused.)
Rummenigge, Salihamidzic and Jupp Heynckes were of course fired up and they made ready to solve the problem. After all Bayern are not to be turned down. But Tuchel told Rummenigge that in the light of the lack of progress on any actual deal, he’d made arrangements elsewhere.
And you’ll realise where that there could well be.
Part of the problem was that Hoeness took a while to be convinced – he being sure that Heynckes could and would stay and that anyone with half a brain would jump at the chance of being Bayern manager if that option slipped away. By the time everyone was agreed that the incumbent was going and Tuchel was the man for the job, it was too late: Tuchel was already in the middle of negotiations with another club.
So for Bayern Plans A and B (Heynckes and Tuchel) have evaporated and they are in a touch of headlesss chicken mode for the moment. Which takes us to the man who got away. Here is his managerial career.
| Team | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | Win % | |||
| FC Augsburg | July 2007 | June 2008 | 34 | 20 | 8 | 6 | 80 | 45 | +35 | 58.82 |
| Mainz 05 | August 2009 | May 2014 | 182 | 72 | 46 | 64 | 248 | 288 | −40 | 39.56 |
| Borussia Dortmund | June 2015 | May 2017 | 108 | 68 | 23 | 17 | 245 | 113 | +132 | 62.96 |
| Total | 324 | 160 | 77 | 87 | 573 | 446 | +127 | 49.38 | ||
At Dortmund Tuchel took over from Jürgen Klopp after the club ended 7th in the league. By general accounts Tuchel turned the team around, did his transfers early in the window, got rid of nine first team players and went for what we might translate as “dynamic offensive play”.
He also proved himself an experimenter in terms of line ups moving game by game, and sometimes within games between four and three at the back, with two defensive midfielders or one, with three attackers or just one spearhead and three behind him… (Cue TV and radio commentators calling the players “confused”).
But – and this is what the press will seize on – he didn’t win the Bundesliga in his first season, which now seems to be the benchmark the English media is setting up for any new Arsenal manager. But he certainly did bring through unexpected youngsters who seemed to appear from nowhere into the first XI.
In that team was one Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who was sold to cover the costs of restructuring the whole team and evolving even more unexpected positional changes for players – rather as Mr Wenger did in his early years at Arsenal. But still in the squad was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who then managed to knock in an extraordinary 56 goals in 63 league appearances under Tuchel.
The club won the DFB Pokal – the second competition in Germany (although of course in England it would be called not a trophy),
But Tuchel was unhappy about some of the players who were forced out – including Mkhitaryan especially as the chairman declared that they would not be sold. As Watzke blocked the next round of transfers Tuchel walked away and took another year out of management.
And now he is back. And he doesn’t want to go to Bayern. He wants to come to Arsenal.
Or so I am told.
- How the fearless “Said & Done” in the Observer censors the news that just don’t fit
- Xhaka sublime. But by anyone’s standards, Arsenal have had a poor season.
And from the History Society
- Arsenal and the League 1920/1: the crowds and Arsenal’s team
- May/June 1921: Knighton the fantasist. The fourth allegation.
When?
I don’t care who replaces the fm as long as he leaves.
Arsenal need a guy with aproven track record of winning trophies.Dont get some promising dude.
Btw,the way the fm says he is being discriminated because of his age. Well.Well. In the fw,its winning games that count and frankly he has been alet down the last 10 years.
‘Arsenal need a guy with aproven track record of winning trophies.’
You must have been in a coma for the last 5 years or just a sad troll.
Yesterday, Tuchel definitely replacing AW, today Tuchel heading to PSG. The guy must be a genius to take care of two clubs at one time.
Tony, you were saying about “confused” players. Here is a text-book example of a confused person:
“I don’t care who replaces the fm as long as he leaves.”
“Arsenal need a guy with aproven track record of winning trophies. Dont get some promising dude.”
The same person wrote these three sentences.
As for Tuchel, I don’t buy he’ll come to Arsenal. He’s been known as a difficult person to deal with, he had a massive feud with Sven Mislintat and his trophy haul – aside from having Bayern in the league – could have been more impressive if he hadn’t spilled a big advantage against Liverpool in Europa League 2015-16. On the positive note, he is a budget Guardiola in terms of style of play, he prefers a beautiful football and gives space to the players to fulfill their potential unlike certain bus driver in Manchester. Also, Tuchel has already knocked Spurs out of Europe once winning both legs in the process which is a nice gesture from him.
If I’d have to put my money on his next club, I would think twice between PSG (Emery will be fired at the end of the season) and Chelsea (Conte will be fired).
@Josif, I see him going to PSG, the talents PSG has is a managers dream team, his task will be to win the Champions League no doubt.
To be honest, I thought he might be the next Arsenal manager due to the recruitments made during this season but with the wealth PSG has at his disposal he will probably go there. I wouldn’t be surprise if Arsenal hire Emery to replace AW after next season.
With Arsenal now a top six club the manager situation is facing a crisis. A very energetic, no nonsense coach is required who can instil some much needed passion into every performance. Probably someone like the Spud man but where are they to be found? No point in getting in an ageing journey man. The players need more than that.
I am not convinced about the Tuchel rumours. This sounds like the usual misinformed media guesswork. However, he has a decent record in Germany and appears to be a sound coach, proving it at Mainz and Dortmund.
However, I not convinced because Tuchel has a habit of falling out with people, many say due to his ego. Not usre that would appeal to the Arsenal board:-
MAINZ
When he left MAINZ he left in his wake reports of a number of relationship bust-ups.
DORTMUND CEO & PRESIDENT
He fell out with abrasive Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke and Club President Reinhard Rauball over a number of football matters including transfers.
DORTMUND – SVEN MISLINTAT
He banned head scout Sven Mislintat (now at Arsenal) from the ground.
DORTMUND CAPTAIN – MARCEL SCHMELZER
He upset many of the players and Club Captain Marcel Schmelzer due to his handling of Midfielder Nuri Sahin when he failed to include him in the Cup Final squad.
After the Final, Schmelzer said: “When Julian Weigl is injured, Nuri is the only one who can really replace him properly in defensive midfield. It really shocked me, I didn’t understand it at all. The coach would have to explain why he did it. We all completely stand behind Nuri”.
So I would be surprised if the Arsenal board would want someone who has a reputation for upsetting people in the role as Manager.
Wolfgang
“frankly he has been a let down the last 10 years”
3 (THREE) FA Cups in the last 4 (FOUR) years.
The last ten years
This is typical of the recycled BS that we have to put up with from the MSM and ignorant or untruthful fans. If you were comparing Wenger like for like with other clubs that would be one thing. However you are not. You are comparing a Manager who had to balance the books with free spending managers of oil funded clubs. This is not an excuse, this is a fact.
2006 to 2013 (stadium and Highbury redevelopment) Wenger had a net spend below 18th in the league, a period when we had to keep selling our best players and buying ‘prospects’. It is fine to criticise but I find the rewriting of history and totally unrealistic expectations irritating. The problem is, fans believe what they hear without challenge because it suits their narrative.
I said a few times on this and other blogs that I felt that the new manager has already been sourced but the announcement was going to wait until the end of the season.
I was also convinced, although I did not say this, that the new manager would have some connection with Dortmund, if only because we seem to have acquired 2 former Dortmund players, who might otherwise not have been sought.
I cannot see any independent-minded manager wanting to go to Chelsea or to PSG, if only because he would not wish to be told what to do, which is what happens of those clubs.
I also would not wish to have Pochetino, who, although doing a very good job at the scum, nevertheless, goes for spoiling football rather than entertaining football and also has recently declared that he is quite happy with his players diving.
Whoever the new manager, is I have no doubt at all that he will be coming at the end of this season and is already known to the club.
I can’t see him joining us if Sven has any part in the process.
They may not hate each other but they’re definately not friends.
If Thomas joins then Sven will leave.
Well, I’d be over the moon if Arsenal appointed Tuchel.
It seems more likely he’ll end up at Chelsea or PSG though.
Why does it seem more likely?
I had thought Graham Potter might be a choice.
2618 days 213 games 104 wins, 54 draw, 55 losses 345:241 Goals 366 points
His first season, I think average attendance was under 800, now over 5000.
And you kno all this for a fact? How? You attend Bayern board meetings? U reside in Uli Hoeness thoughts? You read them in the press you call liars?
Where’s your reference to these press reports? Isn’t that what you bash these same press with?
I am not sure whether this is a serious article about Tuchel given Untold usually don’t encourage writing anything based on rumours or sketchy sources. If it is a serious look at Tuchel and his link to Arsenal, there seems to be an awful lot of accusations thrown at Bayern just based on a story in another publication. And if this is a serious article, isn’t writing a story based on some rumours from another source the kind of thing you guys dismiss, correctly so, in your regular articles about players leaving and joining the club.
If this was meant to be some satirical or sarcastic piece, I am sorry I didn’t get it.
AFC Nemesis
26/03/2018 at 2:30 pm
Well said. And look at this. Are these 2 posters the same person?
This from Wolfgang
26/03/2018 at 10:45 am
“I don’t care who replaces the fm as long as he leaves.
Arsenal need a guy with a proven track record of winning trophies……….its winning games that count and frankly he has been a let down the last 10 years.”
And this from Leeroysgooners
20/03/2018 at 7:51 pm
“Any fan that is sound of mind has to want him out the door not sign a extension after our decline over the last decade and this absolutely diabolical season this year.”
Strikingly similar don’t you think ?
As you said: 3 (THREE) FA Cups in the last 4 (FOUR) years.
Is he/she, or are they mad ? Or maybe as Polo suggested, hibernation is the excuse?
This is what I said to Leeroysgooners a few days ago:
—–What are you talking about ?
“……decline over the last decade.”
So lets have a look over the last 10 years to see how that statement stands up.
First 6 years of the 10 years in question:
’07/’08 – 3rd – R5
’08/’09 – 4th – SF
’09/’10 – 3rd – R4
’10/’11 – 4th – QF
’11/’12 – 3rd – R5
’12/’13 – 4th – R5
Last 4 Years of the 10 years in question:
’13/’14 – 4th – Won
’14/’15 – 3rd – Won
’15/’16 – 2nd – QF
’16/’17 – 5th – Won
Firstly, lets look at the PREMIER LEAGUE.
The first 6 years of the decade produced:
3 x 4th placed finishes.
3 x 3rd placed finishes.
And the last 4 years of the decade produced:
1 x 5th placed finish.
1 x 4th placed finish.
1 x 3rd placed finish.
1 x 2nd placed finish.
As can be seen, in the first 6 years of the decade our league finishes were very steady, alternating equally between 3rd and 4th placed finishes.
Where as the last 4 years have been more erratic with, in addition to the usual 3rd and 4th placed finishes, we also managed a 2nd place finish, but also, as we all know, a 5th placed finish.
What this means is our average finishing position in the first 6 seasons and last 4 seasons is exactly the same at 3.5.
I fail to see how, with regards to the Premier League, this can be described as a ‘decline over the last 10 years’? Perhaps Leeroy can explain ?
Now lets look at the FA CUP.
So the first 6 years of the decade produced:
1 x R4
3 x R5
1 x QF
1 x SF
And the last 4 years of the decade produced:
1 x QF
3 x WINS
As can be seen, in the first 6 years of the decade, we never even made a final. In fact we only made 1 x SF, 1 x Q5, 1 x 4R and exited at the 5th round stage 3 times.
Where as in the last 4 years we’ve exited at the QF stage on one occasion, but more importantly we’ve WON it 3 times.
I fail to see how, with regards to the FA CUP, under any circumstances Arsenal can be seen to of been in a ‘decline over the last 10 years’ ? Perhaps Leeroy could also explain this ?
I was going to address the rest of Leeroys post, but seeing as the entire post is based on an utterly flawed assertion that Arsenal have been in decline for the last 10 years, when as I have shown, they clearly have not, there hardly seemed any point.
———Not heard a dickybird from him since. Funny that.
@Wolfgang,
why don’t you just set up a twitter account under the name FA-Trump and start tweeting like him
For the first tweet, something like
“AFC have not won the FA Cup in 2014, 2015 and 2017 a trusted source tells me. Fake news ! Crooked Wenger needs to go !”
Statements such as yours are just out of place here and elsewhere. But then, some people like to make fools of themselves.
To simpletons like wolfgang,aka fake poster and realist,whose sole claim to fame is being a BS master, the process of recruiting a new manager is actually far more complicated than you two clowns can fathom. Tony has simply outlines what the media and actual events appear to predict…..it is anyone’s guess whether Wenger will even retire or leave, my bet being he won’t.
With respect to Tuchel, he is,imho, second choice behind Joachim Loew but Loew has a contract that is still in force, so maybe AFC are trying to burn the candle at both ends?