Bayern Munich coach Niko Kovac rubbishes talks of dressing room rift
Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac has quickly denied the reports claiming serious tensions in the Bavarian dressing room.
It has been a tough couple of weeks for Niko Kovac at Bayern Munich. The Croatian is facing his first big challenge at the club, as Bayern are suffering a dip in form. Kovac will be hoping to go into international break with a win over Borussia Monchengladbach today. Bayern are always expected to win, regardless of the opponent. Therefore, a small run of poor results instantly puts pressure on the manager.
Kovac has been subject to criticism in the media due to his rotation policy. There have been suggestions of players being upset with the manager for making constant changes in the starting lineup. Speaking to the media (via Daily Mail) on Friday, Kovac firmly denied the rumors about a rift in the dressing room. He further added that the players are completely united and determined to turn this situation around quickly.
"“The atmosphere in the dressing room is a positive one.“Some are of course disappointed not to play, and we’re also disappointed with recent results. Nevertheless, there is a real sense of unity in the team.”"
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Bayern Munich started their season in a fantastic manner. They won their first seven games of the season across all competitions in a convincing way. The game against Augsburg last week started this mini-slump for Kovac’s men. They are currently on a run of three games without a win and also tasted their first defeat of the season against Hertha Berlin last weekend. The worst performance of the season came against Ajax, when Bayern were completely outplayed by the Dutch side at the Allianz Arena.
There were murmurs after this game about James Rodriguez being upset with Kovac. The Colombian playmaker remained an unused substitute against Ajax. James is reportedly annoyed with Kovac’s rotation policy.
The Croatian praised the former Real Madrid midfielder on Friday, but insisted that he has to get used to his situation, as every player needs minutes on the pitch.
Uli Hoeness has also admitted that this rotation policy might not be best for the team’s rhythm. Kovac is set to stick with his methods against Monchengladbach, but anything other than a win will only increase the pressure on him. Kovac will no doubt be thankful for the upcoming international break, when he’ll have time to regroup and rethink his situation at the club.
Next. Bayern Munich need a good win against Borussia M'gladbach. dark
Carlo Ancelotti was sacked last year after he lost the dressing room. Jupp Heynckes kept all the players happy during his short stint at the club last season and extracted the best out of almost every player. Kovac has surely not lost the dressing room in such a short space of time, though. The Croatian just needs to find the balance between his rotation policy and managing the egos at Bayern in a perfect manner.