Niko Kovac is confident Bayern Munich can turn things around
Under-pressure Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac is confident his team can turnaround their season with improved performances on the pitch.
Bayern Munich are going through their toughest phase of this decade. The German club is struggling in the Bundesliga this season and currently sit nine points behind league leaders Borussia Dortmund. Niko Kovac is the man in the spotlight, as his team’s results continue to deteriorate under his stewardship.
The Croatian is on the verge of the sack if recent German reports are to be believed. Bayern botched a 3-1 lead against Fortuna Dusseldorf at Allianz Arena this past weekend, further piling pressure on Kovac. However, he delivered a fighting talk in the press conference ahead of today’s game against Benfica. Speaking to the media (via Goal), Kovac admitted that he is still confident he can succeed at Bayern, despite the barrage of criticism that has been hurled toward him.
"“Those who know me know I’m always a fighter. My whole life I have had to fight. The words ‘give up’, ‘raise the white flag’ do not exist in my vocabulary.“Criticism is always there if you don’t meet the demands that this club naturally has. We only need one point to reach the last 16, but we want to win.”"
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Bayern Munich have struggled defensively this season. They have leaked goals in the Bundesliga on a consistent basis. Uli Hoeness was furious after seeing Bayern’s incompetent defending against relegation fodder this past weekend. Kovac agreed with the club president’s comments about the defense and insisted that a massive improvement is needed in the defensive organization of the team.
The Bavarians need to go on a long winning run to get back at the top of the table. It is generally expected from Bayern that they deliver results along with dominating performances. Kovac has been able to grind out results, but convincing performances have become a thing of rarity under him. After the second international break, it seemed like Bayern had turned a corner, but a close defeat against Borussia Dortmund spoiled their momentum.
Kovac has also had very little luck with injuries this season. The potential return of Kingsley Coman and Thiago Alcantara this weekend is a massive boost for him. These two players are essential to Kovac’s plan at the club. It remains to be seen whether Kovac will have the time to work with them, though, as his future is uncertain going into the game against Werder Bremen.
Bayern Munich cast doubt over Niko Kovac’s future. dark. Next
There is likely to be a decision on Kovac’s future later this week. Bayern reportedly want to bring Arsene Wenger to replace the Croatian manager. Kovac has shown a fantastic attitude during his short tenure at the club, though, and he won’t want to go down with a fight. He will be hoping that the club shows some trust in him and backs him at least until the winter break to change the results on the pitch.