Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac slams his critics
Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac recently spoke out about the criticism he has received in his first season at the club in an interview with Sport Bild.
Bayern Munich have entered the final stretch of the season as they aim to secure their first domestic double since 2016. It has been an interesting Bundesliga title race for neutral fans, with Borussia Dortmund currently holding a two-point lead over Die Roten. The winner of this weekend’s Der Klassiker will hold both a mathematical and psychological advantage in the final few games of the season.
Niko Kovac has divided opinions among Bayern fans as his team’s performances have fluctuated throughout his first season at the club. His tactics have been criticized throughout the campaign, but the recent Champions League loss against Liverpool has led to speculation surrounding his future at the club. In a revealing interview with Sport Bild, Kovac slammed his critics who regard him as a conservative manager. The Croatian insisted that he will not lose his job even if he fails to win the league title.
"“If you compare today’s stats (69 goals), to the same stage last season (66), then I can’t share that view. To say we have no gameplan is simply not true.“Uli Hoeness said he would be okay with missing out on the league. But we are athletes, we fought and got back from 9 points behind. Nobody believed, but we came back!”"
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Kovac has already won his first piece of silverware with Bayern — and in a convincing manner. The defending Bundesliga champions thrashed Kovac’s former team, Eintracht Frankfurt, in the DFL Supercup at the start of the season. Bayern kicked off the league campaign in a fantastic manner, winning the initial few games with some very solid performances.
The team’s good run came to an end in October, and they went on a winless run of four games across all competitions. Bayern continued to remain inconsistent until December as their poor defensive organization kept on leaking goals.
Kovac’s frequent rotation didn’t help the team either, and many players struggled to get a consecutive run of games to form some sort of chemistry.
The Croatian eventually settled on a preferred starting XI just before the winter break, and Bayern subsequently went on a good run of games to heavily reduce Dortmund’s lead atop the Bundesliga table.
Bayern’s recent Bundesliga form was looking good as they scored five or more goals in three consecutive games. However, this season has consistently been two steps forward followed by one step back for the reigning German champions. Their poor performance against Freiburg over the weekend brought them down to second place in the Bundesliga.
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Kovac is confident the board will continue to make some big transfers this summer and believes he is the right man to lead the the club through this transition period. It would be harsh to judge him at the end of this season, but a similar season next time around will surely lead to his departure. A domestic double in his debut season would be a job well done, but the performances — particularly in Europe — will have to improve next season.