Bayern Munich: Julian Nagelsmann successfully navigated first crisis
After a run of poor results in September, Bayern Munich was plunged into crisis. For the first time in more than 15 years, Die Roten had endured a winless run of four games in the Bundesliga. Considering Bayern’s incredible consistency in the Bundesliga over the year, a small run of poor form leads to crisis talk.
The rough patch of form in September also led to a lot of speculation surrounding the future of Julian Nagelsmann at Bayern. The availability of Thomas Tuchel added further noise to the speculation. It was widely reported that the dressing room at Rekordmeister is not entirely pleased with Nagelsmann.
The Bayern chiefs consistently backed Nagelsmann in the media and squashed reports suggesting the dismissal of the German coach. The next 40 days or so have proved why these chiefs were right to back Nagelsmann, and poor form in September was just a blip.
Julian Nagelsmann managed to turn things around straightaway after the international break in September. The Bavarian club resumed Bundesliga with a 4-0 win against Bayer Leverkusen at Allianz Arena. From the result against Leverkusen, Die Roten continued to get better every passing week.
The German coach resolved the issue of games involving Die Roten becoming very open. The defensive shape of the team also improved significantly as Matthijs de Ligt and Dayot Upamecano forged a solid partnership. Meanwhile, Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich were back to their best for providing a solid platform for the forwards to cause havoc in the final third.
Nagelsmann’s decision to use Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting as the number nine yielded great results. The Cameroon striker managed to become the focal point of the attack and helped the team to become a better attacking unit. He has managed to score 11 goals in 13 games since the end of the first international break. The 33-year-old forward also provided two assists during this run of games.
The German coach deserves a lot of credit for going back to the drawing board and sparking improvement in players during the last six weeks. Bayern won 12 out of their 13 games across all competitions, scoring 49 goals and conceding just 11 goals. (Stats courtesy: Whoscored)
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Julian Nagelsmann has passed the first difficult phase of his short career at Bayern with flying colours. He deserves plaudits for the team’s recent run of form, but bigger tests await for him and Die Roten when club football resumes after the World Cup.