Despite 3-2 Defeat To Bochum, Tuchel Set To Stay At Bayern Munich

Harry Kane (right) and Thomas Müller (left) were left disappointed as Bayern Munich suffered a 3-2 defeat to VfL Bochum in the Bundesliga on Sunday. They were seen looking frustrated in a photo taken by David Inderlied from picture alliance via Getty Images.

It was fortunate that Thomas Tuchel was unable to attend the press conference following Bayern Munich's 3-2 loss to VfL Bochum on Sunday. The fans were protesting against the Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL) investor deal, which caused delays and forced the Bayern squad to rush to the airport to catch their flight back to Munich.

Even though Bochum won against Bayern with goals from Takuma Asano, Keven Schlotterbeck, and Kevin Stöger, Tuchel didn't avoid the media entirely. Bayern did manage to score two goals during the match thanks to Jamal Musiala and Harry Kane.

Tuchel spoke to DAZN, the German broadcaster, after the game and mentioned that they had some excellent opportunities during the match. He thought that Harry's chance during the first half could have made the difference. If he had just taken a single touch to finish it instead of trying to play it, then the game would have been finished.

At first, it seemed like Bayern was off to a good start as Musiala made a spectacular goal, which appeared to make up for their previous losses to Lazio and Leverkusen. However, Kane had an opportunity to score in the 19th minute, but he missed. Shortly after, the match was disrupted by fan demonstrations, causing a pause in the game. Unfortunately, Bochum took advantage of the situation and made a comeback by scoring the equalizer and taking the lead.

Even though the fans' protests caused a disturbance for Bayern, Tuchel refused to blame it for his team's loss. Rather, the Bayern manager felt that his team was somewhat unfortunate to not come out victorious in the game.

Tuchel expressed his opinion that the loss they suffered today was not justifiable. He believed that many things went against them during the game. He pointed out that their expected goals value was 3.4, and they had multiple opportunities to score. Their team dominated the game, but they suddenly fell behind. Nevertheless, they kept trying until the end, even when they were one man down for a long time. In Tuchel's view, today's defeat was different from the previous two.

It's possible that's true, but there's more to the situation. Bayern made mistakes that allowed Bochum to score. Kimmich didn't put up much resistance when Asano came into the box, and Neuer could have prevented the goal with his skills. The second goal was also preventable - Schlotterbeck had too much room in the box and Neuer seemed unsure of what to do, so the defender easily headed the ball in.

Upamecano was involved in another controversy during the match against Bochum. He was responsible for Bochum's third goal after hitting Schlotterbeck with his elbow during a corner which resulted in a penalty and Upamecano being sent off for the second consecutive game. When Stöger successfully converted the penalty, Bochum secured a victory.

Even though Bayern has lost three times in a row and is eight points behind the Bundesliga leaders, Leverkusen, people still anticipate coach Thomas Tuchel will continue in his position.

Essentially, Tuchel's statistical analysis could be accurate. However, the reality is that his team is committing too many personal errors. Tuchel's tactical approach may play a part in this but the other side of the coin is that the individual mistakes show that the Bayern team may not have the necessary ability to improve upon their current performances.

So, who can take responsibility for this situation? The fact is, there is no one person to blame. Tuchel has taken a team that was performing well and brought them down to only a mediocre Bundesliga level. However, numerous players from Bayern are currently not performing at their best or have already reached their career peak.

Will Tuchel remain as Bayern Munich's coach? "Definitely," answered Jan-Christian Dreesen, Bayern Munich's CEO, in response to the question if Tuchel will still be leading the team next week, as reported by Abendzeitung.

Of course, in football, such comments hold limited significance. However, the executives at Bayern are aware that presently, there is no viable substitute available. Both the former Bayern manager, Hansi Flick, and Jose Mourinho carry their respective complications. Moreover, Bayern will not seek to name a new head coach until the appointment of Max Eberl as the latest director of sport is verified.

Therefore, there is a high probability that Tuchel will be responsible for attempting to close the current eight-point distance between them and Leverkusen in first place. "It may not be exceedingly practical, but we kept faith in it up until the end of the previous season and that is why we will persist," remarked Tuchel regarding their chances of winning the title. "However, to accomplish that objective, we need to regain our footing."

To become champions now, Leverkusen would have to suffer a disastrous defeat despite their undefeated streak of 32 games this season. It seems that Bayern, the largest club in Germany, will experience their first season without a title in 12 years. Accepting this fact, the management might find it convenient to continue with Tuchel leading the team until the end of the season.

Will Tuchel continue to be Bayern's coach for a long time after this year? This is a topic that will be discussed amongst the Bayern executives. The decision might hinge on Eberl and Christoph Freund, who could want to bring in their own coach to lead the rebuilding process they are planning for Munich.

Manuel Veth is in charge of the Bundesliga Gegenpressing Podcast and works as the Area Manager USA at Transfermarkt. His written work has been featured in various publications, including the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, and Pro Soccer USA. You can stay up-to-date with his thoughts and insights by following him on Twitter (@ManuelVeth) and Threads (@manuveth).