After 3-1 Defeat To Mainz Criticism Shifts To Kahn And Salihamidzic

It is a shocking reaction to the Man City result; Bayern Munich has lost their first Bundesliga game since its Champions League exit 3-1 to Mainz. And what will be the most concerning part of the game for the Bayern bosses will be the manner of the defeat.

Bayern did take the lead thanks to a first-half goal by Sadio Mané (29’). In the past, that lead would have been enough for an easy Bayern win, but not this season—quite the contrary. After Ludovic Ajorque’s equalizer (65’), Bayern deflated, and Mainz quickly added two more, with Leandro Barreiro (73’) and Aaron (79’) putting two more nails in the coffin.

“It was so unnecessary to lose this game,” Bayern Munich head coach Thomas Tuchel said after the game. “We weren’t focused enough. I felt no energy from us to fight back when Mainz pushed us. I don’t know why. It’s really difficult for us at the moment. Too much has happened in the team. They couldn’t fight back.”

Tuchel, of course, was brought in last month by the Bayern board to replace Julian Nagelsmann. The argument then was that the club wanted to preserve the chances to win the treble. Now one month later, Bayern has dropped out of the DFB Pokal, was smashed by Man City in the Champions League, and the Bundesliga title too is now in jeopardy.

“Thomas Tuchel is the last person we have to discuss now,” CEO Oliver Kahn said to Bild after the game. “He’s trying everything to take the boys forward.” That much is true, at least, and indeed much of the recent discussions have not been about Tuchel but rather about Kahn and director of sport Hasan Salihamidzic.

In fact, reports have suggested that there is discontent within the club about Kahn’s leadership, and there is a sense that change could be coming, even if it is far from being confirmed. “I have no problem with criticism,” Kahn said after the game. “I’ve experienced a lot in my career, and I know what it means when things don’t go well at FC Bayern. We all bear responsibility. Despite this poor performance, we can still become German champions this season.”

That is undoubtedly true; Dortmund, after all, has shown in the past that they can deflate at the most opportune moment. But what feels different this season is that Bayern does not seem to be able to capitalize from Dortmund’s weaknesses.

Indeed, it almost feels like Bayern players themselves no longer feel belief in their own abilities. It was almost like a hot needle hit an air balloon when Mainz equalized, the air going out of a Bayern side that in the past always seemed to do best when facing adversity.

The body language will be indeed concerning for Tuchel, especially as key players like Thomas Müller were almost lost for words when asked to explain the result. “In the second half, all of a sudden, it was 3-1 Mainz,” Müller said to Sky Germany after the game. “We didn’t have the energy to come back. The third goal broke our necks. I’m a bit at a loss. I have no explanation.”

What, then is next for Bayern? Tuchel’s job is now to somehow secure the Meisterschale, the 11th Bundesliga title in a row. But with form slipping and Dortmund smelling blood, is this the time for Bayern’s dominance to end?

“There’s no need to sugar-coat the situation,” Tuchel said after the game. “We dropped too many points in the second half of the season. We’re not able to perform over 90 minutes. We’ll work intensively in the next days regardless of the table situation. I’m definitely responsible.”

But is Tuchel to blame? Bayern legend Lothar Matthäus perhaps put it best. “Kahn and Salihamidžić have to question themselves: What did we do wrong?,” Matthäus said “What’s not working? Was the change of coach at the right time? In the end, the change of coach brought nothing. Especially after today’s defeat, you can say it really brought nothing.”

Matthäus has been leading the charge when it comes to criticizing the board, that has increasingly turned Bayern away from the Mia San Mia motto to an entity indistinguishable from any other super club. But what will concern Salihamidzic and Kahn the most is that the chorus of people who seem to agree with Matthäus is growing daily.

Manuel Veth is the host of the Bundesliga Gegenpressing Podcast and the Area Manager USA at Transfermarkt. He has also been published in the Guardian, Newsweek, Howler, Pro Soccer USA, and several other outlets. Follow him on Twitter: @ManuelVeth