Thomas Tuchel expressed his sympathies for Erik ten Hag after Manchester United exited the Champions League while trying to pinpoint why it ended so awry for the club.
The German coach will be revelling in the fact that Bayern Munich now boast a remarkable 40-game unbeaten streak in the group stages of the competition following their 1-0 triumph over the Red Devils.
Bayern had already qualified for the knockouts heading into the clash but following a stalemate against Copenhagen and 5-1 Bundesliga defeat at the hands of Eintracht Frankfurt, Tuchel was keen to make amends with a convincing victory on the road last night.
While the scoreline may have been a narrow one when the full-time whistle blew, be assured that United showed no signs of making a dent in Bayern’s unbeaten streak, registering just one shot on target across the 90+ minutes worth of action.
In terms of Ten Hag’s future in the dugout, pressure will only continue to mount on him as the season plays out. Now, United have 12 losses in 24 games, with each dismal result breaking unwanted records for the Dutchman as he navigates the second year of his tenure.
Tuchel knows the feeling
Addressing the media after the game, Tuchel said (as cited by the Metro): “Almost always I feel sympathy for the other coach. But within [the] competition, we try everything to win our matches, this is why we are and this is what it is, these are the rules of high-level sports, we play at the highest level to win our matches.
“Of course I have sympathy. I think he has a lot of key players injured for a decisive match now, that you can see then they lack this kind of personality and also the quality and maybe the width to change games from the bench. I think you could see that.
“Yeah, it’s not an easy time but I’m pretty sure he knows what to do next, he knows how to influence his team, he does not need my advice. He does not need my clapping on the shoulders. He’s experienced enough to go through it.
“I had not such a nice moment last Saturday, sometimes you feel very lonely as a coach I can tell you. In general, I feel sympathy for all of my colleagues because I know what it takes to keep a thing going.”
