He has been in the Bundesliga limelight for less than four years with Mainz and needed little time to acquire a certain reputation.
Meticulous and tactically astute say some, erratic and hot-headed say others. Down to the present day, both of those testimonies about Thomas Tuchel are still widespread in and around Mainz, where he solicited the cancellation of his contract in early 2014 in spite of successfully reinventing an average side, finishing fifth in the 2010-11 season and booking Europa League tickets for the club, an undoubted pinnacle in Mainz’ recent history.
He and Juergen Klopp, moreover, Mainz and Dortmund, have a lot of shared history and deeply rooted, amicable relations since Klopp made the move from Mainz to the Westfalenstadion seven years ago. One year and an interim coach later, Tuchel followed in Klopp’s footsteps at FSV Mainz. On that account, Tuchel’s appointment as new head at BVB was a choice almost too obvious, a self-fulfilling prophecy that eventuated. Notwithstanding the straightforwardness of the move, it is arguably the best choice Dortmund could have made.
So where do the negative emotions that Tuchel evokes in some people stem from? Palpable controversy has surrounded his spontaneous resignation and its reasons have never been wholly unearthed. However, Mainz management was visibly upset by Tuchel’s call and it appears until today the scrap has not been entirely reconciled.
Over the years there have been plenty of reports indicating friction between some players and Tuchel. For example, former Mainz goalkeeper Heinz Mueller publically defamed Tuchel as a ‘dictator’ that had in essence bullied him out of the squad.
It is not the only controversy that the coach had to weather during his time.
These snippets have fed into the characterisation of Tuchel as anything but a people person. Then there is also a supposed lack of pedigree. Stepping up from fairly regional Mainz to Dortmund, a club Klopp has almost single-handedly catapulted into the European focus and media landscape, requires commitment.
Tuchel is going to have to refine his profile and optimise his ways with media and players alike if he wants to get recognised as the man worthy of Klopp’s legacy. That chain of thought also raises the question: how will the international heavyweights at Dortmund respond to the appointment? Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ciro Immobile and Henrikh Mkhitaryan unanimously named Klopp as their ultimate motivation to join the club. How will they react to a new coach, whose name in all likelihood they have never heard before, and how will Tuchel approach them?
Concerns aside, a plethora of reasons lead one to believe that in Tuchel, BVB have found the right candidate to usher in a new, exciting era at Borussia Dortmund.
First things first, he is an excellent young coach. On average, Tuchel has notched up a respectable 1.43 points per game in 183 matches for Mainz, while Klopp managed a slightly higher average of 1.5 points per game. At Mainz, both are excellent results.
Even more importantly, Tuchel is a meticulous strategist. A few days ago I discussed Klopp’s refusal to vary play styles and alter the formation he consistently fields. Tuchel is the precise counter-image of that.
From Klopp’s 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-2-1, to 4-3-3 formations, Tuchel has played them all, at times even rotating the field more than once in the same match. It is something Dortmund supporters will have to get used to again but this could be the spark Dortmund has needed for years.
Furthermore, and fitting for a Dortmund restart, he is adept in developing and integrating young players into his side. Andre Schurrle, Lewis Holtby and Eric Choupo-Moting are only a few of the names that Tuchel nourished and enabled a blossoming career after their time together in Mainz. This is a valuable trait the Dortmund management will no doubt have considered before making Tuchel the offer.
Last of all, in Thomas Tuchel, one has signed a fresh face, not only in the sense of age. Rather than signing some interchangeable coach that has committed to (and failed at) other clubs before, 41-year-old Tuchel arguably surrounds a special aura. He made a name for himself when he beat Bayern at first attempt in 2009 and has been coveted by Leverkusen and Hamburg this year.
His Guardiola-esque sabbatical has only incited the hype around him. On top of if all, not only does he enjoy Klopp’s approval due to their shared Mainz past, but he is a credible, unspent figure in the league. That will also entail a period of grace he should be given if not everything falls into place right from the start, something that recycled coaches most likely would have not enjoyed at Dortmund.
Tuchel will give his all to galvanise the team and fans again, which he has proven to excel in at Mainz. As it stands, Dortmund fans have reason to be upbeat about next season.
[interaction id=”5534d03ea39598ff054f4eec”]
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
