Today, Bayern plays a very important game in the Champions League against Lazio, and in normal circumstances, that would be the top news in Munich. Also, in normal circumstances, there wouldn‘t be so much fuss ahead of this game, as Bayern wouldn‘t allow themselves to lose the first game from mediocre Lazio 1-0. But these are not normal circumstances. First of all, the Bavarians lost that match and now have to score two goals more in order to avoid embarrassment and elimination in such an early stage. And whoever looked how Bayern is playing under Thomas Tuchel, knows that there is a possibility that they won‘t win tonight. Also, there is a parallel talk about the coach himself. He is done in Munich for sure, but after a 2-2 draw in Freiburg and a possible elimination from Lazio, he could be sacked before the scheduled departure in may. And finally, there is an ongoing story which is always popular – who will be the new manager?According to German media, your name is on Bayern’s list..Arne Slot: “*checks the name on the banner* does it say Peter Bosz here? [laughs] no, it says Arne Slot. I really can’t answer that, but it’s nice that I’m on a list”[@ESPNnl] pic.twitter.com/nK5XBkk8om— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) March 4, 2024 That question doesn‘t even stop when the Champions League game is on, so the German press continues to write about potential successors to Tuchel. The main one is off course Xabi Alonso, but the Bavarians must think of alternatives, in case he doesn’t accept the job for some reason. And the newest name is – Arne Slot! The Germans are writing that Bayern is currently considering a surprising alternative – Feyenoord coach, who has been named the best coach in the Netherlands for the last two years, is a supporter of high pressing, extremely fast transitions and attractive football. The Dutchman could definitely be the most serious option if negotiations with Alonso fail.Alonso leaning towards Bayern, Klopp’s legacy too big to handleThomas Tuchel slowed down Bayern to the point of invisibility, he turned perhaps the fastest team in the world into a classic ‘diesel’, and the number of attractive matches under his leadership can be counted on the fingers of one hand. The record champion even experienced Leverkusen and Leipzig “bashing” in his backyard, so many experts believe that Slot is the right choice to get back on track. The Dutchman is 45 years old and so far managed only two clubs – AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord – and uncompromisingly pushed his ideas in both. Unlike the coaches of the traditional Dutch school, Slot does not like long attacks, series of short passes and easy winning of space. Basically, he avoids everything that Pep Guardiola was criticized for when he was in Munich. Hence, if Jurgen Klopp says his teams play “heavy metal football”, then the bald man from Feyenoord prefers “speed metal”.Rafa’s warning to Alonso over his Liverpool futureHis style is probably best represented by numbers. For example, the Europa League match against Shakhtar, result 1:1, ratio of shots on goal 21:5 for Feyenoord. An even more drastic example is the Dutch Cup match between Feyenoord and NEC. The result was 2:2, Arne Slot’s team advanced on penalties, and during the 90 minutes of the game, they sent an incredible 50 shots on the opponent’s goal?! On average, a shot every two minutes! Local rivals in the Netherlands did not fare any better either. Last year in February, Feyenoord welcomed PSV Eindhoven. The result was again 2:2, the guests led 2:0, but the team from Rotterdam managed to get away. Ratio of shots on goal – 35:7. With AZ Alkmaar, Slot almost took the title in a season interrupted by Covid 19, when he was level on points with Ajax at the top. He then reached the final of the League Conference with Feyenoord, and last season he smoothly reached the championship crown ahead of Ajax and PSV. His contract expires in 2026, but the exit clause is not as big as Alonso’s and amounts to ‘only‘ 7,000,000 euros.He could be as pricey as Nagelsmann but you won’t feel bad for splashing the moneyThere is still a lot of time until June, so what worries Bayern’s bosses more at the moment is who will be on the bench if Lazio leaves the Allianz Arena as a winner tonight. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s name was mentioned, but former Bayern player Lotthar Matthaus has a better proposal. The legendary ace is convinced that 69-year-old Herman Gerland could do a good job in the remaining three months. Even unrelated to the match against the Romans. He would definitely set it up…”I can imagine Herman as the head coach. Everyone in the club loves him and respects him. He is not a big name only among the players, but also in the club environment. He knows how to stabilize the team, he has good relations with each of the players. With him at the helm, everyone would could show how much they are really worth, and then Bayern would be the favorite to win the Champions League,” Matthaus told Sky.Arne Slot’s Feyenoord Build-Up vs Lazio… pic.twitter.com/LQKPdBjZJx— L.Prince 👑 (@LeroyPrince77) March 4, 2024 Herman Gerland is one of those men in the shadow, a big Bayern name that doesn’t get exposed. He led the amateurs of this club for five full years (1990-1995), then he was in Tennis Borussia, Arminia, Ulm… He returned to Munich in 2001 and has been there ever since. He either leads the second team, or is an assistant in the first. He collaborated with Jupp Heynckes, Carlo Ancelotti, Louis van Gaal, Pep Guardiola, Hansi Flick… None of these figures contested his contribution or wanted to change it upon his arrival at the head of the profession. It certainly says a lot about his expertise and human nature, but will he get a potential interim‘s role is another question.UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE1/8 finals – second legTuesday23:00: (2.55) Sociedad (3.45) PSG (2.90)23:00: (1.30) Bayern (5.80) Lazio (9.00)Wednesday23:00: (1.60) Real Madrid (4.20) RB Leipzig (6.00)23:00: (1.15) Man.City (8.00) Copenhagen (16.0)Tuesday the 12th23:00: (1.77) Barcelona (3.60) Napoli (4.80)23:00: (1.28) Arsenal (5.70) Porto (10.5)Wednesday the 13th23:00: (3.05) Atl.Madrid (3.30) Inter (2.55)23:00: (2.15) Dortmund (3.50) PSV (3.30)***odds are subject to change***
