Matthijs de Ligt’s latest criticism of Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel has just fueled the fire at the reigning Bundesliga champions.
The Dutchman’s quest to reclaim his starting role at Bayern Munich has been fraught with difficulty. Thomas Tuchel reportedly does not like the player and has criticized his buildup play.
The German coach has made private comments about how sluggish De Ligt is, how often he passes laterally, and how seldom he passes vertical through balls, as per TZ Munchen.
Because of this, De Ligt has fallen behind both Dayot Upamecano, and the recently acquired Kim Min-Jae.
Injuries or technical choice?
This probably clarifies the reason behind De Ligt’s absence from the starting lineup throughout the campaign, even though he completed a full 90-minute match for the Netherlands during the break.
Part of the reason might be that the defender is still not 100 percent healthy after suffering a calf injury over the offseason. In fact, he missed a lot of the preseason to focus on getting back to action.
Considering Upamecano’s inconsistent play at the start of Tuchel’s tenure, the 24-year-old’s omission comes as much more of a surprise. The French central defender, though, seems to have impressed the Bayern manager enough to keep his starting spot.
What Matthijs de Ligt thinks of present situation
All of this has left the Dutch national team player perplexed as to his sudden lack of play. During post-game interviews with reporters on Friday after the game against Bayer Leverkusen, he made it clear that he is not happy with his present position under the German boss.
“What can I tell you? I haven’t played much in the last four matches, it’s terrible and of course, it’s not pleasant because I always want to play. I do my job on the pitch. I can’t do anything more.
“If the coach explained his reasons to me? No, he didn’t. No idea, you’ll have to ask the coach. I’m doing what the coach wants and now I’ve played about 10 minutes as a No. 6 in the last two games,” he said.
Photo credit: IMAGO / Ulrich Hufnagel
