“I just didn’t have a bright idea.”

FC Bayern München trainer Thomas Tuchel explained his decision not to employ any substations in last night’s victory when conducting his post-match interview with German broadcaster DAZN. 

For coach consistently critical of the packed footballing schedule his team is forced to face, it came as something as a surprise to witness FCB trainer Thomas Tuchel stick with his initial XI throughout last night’s narrow 1-0 victory over 1. FC Köln. Tuchel, speaking with German broadcaster DAZN after the win, noted that he felt that his original lineup had the game well at hand despite the low scoreline.

“I just wasn’t feeling it today,” Tuchel told his interviewer, “And that wasn’t because I didn’t trust my players on the bench. We were simply controlling the game well.” “I was thinking about how we could get Thomas [Müller] onto the pitch, maybe Mathys [Tel] or maybe give Rapha [Guerreiro] a few more minutes.”

“I went back and forth a bit myself,” Tuchel continued, “I just didn’t have a bright idea. I told the lads that this doesn’t ordinarily happen and that they should keep up the spirit from today without holding it against me.”

Midfielder Leon Goretzka – perhaps along with Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (at the ten position) among the most consistently solid performers on the pitch – noted that he fully understood Tuchel’s decision to stand pat in his own post-match interview.

Tuchel became the first Bundesliga trainer since Leverkusen’s Peter Bosz in March of 2021 to employ no subs in a league match. The last time the German giants went with a fixed XI from start to finish was under Louis van Gaal in December of 2010.

“We had an excellent rhythm in the second half,” Goretzka said, “Lots of control and good positioning. As a result, we were very good at counter pressing and allowed very little. Our players up front also worked well.”

“We didn’t make any changes because it was going just right,” Goretzka concluded, “and kept it up until the end.”

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