Tuchel demands Bayern shows champion class
Thomas Tuchel has admitted Bayern Munich has reached the point where "nothing is easy" as he demanded his faltering team shows a reaction to losing top spot in the Bundesliga.
Tuchel was undecided about whether to tune in for Borussia Dortmund's clash with Bochum, knowing a Dortmund win would lift it four points clear of Bayern.
This weekend sees Bayern have to wait until Sunday for its turn, as it hosts Hertha Berlin. After that, both Bayern and Dortmund will have four rounds of games remaining.
The clock is ticking, and Bayern's 10-in-a-row title run is under serious threat after a damaging 3-1 defeat to Mainz last weekend.
Head coach Tuchel has injuries to contend with too. Centre-back Dayot Upamecano will miss the Hertha game because of a thigh strain and faces a fortnight on the sidelines, with striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and wing-back Alphonso Davies also set to be absent.
"I don't even know if I'm watching Dortmund," Tuchel said. "For us, the starting position is clear: we no longer have it in our own hands, and now we have to get 15 points.
"We have to improve. It's not too late to show a reaction. We need them right away on Sunday. More than ever, it's all about us. We have to deliver and then hope that's enough."
Hertha, which sits bottom of the Bundesliga, recently brought in Pal Dardai to replace coach Sandro Schwarz, and for that reason, Tuchel described the struggler as an "unpredictable" prospect.
"That's why we have one more reason to focus completely on ourselves. Nothing is easy for us at the moment," Tuchel said. "The situation is crystal clear. We have to deliver."
Former Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain boss Tuchel has experienced a turbulent start to his Bayern reign, since being appointed on 25 March, overseeing exits from the DFB-Pokal and UEFA Champions League.
Should Bayern also fail to land the league title that has been its preserve for the past decade, it would compound this season's woes.
A draw against Hoffenheim in mid-April was another damaging result, and Bayern cannot afford to fluff its lines this weekend.
"We are very honest with each other, very critical," Tuchel said. "The team knows my opinion on the Mainz game.
"In sport there is always the opportunity to make amends. In the last two games we lost points after taking the lead. That's very atypical for us.
"Honesty and openness is the best form of interaction. We've shown that we can do it. It's more the consistency that we lack."
