MANCHESTER UNITED fans joked Thomas Tuchel had “passed his audition” after a “disasterclass” against Real Madrid.
The German coach, 50, has announced that he is leaving Bayern Munich at the end of the season.
As pressure continues to mount on Erik ten Hag after a dire campaign at Old Trafford, Tuchel has found himself linked with the job at United.
Despite missing out on the Bundesliga title for the first time in 11 years, the ex-Chelsea manager was hoping to bow out of Bayern by leading them to Champions League glory.
However, that dream went up in smoke as he and his side suffered heartbreak in the Spanish capital.
Real Madrid snatched an incredible victory at the death to seal their place at Wembley.
Bayern looked to be going through after a rocket from Alphonso Davies put them ahead with just 22 minutes to go.
They looked to be comfortable heading towards full time and holding Madrid at bay until disaster struck.
Real sub Joselu grabbed an 88th-minute equaliser after latching on to a mistake from Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.
Then seconds later the ex-Stoke City and Newcastle flop finished from six yards to win it 2-1.
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The 34-year-old Spaniard’s introduction proved to be a masterstroke – but that was not the only substitution that proved to be a major talking point.
Firstly, Tuchel brought on Kim Min-jae for attacker Leroy Sane on 76 minutes despite the South Korean’s nightmare in last week’s first leg, switching to three at the back.
But it was the decision to replace 44-goal top scorer Kane, who is still waiting for his first-piece of silverware, with Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting on 86 minutes that left everyone baffled.
Ex-Real Madrid star Steve McManaman was commentating on TNT Sports and said: “The best number nine around is off the pitch.”
Winger Jamal Musiala was also replaced by Thomas Muller at the same time – and those decisions completely backfired.
Speaking on TNT Sports, ex-Bayern and Man United ace Owen Hargreaves said: “I’ll tell you what was unexpected, Harry Kane going off the pitch.
“That’s one of the biggest subs I’ve ever seen in a game of football of that magnitude.
“To take off a guy that’s scored 44 goals, who is the most durable player pretty much anywhere and you bring on another striker in Choupo-Moting. Maybe he wanted height for corners, I don’t know.
“You cannot take him off. There’s five minutes left in the game, there’s ten minutes of extra-time, 15 minutes. I said to Scholesy straight away, they’re going to score.
“That’s one of the biggest calls. I love Thomas Tuchel. I don’t know why they made that call. Kim came on ten minutes before that and they were quite comfy.
“They went from a back four to a back three. Bayern had it in their hands and they let it go. The mistake from Neuer obviously but everybody’s going to be talking about the subs, you cannot take Harry Kane off.”
United legend Scholes then added: “It ended up a game of substitutions. Good ones for Real Madrid. Joselu with the two goals, brilliant. Wins his team the game. Neuer makes a huge mistake which he’ll be disappointed with.
“I thought Tuchel’s substitutions were strange. Kane was strange. Even if they get one goal, there’s still extra-time, penalties to come as well, you know how strong he is.
“Kim was the stranger one. I thought they looked quite comfortable in the game up until that point. They go to three at the back. Kim coming off last week was a disaster for him and again he looked a little bit all over the place.”
And, amid the recent speculation linking him with Old Trafford, it did not take long for fans to start sticking the boot in online.
One joked: “Thomas Tuchel doing his best Manchester United 23/24 impression by conceding 2 in quick succession.
“This guy has passed the audition.”
Along with a laughing emoji, another post read: “Manchester united fans watching This Tuchel disaster class & there are linked to him.”
A third commented: “Tuchel has completely thrown away that game with his poor subs.
“Quite typical for Utd fans to get gassed in the moment and lose the plot. He is far from what this club needs moving forward.”
While a fourth added: “Tuchel taking off Kane and Musiala only to lose his lead within minutes is so banter-ish that he can only be heading to Man Utd this summer.”
Pundits’ verdict on Ten Hag’s future
Where do the pundits stand on Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United future?
Michael Owen – He has to go
“He cannot, simply cannot, manage this team next season. He’s not good enough.”
Teddy Sheringham – Might stay if he wins Cup but should go
“If United win the FA Cup, he could stay. But, for me, changes are needed and United need to get it done sooner than later.”
Jamie Carragher – Sacked
“I don’t see how Erik ten Hag stays. It’s just performance after performance.”
Gary Neville – Stay if he wins the FA Cup
“To sack a manager who’s won two trophies in his first two seasons at the club I think would be extreme.”
Louis Saha – On the fence
“I don’t see it as clearly but they need changes from the players but they need changes from him as well.”
Alan Shearer – Sacked
“I believe the future of the Man Utd manager is already determined. Even if they win the FA Cup I think he’s gone.”
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
