1860 Needs To Bounce Back Next Year After Lifeless Season

Posted: 8:55 pm, April 23, 2014 by Quentin Guéguen

Times are tough for Sechzig -- photo: dpa

Munich (Special to MunichNOW) — 1860’s season is coming to an end and the fans are probably very happy about it. The Lions will, once again, finish in the middle of the pack, with the unwanted bonus of not having a coach yet - leading to uncertainty for next season.

Daniel Adlung of 1860 Munich — photo: dpa

The blue side of Munich is frustrated, and rightly so. The consistent inconsistency of the side they support has become a normal thing - not a good sign. One could have probably figured out what would have been the season of 1860 Munich had he predicted it in early July, as it seems there is no surprise anymore with this team and this club. They are now starting to be more active off the field than on the field, firing Alexander Schmidt six games into the season and Friedhelm Funkel a few weeks ago. Again, this is not a good sign.

This has been a flat season for 1860. They sometimes had hope that they could actually reach one of the three spots that would give them a pass to the first division of German football, yet they always stumbled when they had the opportunity to pull it out. This was the case against the fourth-sided St. Pauli at the Allianz Arena. 1860 was coming out of the winter break with four consecutive wins, and a fifth would have given them third place. 1860 lost 0:2. From then on, 1860 tumbled down.

Again, this is frustrating for Lions’ fans. They have not had a lot to cheer for, yet, they showed up to see some bad matches. 1860 underperformed; 1860 players underperformed, like Stoppelkamp or Vallori. The defense is a complete mess. The club must find a solution to get out of the slump, because the Blue and White do have potential. They have one of the most performing academies, and the rebirth of the club will go through there.

Julian Weigl, 1860 München — photo: dpa

First of all, the Lions need a new tamer - one on whom the players can rely and one that will stay here for a few seasons. (Enough with the 6-month experiences!) The new coach needs to trust the young guns and he has to be able to make them improve on and off the field. He also has to figure out a way to solve the problems on defense and make the offense more fluid. The next coach will have the tough task of having to put together the right pieces. It will probably take a while, unless he is a genius. 1860 has already found their new sporting director, Gerhardt Poscher, an ex-player of the club - although one can only hope he stays longer in this new position.

A player like Julian Weigl is the perfect example of why one can find hope at the Grünwalder Straße. The 18-year-old has come up strong in the midfield over the last month. 1860 has produced various Julian Weigls over the last few years, such as Kevin Volland, Peniel Mlapa, Timo Gebhart, US national player Fabian Johnson, Moritz Leitner, Sven and Lars Bender, Daniel Baier - all of whom came out of the Lions’ academy and are playing Bundesliga football at the moment. It’s obvious there is a recipe for success. If 1860 succeeds in mixing young players coming out of the academy and smart transfers, there is absolutely no reason why the club cannot be competitive again.

The blue side of Munich is frustrated, and rightly so. The consistent inconsistency of the side they support has become a normal thing - not a good sign — photo: dpa