By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Nov 10 (Xinhua) -- Bayern Munich's stars were full of praise for Hansi Flick, but the 54-year-old's future as head coach of the 2013 treble winner remains uncertain.
After thrashing national rival Borussia Dortmund 4-0, the former assistant to German national coach Joachim Loew has been given the chance to continue as the successor of Niko Kovac - for the time being.
Flick has done a great job in re-uniting Bayern's unsettled squad and restoring stability on the pitch. Its dominant and determined style is back. Flick is however cautious enough not to demand a long-term contract as head-coach at this point.
Pressing the re-set button doesn't seem enough as Flick left out Bayern's gifted geniuses in his recovery process. If the Bavarian club is to reach the same level as teams like Liverpool, Manchester City and Juventus, they will be vital.
Many members of Bayern's influential management haven't finally decided about the club's future strategy and coaching issues. Some fractions in the club mention that Bayern has always counted on big coaching names.
Bayern's power structures are presently in motion as president Uli Hoeness is to retire on November 15 with former Adidas boss Herbert Hainer to follow in his footsteps.
Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has gained more power with Hoeness stepping aside. But with former German national keeper Oliver Kahn joining the club in 2021 as the designated successor of Rummenigge, a new influential power-source is emerging.
Kahn has already claimed Bayern needs a long-lasting coaching solution to shape the club's future football on the international stage.
Flick might have eased the tensions around the team as Kovac had lost the squad's confidence, but questions remain as to whether Bayern will place its future in the hands of a man that has so far only worked in the background.
To find the right coach has always been a struggle between Rummenigge and Hoeness, with one of the leaders pushing through their particular solution. Hoeness has now announced that he will not be so involved as intensively as in the past decades.
Flick deserves the chance to prove his coaching skills at the top level but still needs to show he can deal with delicate staffing issues over a longer period. He had the right feeling this time by re-installing club legend Thomas Mueller and giving Coutinho and Thiago Alcantara a break.
The future Bayern coach, though, will face the challenge of combining a robust defense and an exciting attacking game.
Paris St Germain coach Thomas Tuchel and Ajax manager Erik Ten Hag remain possible solutions as Bayern coach by next summer. Rummenigge has made no secret for his admiration for Tuchel.
Trying to get over its current crisis, Flick seems the best man to do the job as many compare him with former coach Jupp Heynckes. The 74-year-old was known as a somebody that has a close and trusting relationship with the players and something that got everybody working as one. Like Heynckes, Flick's working pattern is to count on intense communication and partnership when it comes to the collaboration with his players.
Several pundits expect Bayern to have a promising young coach for next summer. Dutch legend Ruud Gullit claims Ten Hag is on his way to join Bayern. The outcome of the German record champion's coaching casting will entirely depend on whether Flick can come up with the goods by the end of the 2019-2020 season.
