Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

The vibes are higher and there seems to be more belief amongst the Bayern squad now than there was last season. Even without crediting Bayer Leverkusen for the amazing feats they reached under Xabi Alonso last season, Bayern Munich?s season under Thomas Tuchel was well short of satisfactory despite nearly making it to the Champions League final at Wembley. There was simply no sugarcoating the fact that it was the Rekordmeister?s first season in over a decade without silverware, and to add to that, it was on the heels of a season where they just barely stumbled to lift the Meisterschale, thanks in large part to mishaps from their direct Bundesliga opponents.
By a certain point after the winter-pause last year, it had become evidently clear to even the most casual of Bayern spectators and followers that Tuchel had lost a portion of the dressing room. More importantly, it had become clear that he had lost the backing of the supervisory board and the front office, who knew it was time for a change after the conclusion of the season. Vincent Kompany was nobody?s first choice to replace Tuchel at Bayern, but board member for sport Max Eberl has insisted that the former Burnley and RSC Anderlecht manager?s name was always on a short list of candidates. Now, he has Bayern poised in the Bundesliga at the top of the table, though they have already lost twice in the Champions League.
Even with the two European blund...