Manuel Neuer is irreplaceable, unbelievable 180 minutes. 16 accurate long balls, calm distribution under pressure in his own half, loading balls to Bayern’s strongest areas, Class 1v1 saves, sweeping off his lines to overturn press & keep momentum for Bayern. Legend of the game.
Javi Martínez is one of the reasons Bayern conceded less than 25 goals from 12/13-16/17. Natural instinct to defend space, track runners & shield backline, pure reading of pass angles to block them, top aerially. Even his goal threat was key to a sextuple.
It was Kimmich vs Dortmund in the title run-in, It was Kimmich vs PSG at the UCL final, it was kimmich vs arsenal, it is now kimmich at the 89th minute to vs Spain. His influence on the pitch is one, his incomparable mentality is another.
Javier Fernández is the next elite talent Bayern will aim to churn out. The physical ball-winning, back foot defending & pass selection is there to excel as a controlling 6 (🇪🇸heritage). Can also break forward & combine in tight spaces in the final third.
‘Stride to Glory’: The Tactical Symphony and Athletic Mastery of Sacha Boey.
In the fullback market that’s lacking saturation, Bayern Munich seems to pick the best option. A 1v1 specialist & physical phenom.
[A Thread 🧵]
The Rise of a Prodigy.
In the vibrant city of Munich, a 19-year-old named Aleksander Pavlovic breaths and embodies the essence of Mia-San-Mia. With a passion that runs deep and a talent destined to carve the future of his position.
[A Thread🧵]
René Marić: “Tactics don't exist, you have decisions of players. My ideas about possession are different to the old school Red Bull. I want my teams to have possession of the ball. I want width. I want patience. I want to control the rhythm of the game. That is dominance."
Bayern are on the La masia arc of producing top midfield technicians. Pavlović, Fernández, Asp Jensen & Wanner. This even has balance (mixture of controllers & between the lines threat) which can grow to dominate at the highest level. The shift in academy education is lovely.
Simple but effective play from Pavlović. The ball-roll into a deeper left area to attract pressure & smartly weigh a pass to Müller who then displayed top hold-up play to release Kane who also received brilliantly on the turn. The chain of intelligence
Undoubtedly Leverkusen has created history but this shows people don’t hate the bundesliga they just hate the idea of Bayern Munich. How dare a club dominate their league, be an European giant, be run properly, have world players & have zero debts.
More to come.
Pavlovic’s range of abilities (ball progression & box crashing) causes confusion on his position, but i see him as a dying breed Deep-lying creator. Balances the flow & rhythm of a game, has the pass range, vision & calmness under pressure with legs across the ground defensively.
Pavlović’s midfield performance vs Lazio was amazing. He organized the game in-possession & seized control for Bayern. Razor long/flat passes to switch play & shift Lazio’s block (produced a goal). Dominated space off-ball with his ball-winning skills.
Musiala is now constantly scanning to a top level, adapting to different ball situations, using the ball - space as his reference points. Dropping off to open the inside gap & run in-behind to gain advantage in the flow. A real football IQ player
The best winger ever at Bayern. Robben’s hit rate of repeatedly cutting in on his left foot followed with a clean strike from the right wing was a joke. He also combined pace & pausa in his 1v1s, could move you outside & then inside in the same motion.
A goal scoring LW who doesn’t need constant overlaps from his fullback & can create separation when moving inside to finish off with either feet with top ball-striking methods? Tel. Should definitely have a buff in responsibility & game time this season.
Perfect time to ease Tarek Buchmann in & also structure his development but the injury woes are an issue. He has the Van dijk positional defending style with the way he reads the game in 1v1s & space defending, good aerial strength, rapid foot-speed & can pass to a top level.
The Biggest takeaway. His first ever season & he put up a solid game in a UCL finals vs RMA. His recycles & calm carries to scan in different phases to attract & play through Madrid, won 50/50 duels, defended his box diligently. The Composure & mentality at 19. Aleks Pavlovic
It remains clear Pavlović is Bayern’s best midfielder. His passing influence was all over that win, he is morphing into a special controller profile & can manipulate any block with creative passes all over the pitch.
Musiala is an alien.
Exceptional close control to keep the ball within a tight radius, rapid changes in direction, minimal touches & dribbles with body feints and shifts instead.
20 years, generational.
Masters of body deception. Low center of gravity & exceptional balance for maneuvering through players, tight spaces + sharp turns.
Staggering, yet coordinated. Movement disorients markers, puts them on their heels, forcing exits routes. Moves the body and ball as one. Wow.
This is why you want Tel playing from LW, he was able to control, dribble & shoot in 3 touches. His goal-scoring instincts are also maximized because he generates top shooting angles from the left. He will feed off these direct passes very well.
Kim Min-Jae’s mentality is his biggest strength. Given a bench player role in recent month but it never got to him, one of the few CBs that loves defending & has the physical capacity for it. Pressing & stepping up to compress space, eye for forward passes & leading his line. Top
Palhinha with 120 minutes of pure ball-winning performance. 20 duels won, acted as a defensive shield & also pressed aggressively at key moments to break up play & set up counter-attacks. This is a defensive balancer, both in Silvia’s mid-block & in Martinez hybrid role.
Neuer prestige & impact will probably not be topped but his qualities are also in equal measure. The best rounded GK of all time, shot stopping, ball distribution & the vision to match. Pulling Germany out of the rug at 38 with sharp reflexes to narrow shot angles & positioning.
@Ben_Mattinson_
Find it hilarious when people say the second sentence. Leave Bayern and go where? Arsenal? He’s in the best club he can ever be, that alone transcends all baseless stereotypes
A fit has never been perfect. Zidane gets optimal joy in winning & that’s what Bayern stands for. Man-management is top to even out egos & unite the club. Will extract the best from club’s stars like Musiala. Elite tactician with flexible philosophy & approach. There’s no time.
The way Pavlovic demands for the ball & plays out under pressure was what impressed me the most, wants the game to flow through him. Ready to learn on the job (vs Gladbach when Goretzka showed where to carry to that led to a chance)
Bayern’s most composed midfielder at age 19.
Some certain Bayern accounts have been undermining Pavlovic all season despite not having a bad game, calling him hoffenheim level and all sorts. Kindly maintain your stance.
If there was any game for Goretzka, it was tonight. Top all-round performance, dominated physical battles & won second balls, created angles for ball recycling & progression to evade pressure in the first phase, engine to run down the flank for the pass in-behind for Gnabry.
This is how a young Leroy Sane reacted to not getting a call up despite winning the young player of the season & being a key player for his club. Goretzka should learn & stop pandering to the media (doesn’t deserve the nomination anyway)
@iMiaSanMia
Nagelsmann has also clocked the need to get the balance right. Overload on ball to feet players with no runner is never optional, Bayern should take note.
From capturing Tuchel’s attention from his blogs to Bayern’s U19 coach. Rene Maric has had a disciplined journey at 31. Worked with teams with strong core beliefs & lays big emphasis on space control & Rythm in build-up as his base coaching style. Great sign of a promising career
João Palhinha midfield stats for Fulham 23/24:
🥇198 tackles + interceptions
🥇1098 (82.4%) passes completed
🥇96 passes into final 3rd.
🥈101/163 long passes completed
Direct switches of play with passes & ball usage, protected the backline & is also a set piece threat.
Mathys Tel again impressive in his first start since March. Intensity off both wings & dribbles was a threat to koln’s settled defense. Build-up involvement by acting as a wide creator & connecting with his overlapping LB. Pressed off the ball & tracked the ball. So complete
You see people saying musiala needs to leave Bayern to up his ‘level’, what level? Leaving a club that’s at the climax when it comes to football history?
Hilarious when you find arsenal fans behind it, they’ve produced 0 balon dor winner yet they think they can give musiala one.
Arsenal’s front press forced Bayern build-up to a weak side, Dier couldn’t absorb possession & just hit aimless long balls. Neuer notices & loads balls to the RHS where sane is an outlet to play to & arsenal’s weak press there. Led to chance creations, brilliant changes in-game
People haven’t clocked fully into Pavlovic. Clean/directional touches, watch the range passes to make the pitch wider, either from a first-time pass/extra touch that eliminates danger & makes progression safe (transfer attack momentum). Technical execution makes him ahead of play
Most fullbacks will fail to defend this 2v1, not Sacha Boey. Was targeted to create indecision. He reads & dominated the move.
Positions to limit shot angle, timed engagement, strong legs to extend motion & rapid twitches. Opponent is confused ‘Do I pass or take him on’. Rock.
One of Bayern’s problems last season was the lack of wingers who can retain possession to open up organized blocks which Olise solves. A wide 1v1 threat who can also be a primary ball handler & act as a creator with his crosses & cutbacks into the box. Statement signing
A single window of:
- Micheal Olise
- Joao Palhinha
- Hiroki Itō
- Tah (we can do better)
- Extra deep lying/creative midfielder
- Key Sales
Will be the best in a decade, addressing the core issues the last administration failed to. Squad refresh & also loading up on quality.
This is your future creative pole here. A pure playmaker & passer with no angle bias, already takes on huge roles in-possession, already top at finding spaces between the lines to act as a creator & link player. His loan under Schmidt is the final piece.
With De ligt gone, Bayern can make a bold move for Van Dijk, can puff same domino effect with Thiago Silva to Chelsea. Still one of the best organizer & leader, was even dominating in a highline at LFC last season. Clean passing range to run build-up & box-defending still there.
Teaching anticipation & timing of duel, scanning (defensively) & awareness of opposition’s movement whilst using your teammate as a reference point. This aids compactness in pressing & also keeping your defensive shape.
(One of the problems last season)
Harry Kane + athletic winger is a potent combo. Son, Rashford are top sample sizes. Can connect build-up quickly & find different runs from the said wide men with his deep passing range. Coman-Sané, wasteful for the larger part. The dynamics must be kept.
Nicely coached first phase build-up. It is clear Kompany wants to manipulate space, GK baiting & playing against the press to the pivot to bypass the 1st line of pressure. Then the quick passing, movements & wide overloads shows good positional structure.
We’re witnessing his evolution into a top final third goal scorer & creator. His assists at the Olympics are accomplished ones, receiving to feet, driving through lines with amazing movements & dribbles then laying off a pass in the same motion. Olise is a special talent.
A direct Goretzka-Chiesa swap looks ideal for both parties. Juventus gets their pure box-to-box (McKennie replacement) & a partner for Luiz deep-lying playmaking. Bayern gets a top mental direct 1v1 threat, creative, two-footed finisher in Chiesa (Stalled development at the club)
Paul Wanner took it upon himself to win a crucial game. His smart release & timing of passes, tidy ball-carrying & ball retention means he will be a top level creator. Combine it with flashes of deadly finishing & his work-rate off the ball. Special talent
The current pool of midfielders available to pick from;
•Pavlović - 1st phase technician & the only patient passer
•Palhinha - The ball winner & duelist
•Laimer - Box-to-box
•Goretzka - Box-to-box
The technical level is still low to play the way we want & see out 50+ games.
Gravenberch, Mané, Goretzka, Gnabry, Coman, Sabitzer & many more. These are players Brazzo either paid more than their performances or recruited as a result of poor profiling. Biggest proof of his capped level were the buys after the sextuple win. Now we suffer the consequences.
The consistency of Bayern Munich wingers finishing since the start of 2019/20 season (when Bayern won the UCL) All comps:
Serge Gnabry:
•53.6 xG
•73 goals
Kingsley Coman:
•30.6 xG
•38 goals
Leroy Sané:
•47.1 xG
•48 goals
Freund’s played a big part in the big buff the academy received in terms of talent identification & coaching quality. Remember this in your criticism notes
Christoph Freund was behind the idea of bringing René Marić to Bayern as they know each other from their time in RB Salzburg. Marić will be in charge of the development of youth coaches at the FCB Campus. Freund's plan is for Marić to develop a unified training concept for all
Another upside of buying Palhinha is he’ll be a hub for the talents to learn the defensive side of being a 6 (Tackling & dueling styles, space blocking & reading of pass angles etc) from. Also later arriving at the age where Fernández can rotate or even be his rightful successor.
If Tel, Irankunda didn’t cost Bayern €60m, Doué shouldn’t. If you also have Wanner, Vidović, Asp Jensen as your talents you shouldn’t spend big on Doué. Wanner for one is a more intelligent player. This is the time to balance finance sheets & also raise the level of the squad.
With 13 goals and 9 assists, Victor Boniface is the Bundesliga Rookie of the Season.
He beat Xavi Simons, Ian Maatsen, and Maximilian Beier to the award 💥🇳🇬
Met & hugged Irankunda after instructing him to open up the pitch earlier and also asked him about his German language. Second clip, showed Tel how he can position-angle to show up & receive the ball.
Not only was he arriving smartly at the right spaces, he was also finishing off different chances. 1 touch, headers, top strikes & finished with the best conversion rate. Covered the most distance with his work-rate & intense pressing. Müller’s int career is amongst the greats.
Mazraoui with a world-class performance few days after int duty. Solves many problems with his creativity from RB
Occupied right zones (esp behind Gladbach deep block) for passing options & circulation, joins midfield to create overloads, good cutbacks & final passes. Complete
This is unbelievable. See Goretzka tip-toeing around his own box. Zero awareness and urgency to close down the threat, block lane or even limit the shot angle.
In a quarter final. Hands down the worst midfielder to ever wear the Bayern shirt
He balances out the other RB profiles. Top athleticism to squeeze space & he’s showing great reading on when to push (needs to control aggression). Olise RW, Boey RB can help Olise invert off the wings with Boey making overlaps around him (Similar to Clyne at palace)
This midfield performance from Laimer ranks highly in the UCL campaign. Such high-end pressing style is peculiar to Red Bull descendants, they can even do it for prolonged periods & is a useful trait to have in a physical match up.
Meeting with the Youth team, emphasizing their importance & promises to meet each and every one of them.
Nice to see him dip in his sport psychology bag.
Julian Nagelsmann is only 36 years old and he’s coached/coaching the likes of Musiala, Lewandowksi, Wirtz, Neuer, Kroos, Mane, Muller, kimmich, Nkunku, Gundogan etc. Probably the best catalogue ever of any coach at that age
This will go down as one of the best seasons of any 20y old ever. Run down the clock to when he was the main creator at age 17 supplying Diaby, Bailey etc. His vision, passing range, athleticism, & end-product is abnormal. Led his team to their first ever league title. Flo Wirtz.
Completed the most dribbles (5), won the most fouls (4) in a semi final including the one for the penalty. Silencing his counterpart & being indefensible. Released pressure with his runs down the middle & playing through Madrid out wide. You don’t get better than this
Extend Musiala, Eberl. That is one of the core basis your job will be judged on. Planning on spending €60m on Doué in the first place deserves some scrutiny.
The missing profile, the first pure DM buy since 2013. Palhinha’s duel winning abilities will compact space in midfield, balance defensive transition & aid in keeping a high-line. Anticipation in back foot defending, tackling range across ground & strength to also track runners.
Freund is a brilliant talent identifier but this is a boss move, Chido is largely regarded as arsenal’s biggest talent, if he pulls this off then he’s cementing his top status. Supplying enough material for the academy to shape up the next gen team.
Bayern are in advanced talks to sign Arsenal striker Chido Obi-Martin (16), hoping to beat Borussia Dortmund to the player's signature. The Danish talent rejected Arsenal’s most recent scholarship offer this week, and looks set to leave the club this summer [
@AcademyScoop
]
Bayern has to evolve past Goretzka, offloading him is also hard cause of Brazzo’s brilliance. The amount of sequences he’s broken down from a loose touch/pass over the years is absurd. Same thing yesterday, felt like he was straining his brain for every decision.
Bayern should relook into Chalobah if signing a CB is a priority. Younger, slots across the backline, potentially cheaper than Tah & he defends angles better in a back 4. His cover defending at RB can also cover for Upamecano (has top athleticism & positioning for it).
Aznou has the Cancelo technician & dribbling gene with Mazraoui positional defending trait. He is a breath of fresh air to the large crop of pure athletic fullbacks the sport is churning out.
Kroos succession plans (Stiller & Pavlovic) is proudly made in the Bayern campus (coincidentally Kroos was from the academy). Smooth technicians, 1st phase controllers & range passers. Retains efficiency under pressure & can be active high up the pitch. Sadly, nothing for Madrid.