Written by Anas Khaled, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Courtesy: www.sportmatchfixtures.com
The latest Bayern Munchen (Munich) match was shocking — reinforcing a recent trend.
Three months ago Bayern was expected to win everything: The UEFA Champions League, the DFB Pokal, and the Bundesliga. Bayern was at the top of its game, in unbelievably astounding form. The best part was that both haters and supporters knew it.
But, today, Bayern is on a roll … in defeats … with 4-in-a-row losses. The team has been eliminated from the DFB Pokal tournament, and this week (Tuesday) Bayern may be eliminated from the Champions League. While it’s true that Bayern won the Bundesliga title, they’re losing now to lesser teams.
How did this happen? My take is that it’s a combination of things: coaching and the impact of injuries. Both factors are contributing to the team’s recent downturn.
Courtesy: www.independent.co.uk
The manager, Pep Guardiola, is running the team badly. He has many really good defenders, but often uses the worst ones, substituting good with lesser players.
Another reason is that many of Bayern’s best players are injured. Even though most of the injured have returned, the 4-star players—the ones who really make the difference—are still out: Arjen Robben, Frank Ribery, Robert Lewandowski, and David Alaba. Ribery and Robben are older than the other players, meaning that they are apt to recover more slowly from injuries.
Robert Lewandowski, the Striker on the team, is still playing, but he hasn’t been effective: he wears a mask to protect his nose and jaw. Alaba, an excellent defender, who is young and motivated, is the credited free-kicker of the team. But he suffered a serious injury to his knee (he’s expected back soon).
Courtesy: fansshare.com
With managerial limitations and stars’ absence Bayern is like a building without pillars; a pepperoni pizza without the bread; and an egg with weak shell and empty interior. It’s incomplete.
Bayern fans, like me, are disappointed and frustrated.
Bayern has to pick itself up.
Yelling “MAYDAY!” isn’t enough. Hard work is the ticket.
