This is a game analysis and team strategy review that shows how to turbo-charge FC Bayern Munich's offense and tighten up on defense, following their anemic start following the winter break in the Bundesliga. The article discusses player assignments, offense and defensive tactical strategies.

1. How to turbo-charge FC Bayern Munich’s offense and
tighten up on defense
by Richard Wiegand of http://www.ProSoccerTactics.com on February 6, 2012
Why FC Bayern Munich is my favorite team
As you probably noticed by now, many of my world soccer commentaries are related to FC
Bayern Munich of the Bundesliga. That’s because I have been following Bayern Munich since I
was a little boy, and in fact my first soccer jersey was a Bayern Munich replica. I have met Franz
Beckenbauer and Sepp Maier even played indoor soccer with Gerd Mueller at the FC Bayern
Munich club headquarters on Sebenerstrasse in Munich. So like many of you soccer fans, I have
a passion for one team in particular – and it is FC Bayern Munich.
FC Bayern Munich_the Glory Days (1970s)
As my blog posts and videos on ProSoccerTactics.com show, however, I really appreciate
great soccer/football from anywhere and everywhere in the world. That’s why I’ve done a
few videos highlighting FC Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund as well. When I get around to it, I
will also do some videos about teams from the English Premier League and also from the Italian
Serie A.
But for now, I’d like to talk about FC Bayern and the difficulty they’re having getting back
into gear after the winter break.
Excuses, excuses
In the second Bundesliga match since the winter break, FC Bayern tied Hamburg away 1-1.
Admittedly, it was freezing cold, which makes the pitch hard and difficult to control the ball.
This is a plus for the underdog – in this case, Hamburg SV.
In addition, referee Kircher called back an own goal from Westermann’s header in the 15th
minute due to a so-called push from Mario Gomez – which in my humble opinion was highly
debatable. I watched the video several times and could not find the foul that Mr. Kircher saw. So
FC Bayern was denied what was most likely a legitimate goal.

2. Poor marking by Philip Lahm, again – time to change the captain
Having said that, FC Bayern definitely has some loose screws to tighten up in the back. In the
23rd minute, Hamburg’s Paolo Guerrero switched the ball to the top of the right side of the box
to Sala, who was completely unmarked – who then half-volleyed the ball into the lower left
corner past Manuel Neuer. The immediate question that comes to mind is: “Why was Sala
unmarked?”
Hamburg's Sala left unmarked by Philip Lahm
This is not the first time that Lahm has shirked his responsibilities as a left back. I can dig up at
least 7 goals from the archives where he has had defensive lapses marking opponents. For a left
back, this is fatal. As a team captain, he should definitely know better. In fact, I would go so far
as to say that if I were the coach of FC Bayern, I would not start Lahm. He is way too
dangerous for me as a defender. Sometimes, you can make an exception for an overlapping
back (like FC Barcelona’s Danni Alves, FC Bayern’s Rafinha, or Schalke 04′s Fuchs) if they
help generate more scoring chances offensively than they give up as defenders by not marking
up properly from time to time.
But Philip Lahm has not been all that effective as an attacking or overlapping left back of late
either. And as you may know, Lahm is not the tallest player on the pitch – this is a major
negative for a defenders who must fight to win head-balls in or around the box. So the question
arises, why does FC Bayern have Lahm on defense and give him the helm (captain-ship) of
the team? This is a real problem for the team going forward – to have an unreliable defender as
your captain.
Boring attack formations
One of the most critical areas of concern is the Bayern attack. I have been studying the Bayern
attack over the past two weeks and really must say that I find it to be quite boring, especially
when compared to coach Klopp’s attack formations for Borussia Dortmund. The Dortmund
attacks are lightning fast, they all involve attackers that accelerate to goal, and they are
varied. Bayern attacks are slow in comparison and usually involve a gradual buildup out of
the back with width-wise passes connecting the dots as the entire Bayern team advances
steadily out of the back. No blitz passes through the seams or gaps. Shots are almost non-
existent. With Bayern it’s typical and predictable: try to swing the ball around the top of the area
(much like basketball players pass the ball around the key) and try to work your way inside or
cross the ball from the wings. No acceleration + no shots = no scoring chances = boring soccer.

3. Coach Heynckes really has to go back to the drawing board and study the Dortmund and FC
Barcelona attacks. He has to get some fresh ideas fast. While Heynckes is certainly a huge
improvement over Luis van Gaal with his nauseating sideways possession style of play, he can
admittedly do some more homework on attack football strategies.
1000 minutes for Gomez for every 10 minutes for Olic – is this fair or prudent?
Another area of huge concern for me (and many Bayern fans I’m sure), is player assignments
and substitutions that Heynckes is making of late. Can someone tell me why a coach would give
a center-forward like Mario Gomez 1000 minutes of playing time where he generates
maybe two goals – when a sub like Ivica Olic comes in for 10-15 minutes late in the game
and scores every time? How much time does Mario Gomez need? It just doesn’t make any
sense Is it fair to reward the under-performers when the more efficient players are sitting on the
bench? Olic has already said that he wants to leave Bayern because he feels that he deserves
more playing time. That would be a shame.
FC Bayern Munich's Mario Gomez and Ivica Olic: competing for the same position?
Where is Luis Gustavo? Is Kross really a better player than Gustavo?
Another player assignment issue that really gets on my nerves as a Bayern fan is Toni Kroos
over Luis Gustavo. I would take Gustavo over Kroos any day. As I suggested in previous posts,
Toni Kroos is not Bayern material. He is not tough enough. He is too dainty. Psychologically
speaking, this is fatal to the spirit of the team. At least Schweinsteiger goes in when he has to and
wins the ball back from the opposition. Messi does this brilliantly also. Watch Messi when he
loses the ball – he fights like the devil to win it back immediately. He is a two-way player. For
me, Kross is a one-way player. He only wants the ball passed to him and stands over the ball to
take free kicks. Have you noticed (Mr. Heynckes), that as soon as Kroos is subbed out, Bayern
starts to play much better?

4. FC Bayern Toni Kroos vs Luis Gustavo
Lately, even his free kicks end up being blocked by the opposition. But my experience playing
and coaching the game suggests that players who don’t fight to win back the ball and who would
rather receive the ball instead are shunned by teammates, and deservedly so. Until he improves
his mental and physical toughness, Kross should not start for Bayern, even if he is national team
player. He would flourish more on another team like a Leverkusen or Bremen. But please, not
Bayern Munich.
Tell the Bayern management should tell Nerlinger to act more maturely
The last thing I’m going to say is that the Bayern management should control guys like Nerlinger
inside the management. You may or may not have heard about his hoax of a press conference
announcing the signing of a “bomb” of a star forward forward for Bayern Munich. I thought that
was so lame, disrespectful to all the Bayern fans as well as a sign of having no class. In any other
publicly traded company, Nerlinger would have been fired. It’s a miracle that the Bayern fans
took it as well as they did. The Bayern management should not forget its great history as a club –
to have jerks like Nerlinger steering the ship really makes you wonder.
Nerlinger FC Bayern Munich mgr left thousands of Bayern fans hanging at a recent hoax press
conference

5. The bottom line is that FC Bayern Munich really has to address these major issues and fix
them fast if they want to stand a chance in the final rounds of the Champions League and have a
shot at the Bundesliga title. Right now, Dortmund is on a roll, their system rocks, and they’re
leaving Bayern Munich in the dust.