AucklandBlue said:
Bayern were setup as a very direct team under Heynckes. Similar to Liverpool this season albeit with by far better players. IIRC Bayern met only 1 team who ‘parked the bus’ against them last season and that was BATE who beat them 3-1 in the group stage. The signs were also there the season before, in the manner of their defeat v Chelsea in the previous CL final.
When we met Bayern early in the season they were still playing direct football and we were adjusting to a new system and high defensive line. Our game in Munich almost mirrors that of the one at Anfield. They came flying out of the traps and went 2-0 up, after 20mins we were very much the better team only this time we went on to win (I’m sure we’d have won at Anfield too if not for Kompany’s mistake).
Bayern are weak in the middle of their defence (especially since the absence of Badstuber), they have no creative threat through the middle and lack a world class striker. Ancellotti is a very good manager and would have seen how a naff but well organised United side nullified Bayern and that they are prone to the counter. If Welbeck can cause them problems imagine what Ronaldo and Bale would do (and did).
I expect Guardiola to address a few issues with them during the summer, mainly at the back and add a creative midfielder. The striker situation has already been addressed with Lewandowski joining them. I wouldn’t be surprised to see both Muller and Robben leave as they don’t suit Peps system. Put players like Kompany and Silva in the positions I’ve highlighted below and they’d be phenomenal.
Neuer
Lahm Martinez CH? Alalab
Thiago Sweinsteiger
Goetze AM? Ribery
Lewandowski
A lot wrong with his post.
Parking the bus did not work against Bayern last season for numerous reasons.
1. They were not afraid to shoot from range and having Shaqiri, Kroos, Schweinsteiger, Robben and Ribery meant you did not want them shooting
2. They passed the ball very quickly with great movement to open teams up
3. They had great width from the full backs and power in the box.
Bayern were nothing like Liverpool. People get carried away with the Barca game, which seems to be one of the few times they watched Bayern last season. They played a counter attacking game against Barca, but dominated possession in many others. They switched their tactics to beat the opposition that was in front of them.
Bayern have more than enough creative threat down the middle. They have Gotze, Schweinsteir and Kroos. Moving Kroos deeper is not a bad idea, but Pep took him too far back as a defensive midfielder. Pep also does not want them to play risky passes in case they lose the ball, which makes them look less creative.
Martinez is an awful centre back, just awful, but arguably the best defensive midfielder in the world. The team you put together is not only very weak, but would be destroyed down the middle.
They should have bought a centre back this year and kept Gomez. Should also have kept Gustavo and never bought Thiago.
Sadly Muller and Kroos will go and this Bayern team will be destroyed. The core German centre will be gone and Pep will leave next season leaving someone else to pick up the pieces.
