Julian Nagelsmann and the competition at Bayern Munich: 90 percent unfounded

At the league leaders FC Bayern Munich there are currently more players with unconditional starting eleven potential than starting eleven places: Coach Julian Nagelsmann is facing a difficult task that seems to be too difficult for him.

First Julian Nagelsmann licked his lip with his tongue, then he ran his hand over his face. You could literally feel how it rattled in him at the press conference after the 2-1 win against the previously unbeaten SC Freiburg, how he was looking for the right words and wanted to gain time for reflection. The subject: competition. The question: who was sitting on the bench and why and who was standing on the bench and why.

“There is no reason to perform. There is the reason that we have a lot of players in the squad who all have the right to play,” said Nagelsmann finally. There were no decisions against one player, but always for another. “Today, 90 percent of the players who are on the bench have sat on the bench for no reason in terms of their own performance.” Nagelsmann kept interrupting his remarks briefly, breathing in and out deeply. The subject seems to be bothering him.

For FC Bayern, dealing with more players with unconditional starting eleven potential than starting eleven places is a well-known topic, for Nagelsmann, on the other hand, it is more of a new one. He was not familiar with this extreme form from his previous coaching positions at TSG Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig. Suddenly he has to make decisions that he cannot explain plausibly.

Nagelsmann on Gnabrys Bankplatz: “I’m sorry”

You noticed that even before the Freiburg game, when Nagelsmann was asked about Serge Gnabry’s bank seat. Along with Benjamin Pavard and Jamal Musiala, he was one of the toughest cases of hardship. There is “no reason” for Gnabry’s values ​​are ultimately “totally identical” to those of competitor Leroy Sane: “I’m sorry. These are not pleasant situations. They are luxury problems, but it is not pleasant.”

Sane played in the offensive row of three behind Robert Lewandowski alongside Kingsley Coman and Thomas Müller. Müller had a break in the 5-2 win against Benfica Lisbon for the first time this season. Against Freiburg, next to Gnabry, Musiala sat on the bench again, who has only made around 35 percent playing time this season. After the Benfica game, Nagelsmann said that “I sucks” if this value does not increase by the end of the season: “Then we would end up promoting him too little.”

Musiala should of course have liked to hear that. If his playing time does not increase soon, he can finally confront Nagelsmann with this statement. In a sense, the coach put himself under pressure without much need. The public handling of the subject of competition is tricky.

Nagelsmann will soon be available to all field players

In Musiala’s offensive area, the competition is currently the toughest. Actually all candidates are in excellent shape.

Lewandowski scores goal after goal: He made it 2-0 against Freiburg, overall he’s already at 23 this season. Thomas Müller delivers assist after assist: He played Leon Goretzkas 1-0 against Freiburg, and he’s already at twelve. With two more than Sane, who in turn prepared Lewandowski’s goal. Just like Gnabry and Coman, Sane is currently shining with his dribbles, his passes and his ideas. And then the last injured Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting celebrated his comeback as a substitute.

As soon as midfielder Marcel Sabitzer has cured his gastrointestinal flu, Nagelsmann will be available for all field players for the first time this season. So far, many decisions about injuries or illnesses in the starting lineup have been made for him: In addition to Choupo-Moting, Benjamin Pavard, Lucas Hernandez, Corentin Tolisso and Coman have also been out for a longer period of time.

FC Bayern: Player with the lowest playing times in the Bundesliga in 2021/2022

FC Bayern: Currently six undisputed regular players

Only keeper Manuel Neuer, left-back Alphonso Davies, central midfielders Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka, Müller auf der Zehn and Lewandowski in the storm center are undisputed. Just like on the wings, there is tough competition with an open outcome in internal and right defense.

If Musiala appears to be the loser on the offensive, it is Pavard and Tanguy Nianzou in defense. When asked about Nianzou’s existence as a reservist, Nagelsmann recently had a reason at hand: The error rate for the young French is too high.

A little later, however, Hernandez and Süle dropped out at short notice, which is why Nianzou unexpectedly slipped into the starting XI against Benfica. That’s often how it is in football: many competitive fights are resolved automatically because one of the candidates is simply injured. As is well known, this kind of thing happens especially during international breaks. As always, almost all FC Bayern players are on the road for the upcoming one.