SUPERSTAR EGOS AND A BOSS OUT OF HIS DEPTH... GERMANS ARE IN A STATE OF CRISIS
WHEN Bayern Munich take to the field at Anfield tonight, they will do so with the hopes of a nation resting on their shoulders. If Bayern lose to Liverpool in the last 16, Germany could be without a Champions League quarter-finalist for the first time in more than a decade. With Borussia Dortmund 3-0 down after their first leg against Tottenham, and Schalke potential cannon fodder for Manchester City, Bayern are the Bundesliga’s best hope. But if you ask anyone in Germany, they will tell you Liverpool are favourites. Last week, City and Germany midfielder Ilkay Gundogan told the newspaper Bild that ‘Liverpool are a tiny bit better’. Even Lothar Matthaus, as bullish a pundit as he was a player, thinks the Reds have the edge. Bayern will be without the suspended Thomas Muller and the injured Arjen Robben, while Jerome Boateng and Kingsley Coman are doubts. Yet even with a full-strength squad, the bitter truth for German football is that Bayern are not a safe bet this year. With the team in transition, young manager Niko Kovac struggling to assert himself and a host of stroppy superstars, Bayern have spent this season in an almost permanent state of crisis. They are two points adrift of leaders Dortmund in the Bundesliga title race, and have racked up four defeats, dropped points against relegation candidates and survived a serious scare in the German Cup. Bayern’s aura of invincibility is fading fast. So, what on earth has gone wrong?
CHANGING OF THE GUARD
AFTER leading Eintracht Frankfurt to two cup finals in two years, new coach Kovac came to Bayern amid great optimism, but he has been thrown in at the deep end. With the likes of Robben and Franck Ribery approaching the end of their Bayern careers, the 47-year-old has been charged with pushing through a generational transition which Bayern should have started years ago. Younger players are flourishing under Kovac. Niklas Sule has matured into a first-choice centre back, while Leon Goretzka and Serge Gnabry — the ex-Arsenal player — are increasingly formidable going forward. Yet senior players such as Mats Hummels, Manuel Neuer and Jerome Boateng have failed to find their best form under Kovac, and there is a sense the new boss is still struggling to find the balance between the two generations.
DISGRUNTLED STARS
KOVAC has also had to fight to keep superstar egos in check. James Rodriguez was reported to have told Kovac, ‘You’re not in Frankfurt now’, and Muller’s wife Lisa launched a sarcastic attack on the Bayern coach via Instagram. Things have cooled since then, and James is now in sparkling form. Yet egos remain a problem. Thiago Alcantara was seen screaming at Kovac during a narrow win over Augsburg last weekend, and a fierce debate has raged over Robert Lewandowski’s attitude. ‘Lewandowski is becoming a problem for Bayern,’ said Sky pundit Dietmar Hamann earlier this month, casting the Poland striker as an individualist who causes friction in the dressing room. Bayern reacted testily to Hamann’s comments, with sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic accusing him of instigating an anti-Lewandowski campaign.
PR PROBLEMS
SALIHAMIDZIC’S touchiness has been a running theme this season. The newly appointed sporting director has been accused of being out of his depth. In the past, Bayern have had strong personalities in the role in order to deflect attention from the coach. Kovac and Salihamidzic, though, are relative novices, and have had to rely on their bosses to defend them. That led to a bizarre press conference last October in which Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge accused the press of violating the German constitution.
BRITTLE DEFENCE
THERE are also problems on the pitch. Kovac’s success at Frankfurt was built on the solid foundations of a well-drilled defence, but in Munich the back line has been more brittle. Prone to the occasional communication breakdown, the Bayern rearguard also have serious problems when hit on the break. Kovac has even urged his team to commit more fouls to break up counterattacks. That is a serious concern against Liverpool’s ruthless front three, although Bayern left back David Alaba has said he is ready to face Mo Salah. ‘Salah is incredible and he is quick,’ he said. ‘But I have played against quick players before.’ Alaba’s confidence should be a warning to Liverpool. Despite their enduring problems, Bayern do look considerably more stable now than they did before Christmas. Liverpool may be favourites, but as Alaba put it: ‘We are Bayern Munich. We don’t have to hide from anyone.’