Bayern Munich and the Robert Lewandowski dilemma

Yesteryear

With the close of the transfer window, this season marks the third in a row where Bayern Munich enter a Bundesliga campaign with only one pure center-forward. In the seasons leading up to the arrival of Robert Lewandowski, Bayern had this selection of front-men:

• Mario Gomez, joined Bayern aged 23, left aged 28, poacher, 174 games, 113 goals
• Mario Mandzukic, joined aged 26, left aged 28, hard working tough guy, 88 games, 48 goals
• Claudio Pizarro – 2nd spell, joined aged 33, left aged 36, relief striker, 71 games, 25 goals

To quickly highlight Mandzukic, he left Munich after disagreeing with the style of management from Pep Guardiola. After a reasonable season at Atlético Madrid, he found his footing at Juventus.

In his most recent season, he was shifted to the left wing to accommodate record signing Gonzalo Higuain. His work-rate, physicality and stamina allowed him to develop a more old-school style of wing-play focusing more on strength and technique rather than out-and-out pace.

The versatility Mandzukic brought to big games is something he has had in his arsenal for many years and was crucial in helping both Juventus and Bayern reach Champions League finals.

While it was utilized only a select few times during pre-season matches for Bayern, playing on the wing was a familiar option for Mandzukic from his time as a youngster with the Croatian national team. He might have disagreed with Pep Guardiola, but the Spaniard still maintains that he is one of the most hard-working players he has ever coached

To examine Lewandowski against these three players:

• Robert Lewandowski, joined Bayern aged 25, efficient and prolific, 152 games, 116 goals

If he was to be likened directly to any of these three, the closest comparison to draw would be a balance of both Marios. More mobile and hard working than Gomez, but not quite as fight-to-the-death as Mandzukic. A balance of two of Bayern’s best center-forwards in recent years sounds like a perfect cocktail for the exact striker that Bayern need.

There is still something missing, however. The 38-year-old Claudio Pizarro sadly does not quite have what it takes to be a key component at Bayern anymore. But the role that he provided is something that the Bavarians definitely need right now.

A player that gives the opportunity of respite or, in some cases, the chance to approach the game in a totally different way. This player does not have to be in their late 30s, they just have to be able to show up and do what is asked of them.

I am a firm believer that a club needs at least two strikers, even if you have the best striker in the world especially if you have the best striker in the world. One only has to look at how Bayern did when they had multiple options up front to see the benefits of having that sort of depth. That leads us to a problem that Bayern have faced many times over the past few years.