Yesterday, Bayern Munich lost the DFB Pokal final 3-1 to Eintracht Frankfurt. Thus concludes one of the most bizarre and topsy-turvy seasons the club has had in a very long time.
Yesterday’s DFB Pokal final was a complete change of pace from the previous fixture between these two teams, which saw Bayern Munich best Eintracht Frankfurt by four goals to one. This time around, Frankfurt played their hearts out to win their first trophy since 1998.
Bayern played with no hunger, with no direction and what looked to be no care for sending Jupp Heynckes off with a memorable victory. After coming out of his second retirement in October, Heynckes managed to bring about a very noticeable increase in morale in all players after a very shaky start. However, the season ended in a nearly identical way to the way it began. Here are four takeaways from yesterday’s upset:
Complacency, complacency, complacency
For what feels like the millionth time this season, Bayern conceded an early goal due to not being prepared for a team’s press. Lazy passes and a hard Frankfurt press put Bayern 1-0 down after only 11 minutes. The speed and aggression of Ante Rebic was too much for James Rodriguez, and before Bayern knew it they were down 1-0, tasked with facing the remainder of the match from behind… again.
This exact goal has been scored against Bayern countless times this season. The defense trying to play out from the back and dictate the tempo of the game, only to be disrupted by a team who desperately want to win the ball.
With discussion of Bayern “outgrowing” the Bundesliga, laziness and complacency like this completely invalidate that claim. To outgrow the Bundesliga would imply that Bayern don’t struggle against any German team and win every match without any doubt. This team still clearly has a long way to go.
Cohesion, leadership and a lack of ambition
With Manuel Neuer in the squad for the first time since September 2017, his position remained on the bench. With that being the case, Thomas Müller continued to wear the captain’s armband, as he has for most of the season.
A Bayern player through and through, what he brought to the team, however, was not leadership. By virtue of being played in what is, arguably, his least effective position, Müller remained quiet all game. Out wide, he struggled to make any impact in this game. With the captain unable to make an impact, surely someone else would take the game by the scruff of the neck and dictate how it was going to play out?
That did not happen. This hasn’t happened for large stretches of this season either. Games have come and gone with Bayern “earning” victories in spite of having no discernible cohesion as a team.
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The balance between big game players and big name players is starting to be a problem. In the entire squad, there is only a select handful of players who have any sense of leadership or determination to win. Some players struggle to display even one of these traits. What is nothing short of embarrassing is that so many of the players who give everything they can are often relegated to the bench.
Corentin Tolisso is, presumably, set for more game time next season and, considering his enthusiasm when he races on to the pitch, more playing time is thoroughly deserved. Sandro Wagner and Rafinha, Bayern’s perennial substitutes, consistently look to give 100 percent every single day and are prepared to leave it all on the table after 90 minutes. Why, then, is this determination and eagerness seen in players not getting the most game time?
Joshua Kimmich, arguably Bayern’s player of the year, is one of the few to give everything he has in a game, and this dedication will put him in great standing for the role of captain in a few years. I doubt any fans would have a problem with this.
Meanwhile, it was another quiet and disappointing game for Franck Ribery and another spectator role for the injured Arjen Robben today. They are evidently declining and are naturally going to draw criticism, especially in light of their recent extensions.
If there is anything that this match highlighted, it wasn’t that Bayern are having to rely on aging wingers to win games, it’s that Bayern are having to rely on aging wingers to bring a winning mentality. Outside of Bayern’s two most senior players, no one in this squad — with the exception of maybe Arturo Vidal, Joshua Kimmich, Mats Hummels and Manuel Neuer — clearly has a drive to win. Performances are declining and that is a problem, but blindly buying shiny new players won’t fix a slightly less apparent issue.
Niko Kovac’s focus on defending
Upon his announcement as Bayern’s future coach, many criticized Niko Kovac for only being able to play defensive soccer — “anti-football,” as it has been described by some purists. He grinds out results by defending at all costs and only attacking when it looks entirely possible that it will end in a goal.
This criticism is understandable. Bayern score goals for fun, surely?
After conceding four goals to Stuttgart, three goals to Frankfurt, as well as conceding stupidly throughout the entire year (read as past 4 years), does a switch to defensive soccer really seem all that bad?
One only has to look as far as Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid to see where defensive soccer can get you. It may be ugly but looking at how we currently defend, letting in goals from teams that have been fighting relegation, defensive soccer is much needed. And it appears that Kovac is the person to bring about this change.
Ante Rebic
Yesterday’s star playe, Ante Rebic played the game of his life. A winger who is capable of playing across the front line, he spent much of yesterday’s match focusing on the left wing and causing the central defenders difficulty. As is so often, a new manager is often linked with his former players, and Rebic is a player that Bayern should be excited about the prospect of signing.
While by no means a world-class player, his addition to the squad will provide options and — as mentioned — a much needed desire to win. Much in the same way that Mario Mandzukic was not “world-class,” he gave Bayern more than most other forwards have attempted to.
Ante Rebic could prove to be a dark-horse signing, potentially the difference maker in close matches. Judging from the fire that he showed yesterday, however, there is every chance that he will stay with Frankfurt beyond this season as they begin their campaign in the Europa League, thanks in no small part to his two goals.
Next: Stale Bayern Munich fall to inspired Eintracht Frankfurt -- Player grades
Regardless, Bayern Munich could very much do with someone who is so prepared to run and run and run for his team, as that type of player is hard to come by. Bayern have struggled to find them for a number of years now.