Alphonso Davies speaks about the transition from a winger to full-back at Bayern Munich in the past few weeks.
Bayern Munich have been poor defensively this season. The problems in defense further increased after Niklas Sule and Lucas Hernandez were ruled out for months due to serious injuries. Die Roten had to reshuffle the personnel in defense.
The change in personnel didn’t make a significant impact under Niko Kovac as Bayern continued to concede cheap goals. Die Roten endured poor results during this phase, and Kovac eventually left the club.
Alphonso Davies was one of the rare shining lights for Kovac during his final few weeks at the club. The Canadian winger was moved to the left-back role so that David Alaba plays in central defense. Davies showed no signs of rustiness in this position and was one of the best players on the pitch during Kovac’s last couple of games.
The 19-year-old forward continued to perform well in this position after Kovac’s departure. Speaking to Bayern’s TV channel (via Bundesliga.com), Davies admitted that the transition to a new position has been smooth. He also said that Alaba’s presence in defense gives him more confidence.
"“Being able to transition from a winger to a left-back was pretty easy for me because during my time at Vancouver I used to play there as well. So me playing left-back is just about learning the position more and more.”“I have a guy like David Alaba beside me who is one of the best left-backs in the world and he’s helping me out.”"
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The impressive part of Davies’ positional change is that he has looked home in the defensive aspect of the new role. He is still a bit erratic while going forward, but there are signs of improvement in every game he plays. His pace helps him to keep up with top wingers, including the likes of Jadon Sancho and Achraf Hakimi.
Davies will have to play in this role for a few months as Hernandez will not play again in 2019. Meanwhile, Niklas Sule will need close to six months to be completely fit for selection. Alaba has been in fine form in the center-back role, so Flick is likely to stick with the current combination at least till winter break.
Bayern currently have no backup left-back in the senior squad. Hence, on a long term basis, Davies can make this position his own. He will have to be second choice full-back for few years as Alaba is still at the peak of his career. However, he can eventually replace Alaba in the next three years.
Apart from regular playing time, Davies will improve tactically if he plays regularly in this position. This positional change will be a great learning curve for the teenager. Due to the need of the hour, Bayern could have Alaba’s long term replacement.