Five Bayern Munich Players that need to Improve in the Ruckrunde

Javi Martinez

I chose Javi Martinez instead of Jerome Boateng because currently, he is above Boateng in the depth chart. He is no longer the player he was when Bayern bought him in 2012, and over the last couple of seasons, his form has taken a sharp decline. The decline has been so steep that Niko Kovac was leaving him out of the starting lineup entirely at the beginning of the season. This created a lot of criticism from the Bayern faithful, but as Martinez started getting more playing time, fans started to understand that Martinez is not what he used to be.

Just from a stats perspective, he has zero goals or assists in seventeen appearances so far. Even from a center back of his stature, one would expect a goal or two from set-pieces. And then from a defensive perspective, Bayern plays a high line due to their pressing system, which requires a fast center back to stop potential counter-attacks. Martinez is not that and has been caught out several times this season. Since there has been an injury crisis in central defense, he has become the first choice in the starting lineup.

For Martinez to improve his form, he should focus on his passing ability and range. With Bayern playing a more direct brand of soccer than under Niko Kovac, we have seen the center backs loft long balls over the top or through the midfield to attackers. Since Martinez can’t match pace with younger attackers, this is an area where he can look to hone his craft in the Ruckrunde for Bayern to be successful.