Bayern Strikes
Fansided

Four Takeaways as Bayern Munich survive scare from Paderborn

By Joshua Bishop

Bayern Munich's Polish forward Robert Lewandowski (2nd L) celebrates scoring with his team-mates the 3-2 during the German first division Bundesliga football match FC Bayern Munich v SC Paderborn in Munich, southern Germany, on February 21, 2020. (Photo by Guenter SCHIFFMANN / AFP) / RESTRICTIONS: DFL REGULATIONS PROHIBIT ANY USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AS IMAGE SEQUENCES AND/OR QUASI-VIDEO (Photo by GUENTER SCHIFFMANN/AFP via Getty Images)
Bayern Munich's Polish forward Robert Lewandowski (2nd L) celebrates scoring with his team-mates the 3-2 during the German first division Bundesliga football match FC Bayern Munich v SC Paderborn in Munich, southern Germany, on February 21, 2020. (Photo by Guenter SCHIFFMANN / AFP) / RESTRICTIONS: DFL REGULATIONS PROHIBIT ANY USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AS IMAGE SEQUENCES AND/OR QUASI-VIDEO (Photo by GUENTER SCHIFFMANN/AFP via Getty Images) /
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MUNICH, GERMANY – FEBRUARY 21: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) Corentin Tolisso of FC Bayern Muenchen controls the Ball during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern Muenchen and SC Paderborn 07 at Allianz Arena on February 22, 2020, in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
MUNICH, GERMANY – FEBRUARY 21: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) Corentin Tolisso of FC Bayern Muenchen controls the Ball during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern Muenchen and SC Paderborn 07 at Allianz Arena on February 22, 2020, in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images) /

Fixing a Rotated Squad

At the start of Niko Kovac‘s first season at the helm, he believed in heavy rotation and his reasoning at the time seemed sound. The players need rest over the course of 40+ game seasons, and rotation allows each player an equal amount of game time, so they don’t get upset about not getting adequate playing time.

It’s nice in theory, but in practice, it doesn’t work because players need to have chemistry between one another, and a coach should have a go-to lineup for tough matches. After a very shaky start to that season, Kovac abandoned his rotation policy and spent the rest of the season rotating very little. Bayern went on to win the domestic double, and many people wondered if he would bring back regular rotation in a small manner.

Kovac didn’t get time in his second season to implement a better rotation policy. Since Hansi Flick has taken over, he has brought back a small bit of rotation. Just enough to keep certain players fresh, but also making sure that he fields a championship-caliber lineup on the pitch in every match.

In this match, though, Flick rotated heavily and used a completely different formation to do it. Things did not go well as there were few chances for Bayern, and it wasn’t until Bayern brought on more regular starters and a familiar formation that the team started clicking again. These matches happen regularly, where they play inferior opposition and need to field a weakened team.

If Hansi Flick is to remain manager past this season, he will need to improve the players that aren’t regular every week starters into players who can come in, and the performance levels are not dropped when changes are made. Just because a few of the bench players are in the starting lineup doesn’t mean the team should look toothless in attack and not look like it knows what it’s doing. Bayern got away with this against Paderborn, but if they are forced to go this route against tougher opposition, their performances will have to improve.