Julian Nagelsmann has got an ample amount of time this summer to work with senior players at Bayern Munich on various systems. The German coach also has to find a solution to the problem posed by the departure of Robert Lewandowski. The Polish striker completed a move to FC Barcelona on Tuesday.
Nagelsmann is reportedly planning to use 4-3-3 and 3-5-2 consistently from next season. After the signing of Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, Nagelsmann has the ideal players to play wing-backs and three central defenders. The switch to 3-5-2 could also lead to a new positional switch for Paul Wanner.
According to TZ’s Manuel Bonke, Nagelsmann has been using Paul Wanner in the left wing-back role during the pre-season. The German coach has been actively coaching the 3-5-2 system to the team during training. It will be interesting to see if Die Roten will utilize the same formation against DC United in the first game on the pre-season tour.
Alphonso Davies is the first choice left wing-back for Die Roten. Wanner is used in this role to provide cover to Davies since Omar Richards left the club earlier this summer to join Nottingham Forest. The use of Wanner in the wing-back role also suggests Die Roten will not be dipping into the market to find a replacement for Omar Richards.
Wanner primarily operates as an attacking midfielder. He made his debut for the senior team earlier this year. The youngster squashed speculation about his future by signing a long-term contract. Bayern chiefs rate Paul Wanner highly and expect him to eventually play a big role for the first team.
Earlier this summer, one report in Germany suggested that Wanner could go out on loan. However, the positional switch could make sure that Wanner gets a good amount of playing time next season. It is not the ideal position for Wanner to play in, but it will definitely aid his development since he will get minutes at the senior level.
Apart from Paul Wanner and Davies, Nagelsmann also has the option of using Lucas Hernandez in the left wing-back role. However, the French international is a much more conservative wing-back. His best qualities are utilized in the center-back role.
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The two pre-season games on the pre-season tour will give a good picture of Nagelsmann’s plans for next season. He also insisted that the team needs to get better at counter-pressing, so there are a lot of things to watch out for in the coming weeks before the start of the season.