Bayern Munich: Markus Babbel urges Joshua Kimmich to show discipline in midfield
Bayern Munich players and head coach have been on the receiving end of a lot of criticism in the past few days due to poor performances in the Bundesliga. Die Roten is languishing outside the top four in the fifth position, five points behind league leaders Union Berlin.
The defending Bundesliga champions are currently on a winless run of four league games. They suffered three consecutive draws against Borussia Monchengladbach, Union Berlin, and VfB Stuttgart. Augsburg piled on the misery by defeating Bayern in the Bavarian derby just before the international break.
Julian Nagelsmann is currently under pressure to bring Die Roten back on track in the Bundesliga. The current run of poor results is Nagelsmann’s first crisis moment at Bayern since arriving in Bavaria from RB Leipzig in 2021. The club chiefs have publicly backed Nagelsmann to get the club back on track in the Bundesliga.
Along with Nagelsmann, players are also receiving a lot of criticism for poor performances in the Bundesliga. While talking to Sky Sports in Germany, former Bayern defender Markus Babbel had harsh words for Joshua Kimmich. Babbel wants Kimmich to be more disciplined in the number six roles to help the team maintain shape in and out of possession.
"“In the last few years he has achieved a standing that we all said: world class, outstanding. But I noticed last season that he no longer has the discipline to play in his position. Kimmich sometimes plays on the six, then on the eight, as a ten or left winger. He twirls everywhere but where he should be playing.”“If Kimmich plays disciplined in his position, FC Bayern is outstanding. If he does that again in the future, I am convinced that Bayern will soon be doing better than they are now.”"
Nagelsmann has used a very fluid midfield this season. Joshua Kimmich and Marcel Sabitzer have started most of the games together in the center of the park. Both players keep on rotating in number six and eight positions throughout the game. It worked to a great effect in the first three league games of the season, but performances have dipped in the last three weeks.
Joshua Kimmich may have to go back to basics and hold on to the number six role. If he manages to control the tempo from this position, then Bayern will stop making it an end-to-end contest. For now, Die Roten is lacking composure and discipline in the midfield, which allows the opposition to dominate games.
The German midfielder has been one of the consistent performers for Bayern in the past few seasons, so he is more than likely to get back to his best in the coming weeks. Along with Kimmich, other senior players also need to step up in the coming weeks.
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Bayern will be facing Bayer Leverkusen next Friday after the international break. It is a tricky and challenging game for Die Roten, but anything less than three points will be a disaster for the team. Kimmich will be looking to get back in form on Friday and start delivering world-class performances in the Bundesliga as he has done over the past few seasons.