With Harry Kane, FC Bayern laid the foundation for the squad upheaval. With the center forward, the Munich team have an anchor in their game again. But shortly before the start of the season, many construction sites are still open.
At the debut, not a lot really fit together. With ovations, Harry Kane officially entered the pitch of the Munich Arena for the first time as a FC Bayern player in the Super Cup duel against RB Leipzig. The costly new signing struggled for 27 minutes, but was not fed any good passes by his team-mates and was also unable to prove his playmaking qualities.
Kane always plays
In the press conference after the 3-0 defeat, a journalist dared to ask Thomas Tuchel whether Kane was being built up first and whether he still had to get to know the team. “What kind of structure?” Was Tuchel’s irritated reply. “We need to get to know him, not him us. He’s our number nine. He plays. Every game.”
The mood of the coach of FC Bayern Munich was not good anyway after the bitter defeat. But Tuchel’s incredulous reaction shows very clearly: Kane is an absolute key player from day one. It is the cornerstone of a successful season, the most important correction in squad planning. After the turbulent season of FC Bayern Munich not only hinted Coach Thomas Tuchel several timesthat he was dissatisfied with the composition of his squad. Despite the rumbling press conference, he should look a lot more relaxed after the Kane transfer to the coming season, which begins with the away game at Werder Bremen (Friday, August 18, audio live stream and ticker from 8:30 p.m. on sportschau.de).
Harry Kane – the missing Lewandowski successor
Because with Kane, FC Bayern gets what it did a year ago lost in Robert Lewandowski. The England international is an absolute top striker: He is difficult to guard from inside the box and absolutely accurate. A quality that would probably have saved the Munich team one or the other game last season. But above all, outside the penalty area, he has the qualities that were sorely missed in the Munich game last season.
Kane is a playing forward. He lets himself fall deeply, has an outstanding understanding of the game, a good eye for free teammates and the playful skills to find them with a pass. At Tottenham, he often picked up the ball in midfield and made long, precise passes to his teammates, opening the way to the goal himself.
A new fixed star for the FC Bayern attack
With the exception of Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Mathys Tel, who are direct competitors for the forward position, every FC Bayern player will benefit immediately from Kane’s arrival. Opposing defenses will rarely have the luxury of not having at least one player on the field as a designated Kane guard. Every run of the centre-forward will cause at least a small moment of uncertainty, what especially “space interpreter” Thomas Müller and will give the fast outside players with the urge to score significantly more freedom on the field than was the case last season, when Choupo-Moting mostly stayed in the generic penalty area and only rarely contributed to playful solutions outside.
The central midfielders around Joshua Kimmich should also be happy about an attacker with excellent technique and strong running paths, who is greedily waiting for the chip balls from the half-space. For Thomas Tuchel, who repeatedly criticized positioning and running paths in offensive behavior last season, the Kane transfer will be a key to restructuring the attacking game. It remains to be seen whether with Kane, as in the previous year, he relies significantly more on wingers than his predecessor Julian Nagelsmann. Nevertheless, with his arrival, Kane will be the fixed star in the Munich attacks.
Kane fixes many problems – but not all
Kane will actually be able to fix many of the worries from the past season. But all the problems of the Munich squad planner will also this 100 million euro transfer not solve. A few days before the start of the Bundesliga the people of Munich are still desperately looking for a new representative or even -successor, should the healing of the goalkeeper become even more complicated.
After the cancellation of the desired player Kyle Walker, there is also a feverish search for reinforcements at right-back. So far, Noussair Mazraoui has not managed to completely convince Tuchel of himself. Josip Stanisic is also not trusted in Munich to outgrow the role of solid back-up. Benjamin Pavard is said to be becoming more uncomfortable after his change request and increasingly refusing to play in the unloved position on the right in the defensive network. He sees himself exclusively as a central defender.
Tuchel’s wish: will there be another six?
Should Bayern actually sell the French, they would also have some catching up to do in the central defense, because with only three nominal central defenders, FC Bayern will hardly be chasing titles in three different competitions. And Tuchel’s second big wish is also still open: a real six. Tuchel sees his team as too vulnerable to counterattacks and was repeatedly annoyed by slight mistakes by the defensive group. Not just that Fix new centre-back Min-jae Kimbut also preferably a tackle and strong defensive specialist in midfield.
Neither Leon Goretzka he fully believes that Konrad Laimer and Ryan Gravenberch are capable of this role. And Raphael Guerreiro, whom Tuchel has already mentioned as a possible six-man candidate, is the coach’s dream solution. A man like Javi Martínez should be back. A tireless, unpretentious worker with an excellent eye for opposing attacks – and, at best, a fighting mentality that can rouse an unsettled team in a tight spot.
But there doesn’t seem to be any concrete talks and desired players at the moment since desired player Declan Rice switched to Arsenal. Casemiro seems to be happy in Manchester, Rodri also with the city rivals, Fabinho recently moved to Saudi Arabia – and Chelsea FC bought twice in this position and spent around 240 million euros for Moisés Caicedo and Enzo Fernández within half a year . An indication that the complicated transfer summer for FC Bayern is far from over.
How does Kane affect team chemistry?
It wouldn’t be the biggest surprise if the leadership team decided to rely on the existing players at least until winter to test whether the construct isn’t stable enough after all. After all, FC Bayern would not only save a lot of money if they didn’t have to sign a new midfielder of international stature under time pressure. It might also be good for team chemistry if a valued colleague like Goretzka didn’t lose his role in the team entirely. Because it is not clear how the team will take the new star humanely. Although Kane is considered an absolute model professional and has already received an invitation to play golf from Thomas Müller, traditionally the good mood welcoming committee of highly decorated star engagements. But a newcomer as a top earner is not always welcome.
Especially since the mood in the dressing room at FC Bayern Munich is not likely to be too good after the recent statements from their coach. If Kane doesn’t take direct action and follow up on his claims (“I’ll be a leading player here”), the problem with team chemistry should also ease up a bit on its own. Because one thing is still more important than anything else in Munich: success.
Source: BR24Sport
08/18/2023 – 8:30 p.m
