After the next surprising mistake, FC Bayern is puzzling over its causes. Those involved all end up with one central question.
Jan-Christian Dreesen was relieved after FC Bayern’s surprising 0-1 defeat against Bremen. The shock of the record champions’ momentous mistake in the championship battle with league leaders Bayer Leverkusen, who were now seven points ahead of them, was literally written on his face.
“What does shocked mean? We simply played boring football for the first 70 minutes,” said the FC Bayern CEO when asked by t-online. But Dreesen didn’t have a real explanation for this and just puzzled over the possible causes. “It can’t be due to the quality of the team. Especially not when we were still dreaming and talking about the Champions League final a few weeks ago. The attitude obviously changes like the weather.”
This central question concerns FC Bayern
He quickly arrived at this central question about the team, which is already a concern for Bayern within the team: the mentality question. Without exception, every player who commented after the desolate performance against Bremen also mentioned this.
Captain Manuel Neuer “missed a bit of self-image” among his teammates. His second deputy, Joshua Kimmich, “didn’t have the feeling that we knew what it was about.” And vice-captain Müller summarized: “There was simply not enough life in it.”
Neuer had at least saved Bayern from an even earlier and greater deficit with several strong saves. Joshua Kimmich tried in vain to keep order in midfield before he was substituted for Müller after just under an hour. Star newcomer Harry Kane remained almost ineffective for over 90 minutes and in the end only had 23 ball contacts and not a single really dangerous shot on goal.
Does Bavaria have a mentality and leadership problem?
Even the supposed leaders of FC Bayern failed to give the team the necessary impetus. Do the people of Munich not only have a mentality problem, but also a leadership problem?
Konrad Laimer revealed that things would already be addressed within the team. “At halftime they say: ‘There has to be more’. Before the game they say: ‘Today is important’. But in the end it’s the actions that count. It’s no use if we just talk around,” said the Austrian. The newcomer from Leipzig, who was previously known more as a representative of quiet tones, spoke plainly with unusual clarity.
“That was definitely not enough from everyone today. We have to be there for 90 minutes when the whistle kicks off and not play like Larifari and think: ‘We’ll win this anyway because we’re better individually,'” said the 26-year-old. In the right-back position, he was one of the few to make a positive impression against Bremen with full commitment and with the most (116) ball contacts and a strong pass rate of 97 percent (91/94).
“Then suddenly it was so strangely quiet”
“Then suddenly it was so strangely quiet,” said Laimer, describing his impressions on the pitch during the looming defeat against Werder. “Then there just has to be more to come when you realize after ten minutes: Okay, today it’s going to be tough and we’re not finding our rhythm.”
Of course, just shouting around doesn’t help, says the 26-year-old. Instead, “just one action, a sprint, a duel won is enough to get the whole team involved again,” says Laimer. “That was definitely missing today. We know that it’s missing from time to time and we also know that we have to do something better.”
And what exactly? He doesn’t have a “1a answer” to that either, says Laimer, but he is sure: “The team has enough quality and mentality.”