With the international break upon us Bayern Munich’s bosses have taken the opportunity to meet and work through the issues affecting the club, trying to get to the bottom of why they haven’t won any of their last four Bundesliga matches.
Sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic, CEO Oliver Kahn and coach Julian Nagelsmann have held face-to-face meetings and had telephone conversations as they’ve analysed Bayern’s dip in form. From going to three straight wins with a goal difference of 15-1, Bayern have drawn three and lost one of the next four with a goal difference of 4-5.
“We talked to Julian about all aspects of our start to the season, including the positive ones, because there wasn’t just the defeat in Augsburg, but a lot of goals at the beginning and two wins without conceding a goal in the Champions League” Salihamidzic explained in an interview with Bild.
“Julian is very clear. He and his team of coaches know exactly what to do. Above all, Julian knows that he has the full backing of FC Bayern, and that doesn’t need to be emphasized again and again.”
There had been reports that Bayern bosses were unhappy with Nagelsmann’s conduct particularly his ‘show business’ side which sees him arrive to work on a Harley Davidson, or a skateboard and the fact that some of his interactions with the press have become spikey. How are the players meant to believe he is in full control, when at the press conference he seems not to be? For some he also spends more time on touchline fashion than is necessary!
Salihamidzic however is focussed on what is needed to get the Rekordmeister back to ‘business as usual.’
“There is no question in my mind that in this extraordinarily demanding season with a world championship in the middle, only teams that find a rhythm as a whole squad group, that develop their rotation style and push themselves as a unit have a chance of winning a title.
“Our players have quality, mentality, and character, they want and will show that. The upcoming games against Leverkusen, Pilsen and in Dortmund are exactly the right stage for this.
“We will appear differently after the international break. And I expect that too. Physical intensity, hunger, and the willingness to push yourself to the limit in every game are the prerequisites for success. We also need a much better, more focused conversion of chances.”
Bayern face a crunch game with Bayer Leverkusen next Friday, who themselves are desperate for boost as the pressure mounts on their coach Gerardo Seoane. They then have a Champions League match with Viktoria Plzeň, which in theory should give them a chance to put on a show and grab some goals after previous wins over Inter and Barcelona.
