August 15, 2022

The brief from today:

Bayern spread the goals

Bayern Munich dominating teams in the Bundesliga is hardly breaking news, but their approach this season has been different thus far. For the past eight seasons, a certain Robert Lewandowksi has dominated the scoring for the German side, but with the Polish striker moving to Barcelona this summer there were question marks regarding the void his departure would cause. There was talk last season that a slight rift had developed between Lewandowski and Bayern coach, Julian Nagelsman, after the latter asked for more mobility from the number nine. After scoring 238 Bundesliga goals in 253 matches, the prolific attacker didn’t take too kindly to being told his positioning needed adjusting, feeling instead, that his record breaking goalscoring proved his approach already yielded results. Of course Bayern had only just brought in Nagelsman one year earlier, and paid €25 million to release him from his Leipzig contract, so clearly they were committed to his coaching methods. On the other hand Lewandowski’s numbers meant he also commanded respect from the club, but when he began saying he wanted to leave for a new challenge, Bayern eventually relented. With Lewandowski moving on to Barcelona, many wondered where the goals would come from, as the new additions in attack: Sadio Mane from Liverpool and Mathys Tel from Rennes are very different in style to the recently departed Pole. Different they may be, but the early indications—specifically from Mane who is the more prepared player considering Tel is only 17, and a future prospect—have been impressive. Nagelsman has changed formation from a 4-2-3-1, where Lewandowski used to be the focal point in attack, to a 4-2-2-2, with the more mobile Mane and Gnabry playing upfront, while Muller and Musiala play directly behind them. The result of this positioning shift in attack has seen Bayern score an impressive 13 goals in their first three official matches this season. It isn’t just the return that has the caught the eye, it’s also the way the goals have been spread across more players with seven different scorers being registered thus far. So while Lewandowki’s prolific scoring record can’t be denied, it seems Nagelsman is getting the change in approach he desired, and the current numbers certainly bode well for Bayern’s attack at this early stage of the season.

Since Lewandowski’s departure, Bayern are now spreading the goals around

Luis Campos forced into PSG mediation

Following news yesterday that tension was brewing behind the scenes at PSG—specifically between Mbappe and Neymar—sporting advisor, Luis Campos, has now stepped in to address matters. The issue between the two star players, stemming from penalty taking duties, has spilled over into the media, and as a result the club are taking steps to solve things sooner than later. Luis Campos, along with coach, Christophe Galtier, had a meeting with the two players to remind them that their respective attitudes shouldn’t compromise the team, and that grievances should be dealt with internally and discreetly. Mbappe, for his part, had the very public display of frustration at not being passed to during the recent match against Montpellier, and Neymar was spending time liking tweets that criticized Mbappe getting priority over him when deciding who would take penalties. The discussion was said to have cleared the air between all parties, but time will tell how accurate that is. Reports in French media have stated that Mbappe’s camp, following the renewal of his contract with PSG earlier this summer, have been pushing for Neymar to be sold. With that as a backdrop preceding this past weekend’s behavior from both players, it would be surprising if a meeting, which merely restated what they already knew, could suddenly rectify what appears to be some deep sentiments. One thing is for sure, however, Campos has more than just transfers to focus on in his new role at the club, as conflict management will now be added to his remit.

Luis Campos can add solving dressing room squabbles to his agenda