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Tag Archives: tactics

Why did Germany Fail at the World Cup?

Note: This article is almost 6000 words long as I tried to be as thorough as possible. If you don’t want to read it all, the sections which should most interest the casual reader are 1c (striker issues), 2 (counterpressing), and 6 (recommendations).   

German girl crying

I do not believe there is anyone reading this, maybe not anyone in the entire world, who would argue that the German National Team did not underperform this World Cup.  Failing to get out of the group stage for the first time in history is, to put it simply, a catastrophe, and it is a catastrophe we must engage in in order to draw lessons for the future. Continue reading →

What the fans say: Nein to false nine

The results of BayernForum.com’s first ever Monthly Poll are in, and while the difference between the two leading options is only slight, one conclusion can be drawn: the fans do not want Bayern to radically change into a strikerless team.

The question asked was: Do you think Bayern have played better with or without Mandžukić this season? 50% of the voters (9 users) said it made no difference, while 44% of the voters (8 users) voted With Mandžukić. Only 1 voter felt that Bayern are better off playing without a real striker. Continue reading →

Tactical permutations and all that jazz

With the Bundesliga opener a week away, it looks like it is time to start wondering how our team is going to play this season. In the transfer market, we’ve bolstered our team with the signing of Xherdan Shaqiri, Claudio Pizarro, Mario Mandzukic, Dante, Mitchell Weiser and Tom Starke. Finally, the signing of the Athletic Bilbao midfielder Javi Martinez seems to be bogged in semantics in negotiations, yet very close to being completed, so this article will be written on the assumption that Martinez will be wearing all red by Monday.

(note: Neuer is left out of this discussion because he simply… is) Continue reading →

Looking ahead to the future

Another season is over. The dream of reaching the home Champions League final in Munich was achieved, but a happy ending was not meant to be. To add insult to injury, Bayern finished as runners-up in all competitions they played in this year.

This means that Bayern have now gone trophy-less for two seasons in a row, something which hasn’t happened for exactly twenty years. Bayern did not win any titles in 1990/1, then again in 1991/2 and made it three in a row a year later. Continue reading →

OH GOD WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE

Okay, lads and lasses, we’re not all going to die. Nor did our team suddenly become like Kaiserslautern or something. But there is plenty to be learned from yesterday’s Pokal match, and plenty that it gives perspective to. Let’s dive right in, shall we?

The most prevalent stance in the last 12 hours among the plebs of the internet has been bewilderment as to how could Bayern win the Champions League after a performance such as yesterday. With all the alarmism of Daily Mail-reading housewives, even our own flock has taken to this line of thought. But there are a fair few key points that are cause for plenty optimism ahead of the big ol’ game in a weeks time. Continue reading →

Why the 4-6-0 could work with our current squad

The 4-6-0 formation is rare. The idea of having a formation with no strikers does not appeal to most clubs, although Barcelona are doing something similar (in a different way) by playing Messi as a false nine. However I do think that Bayern Munich have the right players to make this work. These are the main advantages we would gain from playing such a system. I believe they would help us overcome our troubles against defensive-minded teams, and also get rid of our predictability. Continue reading →