There is room for improvement…
Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany has had a very successful first season in Bavaria so far.
The team leads the Bundesliga by eight points and is in the final 16 teams for the Champions League (with a very doable pathway to at least get to the semifinal). While the DFB-Pokal was a bust, Bayern Munich’s results have been been very good during this campaign.
You can debate form, but the results are the results and as Bill Parcells once said, “You are what your record says you are.”
However, there is one — major — issue that has arisen for Kompany during his inaugural campaign in Bavaria. The coach’s lack of rotation and man-management has put Bayern Munich a in very precarious spot. Just take Friday’s training session news as an example:
Dayot Upamecano left training after eight minutes with a back issue. That type of ailment will not heal by game time on Sunday. Upamecano could play, of course, but he will not be working at 100%.
Speaking of not operating at 100%, many fans have wondered what the hell is going on with Jamal Musiala, who has not looked like himself in weeks. As it turns out, the after-effects of Musiala harsh illness in January are still prevalent and affecting his performance. SO…why has he continue to be rolled out there ad nauseum?
Kim Min-jae has been playing (at times unnecessarily) with Achilles tendonitis and now — allegedly — wants to rest. Such is the timing of things that Upamecano is now also banged up. What happens if both players cannot go against Eintracht Frankfurt?
Joshua Kimmich (likely load management), Harry Kane (calf injury), and Josip Stanišić (undisclosed reason) also missed training.
You might look at the list an say, “that’s the cost of doing business in the world of football” — but it is more than that. Injuries and illnesses are often not preventable, but they can be managed a lot better than what we have seen at Bayern Munich this season.
Kompany had ample chances to rest both Upamecano and Min-jae earlier this season and prevent this type of wear-and-tear from happening. Now,though, Kompany has boxed himself into the squad’s most dangerous month with a tired, beat-up backline that could be in danger of missing a crucial Bundesliga tilt. Moreover, is it safe to continuously roll players out there with known ailments, further risking the chance for long-term injuries to develop?
Eric Dier has been great in the scant opportunities he has had this season and Hiroki Itō is now back in the fold. Stanišić would be a help there, too, if he is available. Ready or not, though, any of those players could be tasked with shaking off the rust in an important match.
But Kompany’s issues go deeper than just managing injuries. His lack of rotation has hurt Bayern Munich as well. If not at 100%, Musiala should have been managed better, especially considering his effectiveness and production have taken a nosedive since that illness. In addition, Kompany has shown little creativity in figuring out how to fix the abyss that has become the left wing position — rolling the dice on Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry, and Leroy Sané has not worked, yet nothing ever changes.
Kane’s early season workload is now leading to multiple setbacks with injuries as well. Plus, Kane has looked tired, worn down, and lethargic at various points this season.
It has to get better from Kompany.
Before the pitchforks and torches come out, no one is calling for Kompany’s gig. He has done a good job overall, but he must also learn from this season and make changes to his style, ideas, strategy, and philosophy — especially as it pertains to man-management.
The players like him and the club’s front office is behind him. There is no doubt about each of those things. Kompany’s win-loss record is extremely good for this stage of his first season as well.
However, we have all been around long enough to know that if Kompany does not change, he could easily find himself going the way of Carlo Ancelotti, Julian Nagelsmann, and Thomas Tuchel as a coach whose reluctance to change his ways could end up costing him his job.
Will Kompany be able to adapt?
Bavarian Football Works
