To say the least, Lothar Matthäus is not happy with the state of Bayern Munich center-back position.
We covered the first part of the former Bayern Munich and German national team great’s comments here but he had much more to say — including some real doubt about whether or not Kim Min-jae can succeed at Bayern Munich long-term.
This is what he wrote for Sky (as captured by @iMiaSanMia):
If (Matthijs) De Ligt had not been sold, I would not have worries at FC Bayern now. But my opinion about him is probably different to the people in charge. It’s a decision that has to be accepted. But many – including within the team – are just shaking their heads. Because the players also know that their defense is shaky. And then the best defender for many is sold.
It’s not possible for Kim to play like he did in Napoli. They played very differently in defense than Bayern does. I don’t want to offend Kim, but he simply did not combine the clear, quick passing game with a certain security that is needed at the back. I didn’t like that about him from the start. The ball bounces around with him. That’s not what I expect at the highest level, that is not FC Bayern. He also does not have the tackling ability that he used to have in Napoli at the moment.
Despite the defensive problems, I would not sign Jonathan Tah or any other new center-back (at midseason). With Kim, Upamecano, Eric Dier, Hiroki Itō and Josip Stanišić, FC Bayern has five players who can play this position.
There will be a lot of eyes on the backline line in the coming weeks. Will the Bavarian center-backs be up to the task?
Looking for more thoughts on the contract negotiations between Bayern Munich and Jamal Musiala, plus a take on Didi Hamann’s recent criticism of Musiala? What about an assessment of that crazy rumor eyeing a double-swoop of transfers in Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka? Awesome, then check out the latest edition of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show on Patreon, Spotify, or below:
