When Vincent Kompany was hired, the move was met with some excitement, some doubt, and a whole lot of wondering how this would all play out.
Now…we know.
Sort of.
Kompany oversaw a successful first half of the season, but one half does not make a coaching genius. The Rückrunde is where Kompany will really make or break his season.
Leading the Bundesliga by four points and also in a decent — not great — spot in the Champions League, Kompany has much to prove. While unlucky circumstances led to Bayern Munich’s demise in the DFB-Pokal, Kompany might not get a pass from fans (or the club) if the Bavarians falter in the remaining competitions.
So…what can Kompany do to avoid flaming out? Let’s explore by making each topic a term and expressions from the 80s:
- “Sit on this and rotate!”: If there is one, singular criticism of Kompany that most Bayern Munich fans agree upon, it is that the coach has not rotated enough. As expected, Bayern Munich is getting hammered by the injury gods at the moment and face a condensed schedule to start the second half, so it would behoove the bossman to embrace rotation.
- “Bogus!”: Avoid losing another game to Bo Henriksen and Mainz 05.
- “Gnarly!”: As tempting as it might seem at times, be smart with your usage of Serge Gnabry.
- “Just say no!”: No matter how parched you might be or how tired you get, DO NOT take one of those energy drinks.
- “Bite me!”: Don’t sign Luis Suárez to back up Harry Kane, no matter how much you think you need an experienced striker behind the Englishman.
- “Gag me with a spoon!”: Seriously, don’t lose to Borussia Dortmund…again.
- “Psych!”: Think about moving to a 3-5-2…psych!
- “Stoked!”: First place in the Bundesliga is nice, but can you prove you can do it on a cold, rainy night in Stoke…err Leverkusen?
- “Don’t be a poser!”: Learn a few lessons from the last guy who previously manned your position. Continue to embrace the job, the club, and the culture. Continue to avoid using the media as a weapon (even if it does piss off fans at times). Foster a positive environment for your team and keep the lines of communication open. More than anything, stay flexible. Don’t hunker in, no matter how right you think you are at the time. Football is a funny game, trust yourself, but be willing to evolve.
Those are just a few of things that you will need to do Mr. Kompany. Godspeed!
Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show Season 4, Episode 26
Bayern Munich is back in action, but there might be more working going on in the boardroom than on the pitch at the moment.
Let’s talk about everything going on, including the big debate — to add a release or not add a release clause to a new contract for Jamal Musiala. This is what we have on tap for this episode of the Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Show:
- A quick rundown of Bayern Munich’s latest injury information.
- A release clause could be a potential requirement for Jamal Musiala’s camp and might be holding up his contract extension. Should Bayern Munich give-in and do it…or should it hold strong and not go down what could be a slippery slope for the future.
- Discussing the latest contract updates for Thomas Müller, Leroy Sané, and Joshua Kimmich.
- What are fair deals for Müller and Sané?
- Kimmich is taking a victory lap.
- Is Viktor Gyökeres the “next one”? Bayern Munich might think so.
- No Entertainment Rundown this week (sorry!).
Song of the Week: “L.A. Woman” by The Doors
I went through a phase with The Doors in college — thanks to their Greatest Hits CD. It had been a while since I had given them a good listen, but when “L.A. Woman” came across my radio dial this week, I was brought right back to that period.
The Doors still get a fair amount of airplay on the local classic rock station here, but I can imagine in other areas of the world, they might become lost in the shuffle. Enjoy:
Entertainment Rundown
If you can remember back to season one of The Last of Us, you can remember that I was not all that impressed — and honestly felt like it was a little disappointing. However, I will — likely — watch season two, so if you are looking for a quick taste of what lies ahead, you can check out the trailer below:
Bayern Munich will travel to Borussia Mönchengladbach for a Bundesliga showdown — against a traditional bogey team (at least in recent years) — in hopes of retaining their stronghold atop the league table.
Bayern Munich will be looking to build off of the strong performances against RB Leipzig at the end of the Hinrunde and vs. Red Bull Salzburg in a friendly earlier this week. Let’s talk about all of that and more on the Bavarian Podcast Works — Preview Show. This is what we have on tap:
- A look at the recent form of each team and where they fall in the Bundesliga table.
- A look at the rosters and injuries for RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich.
- A guess at Bayern Munich’s starting XI.
- A prediction on the match.
Predictions
Bundesliga
Avoid the bogey…avoid the bogey…avoid the bogey.
The boys are banged up, sick, and facing an extremely motivated Borussia Mönchengladbach side on the road. Many sane folks would take that info, couple it with the voodoo magic that Gladbach has over Bayern Munich and run for the hills.
Not me…even though I think I’m dumb (not just a Nirvana lyric).
Prediction: Borussia Mönchengladbach 1-3 Bayern Munich
Other Bundesliga Predictions:
- Borussia Dortmund 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen
- SC Freiburg 2-0 Holstein Kiel
- Heidenheim 0-1 Union Berlin
- Hoffenheim 2-1 VfL Wolfsburg (I will regret this)
- Mainz 05 2-0 VfL Bochum
- St. Pauli 0-3 Eintracht Frankfurt
- RB Leipzig 3-1 Werder Bremen
- FC Augsburg 1-2 VfB Stuttgart
Prediction Records
- Last Week Bundesliga: 4-5 (Through Matchday 15)
- Overall Bundesliga: 64-71
- UEFA Nations League: 81-66
- Champions League: 60-48 (Through Matchday 6)
- DFB-Pokal: 40-16 (Through Round of 16)
- Total: 245-201
- Perfect Picks: 41 (when the score and winner is predicted exactly)
