Reds to look to Münich?

BAYERN Münich are raising the bar – but what can Liverpool FC learn?

Before the semi-final draw in the Champions League I was hoping for a matchup between FC Barcelona and Bayern Münich. Barca have been the best team in Europe the last five years or so, and I was eager to see just how good this season’s Bayern team really was.

In the aftermath of these two games I’m asking myself two questions:

Was this the indication of a power shift in football? What can Liverpool FC learn from this?

The Spanish way of playing and developing players has been seen as the way forward the last few years, and they have the trophies to prove they have done something right the last decade or so. Technical players with great tactical awareness is what we have come to expect – both individually and within a structure.

Germany have followed one step behind them; and even though they have tended to come up short when facing Spanish opposition we have seen the signs of a generation of German players coming closer to matching them individually, as well as playing a more adventurous type of football.

The way Bayern and Borussia Dortmund play has similarities to the Spanish way, but also vast differences. The common denominator is the way they press to win the ball back, whether it is high up the pitch or in their own half. However, that is where the similarities end.

Where Barca and the Spanish national team wear their opponents down with their tiki-taka, the German teams have a more varied approach. Looking at Bayern in particular they are also very much a possession-oriented team, but they have a more pragmatic approach than the Spanish style – meaning they are able to adapt when facing the likes of Barca.

The German teams are much more eager in transition and take advantage of every opportunity to counter attack; the German national team have played this way since the World Cup 2006, Dortmund have followed their example and now Bayern seem to have created the perfect blend between keeping possession and striking on the counter. What we saw this week was a team of quality players playing with great discipline and confidence – seemingly knowing exactly what to do in every situation.
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Was it a sign of a shift in power? I would be hesitant to make that conclusion based on two games of football; the Barcelona style does not become useless and outdated over night, but there is no doubt they will have to make a couple of additions to their squad and add one or two tactical elements to their game if they want to regain the throne.

So, what can LFC learn from this? What do Bayern have that we don’t have, apart from individually superior players in key positions?

Much has been made of Brendan Rodgers and his supposed tiki-taka style. Personally I think it has been blown out of proportion, and looking at the way Liverpool have played this season I would say we are more similar to a German team than a Spanish team.

Playing quick and direct when the opportunity is there while also being able to keep the ball when we want to or need to; this is part of the tactical smartness Rodgers is trying to instil into the Liverpool team and it is something Bayern excel at, because they have players who master both styles and can adapt to the circumstances.

Looking at the framework of the two teams we have a similar 4-2-3-1 setup with attacking full-backs, inverted wingers and a midfield duo. As I see it, the main differences lie in the athleticism in midfield and the composition of the front four. Where they have a technical and mobile target striker supported by two of the best wingers in the game – plus Dirk Kuyt and Jordan Henderson wrapped in a Thomas Müller shaped package – we have a completely different type of dynamics, largely because of Luis Suarez.

Their real strength is the engine room though. Martinez and Schweinsteiger is a perfect blend of physique and ability, and I cannot think of a better duo than those two at the moment. They both cover a lot of ground defensively and always make the right decisions with the ball. This is one area where I think Liverpool need something new in order to evolve into a better team; I think something is missing in there which makes us look a bit unbalanced, and I hope Rodgers has got someone lined up who can fit in together with Lucas and Gerrard to add a bit of steel, athleticism and composure on the ball.

I’m not saying we should go all out and copy Bayern. That would be a foolish knee-jerk reaction. However, it would be equally foolish to look at this red machine without searching for elements to integrate – especially since we are at a stage where we are building something new – and for me there are two main areas: the transition from defence to attack, and the coordination and the intensity of their pressing game.
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