FCB Danterized - Can, Emre
How did Bayern score against Kaiserslautern?
Massive rotation, a Dutch captain and surprisingly soft opponents - an all in all easy cup win for Bayern brings the club to the third round for the I think 12th time in a row.
Preseason Winners & Losers
Bayern’s cup match against second division club Jahn Regensburg will be played tomorrow, this means preseason is officially over. We saw lots of goals and unfortunately almost as many injuries, with Mario Gomez and David Alaba definitely and Diego Contento most likely out for the first Bundesliga match next Saturday, and Bastian Schweinsteiger, Rafinha and Claudio Pizarro all not yet 100% fit.
Because of the new-found depth thanks to the signings of highly useful players such as Dante, Mario Mandzukic, Xherdan Shaqiri and others, many spots in the starting lineup were up for grabs. The players had about a month to convince Don Jupp that they should start the season on the pitch, not on the bench. While they all surely gave it everything (someone give them a cookie), some did a better job than others. Here are my personal four winners and losers of preseason.
Winners
Mario Mandzukic: There is no doubt that the new Croatian, who combines Ivica Olic’s will power with Danijel Pranjic’s…something, will start in Regensburg and Fürth, simply because Mario Gomez is still injured. But while Mandzukic definitely benefits from that injury, it would be very wrong to think he only plays because of it. From day one on he showed what he’s capable of, his pointy elbows and useful feet annoy any defender. It’s not easy to say if he would’ve started with a fit Gomez around, I’d guess no because that would be a very big move for the first weeks, but he most certainly would’ve made it a very difficult decision for Heynckes. Luigi is more than just a sidekick.
Dante: Granted, preseason matches aren’t always the best thing for defenders, you often don’t have much to do. But, unlike some teammates, Dante has yet to look shaky. Arriving from Gladbach, where his team played more of a counter-attacking style, he didn’t have any problems getting used to being a part of the team that always dominates possession. Dante is a very, very serious option for the starting lineup.
Emre Can: Stating the obvious maybe but Can has become a real part of this team quickly. Just a guy for practice at first, his development in the last weeks has been impressive. At the beginning of preseason, he was a liability, a young guy who needs a lot of time to get used to this level. Now Emre Can is suddenly the main option for the left-back position until Alaba returns. If he continues to improve at this rate, Can won’t even need a loan deal.
Thomas Müller: I could’ve mentioned Xherdan Shaqiri here, the Swiss midfielder won over the hearts of the fans immediately. Nevertheless, it looks like Müller being in the starting lineup is more likely to happen at this point and that has nothing to do with trust or experience. Last season he was mostly shit, let’s be honest. So far he looks like the good old Thomas Müller of 2010, the one we all want. Scoring goals again, the always brilliant movement, even good passing - he’s shown it all. It’s too early to say that Müller is back but he’ll fight for his right to party play.
Losers
Jerome Boateng: Oh Jerome…so clumsy, yet so strong and dominant sometimes. He had a chance to be the Alaba replacement but a great performance was followed by very bad ones. So what, he’s a center back anyway. Then he continued to struggle, looking so unconcentrated, slipping, playing sloppy passes. Potential-wise, I still think that Boateng is the best German defender, even above Badstuber and the greasy types. Someone teach him how to stay focused, please. Maybe he can learn while Dante takes over his position.
Diego Contento: It feels wrong to call players losers who missed quite some time because of an injury but Contento not only missed a big chance to impress in the absence of David Alaba, he often looked horrible while he still had that chance. Emre Can and Luiz Gustavo will or at least should be ahead of him when he’s fit again. More courage to support the offense, please.
Anatoliy Tymoshchuk: We love your tweets and crazy slide tackles, Tymo. You seem to be a really great guy. But you’re just not good enough anymore. I’m trying really hard but I can’t remember a single good performance so far this season. Your passing makes Luiz Gustavo look like Toni Kroos. You’d be a decent option for an Europa League club but in Munich there will soon be two guys, Luiz Gustavo and Javi Martinez, who are miles ahead of you.
Patrick Weihrauch: Just kidding, nobody cares about you. Like Jupp Heynckes, I only needed a filler.
You can follow Tobi on twitter here.
Emre CAN #Yes He CAN #Looose vs. KingDave
Emre Can is set to sign a professional contract with Bayern. The 18-year-old plays for the reserve team at the moment, and was captain for the German u-17s this past summer. Congratulations Emre!
hey, but who is 'Can'?
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AnonymousEmre Can. Extremely talented. Bayern’s future. Germany Under-17 Captain. Bromances with David Alaba.
Kleiner Spaziergang in Freiburg mit David und Emre. Und in ein paar Stunden geht’ dann auch los!
Mario via Facebook :)
Happy 18th Birthday Emre Can! We’re hoping to see him in the first team soon! :)
