Daily Schmankerl: The aftermath of Bayern Munich vs. Schalke; Jerome Boateng rumor refuted; PSG wants “straight cash, homey” for Neymar; and MORE!

Die Folgen: Bayern’s 3-0 victory over hapless Schalke (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich traveled to Schalke 04 only to see the home team turtle up and refuse to fully engage. Here are some quick hitters on the match:

• That Robert Lewandowski fella is pretty good. Another day at the office for the Polish Hitman resulted in a hat trick, giving him five league goals so far this season. I’m not mathematician, but I’d say he’s on pace for a pretty good year.
• I called for this last week — no offense to David Alaba because he’s a terrific player — but I was happy to see Lewandowski (or anyone else) get a chance to tee up a free kick in an advantageous position.
• Niko Kovac got a little creative with his alignment, including using Joshua Kimmich as a midfielder. One has to wonder if Kimmich is going to slot into a defensive midfield role so that Benjamin Pavard can play right-back and there won’t be a center-back controversy with Pavrard, Niklas Sule, and Lucas Hernandez. I prefer Kimmich as a right-back, but I’m just some dude swilling coffee, while typing on a laptop. Pavard is not as offensively creative or aggressive as Kimmich as a right-back, which would be a detriment to the Bayern offense.
• Corentin Tolisso was better yesterday, but he’s still not back to himself, but this is all to be expected. I keep hammering this point home because I think if Thiago Alcantara and Leon Goretzka were healthy, Tolisso would be able to ease his way back into a form rather than jumping back into the fire. I think this is so key to understand. Realistically, Tolisso should be on a much more limited game schedule than he is, but he also deserves credit for battling when he is clearly not 100% back to being himself.
• Manuel Neuer could have used a cot. Regardless, a clean sheet is a clean sheet.
• The Bayern central defenders played very well, albeit without much of an offensive threat from Schalke.
• For the sake of the Bundesliga, I was hoping Schalke would be a little more formidable this season, but they seem to be lacking some serious bite to their attack.
• Schalke goalkeeper and rumored #ProjectBavarianMayhem2020 target Alexander Nübel was impressive, despite allowing three goals. I guess that says something.

If you missed our Match Awards or Observations, give them a look:

Falk shoots down Boateng rumor; touts defensive specialist (@cfbayern)

Bild reporter Christian Falk threw some icy cold water on the rumor that Fenerbahce was going to make an offer for Jerome Boateng:

Falk also indicated Bayern may still make a move for a defensive specialist (though what exactly what means is open to interpretation):

Former Celtic star backs Morrison for success (Scottish Sun)

Alan “Rambo” McInally would know a bit about playing for both Celtic FC and Bayern Munich and the Scottish player-turned-pundit thinks Liam Morrison will grow by leaps and bounds in Germany. McInally told the Scottish Sun:

I’m chuffed Liam has decided to make this move. It takes guts and I applaud his attitude when he says he wants to be one of the game’s top defenders. That augurs well for his future. He’s clearly a kid with talent and the drive to succeed. He’s just 16 and, with that in mind, I shouldn’t have to tell him it’s best to avoid the temptations of Oktoberfest!

But seriously, he has a terrific chance to become the best he can be at one of the world’s top clubs. Liam will need to be confident from day one. It’s important to learn the language quickly, rather than rely on the others to speak English. He’s young enough, so I’m sure his mind will act like a sponge and he’ll adapt without too many problems.

He must be prepared to get better at the things he’s already good at, as well as working on any weaknesses he has. There will be lads who are bigger, stronger and perhaps better than he is at the moment. But Bayern have signed him because they think he can develop into a first-team player. They wouldn’t waste their own or the kid’s time if they didn’t have faith in his talent.

I, too, am chuffed.

You want Neuer cake? You got it! (@FCBayernUS)

PSG reportedly not trifling around with player trades (The Mirror)

Paris Saint-Germain is now supposedly against using a “player swap” as part of a deal for Neymar:

Recent reports claimed that PSG, who want straight cash rather than a player-plus-cash deal, will demand €250million (£228m) for their prized asset, with Madrid believed to be more likely of concluding a deal.

As Randy Moss once said, “Straight cash, homey.” Anyway, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid are still the leaders in the clubhouse to land Neymar, with Juventus considered a dark horse candidate.