Weekend Warm-up: Who will step up for Bayern Munich in the Rückrunde?; Julian Nagelsmann does NYC; Checking out the new tune from All Time Low; World Cup predictions; & MORE!

Now that the World Cup is winding down, Bayern Munich will emerge at the forefront of discussions for fans on this site.

What awaits the Bavarians in the Rückrunde is a whole lot of uncertainty, though.

Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, a keystone figure within the squad, is out for the season after breaking his leg in a skiing accident, while Lucas Hernandez, arguably the team’s best center-back, tore his ACL while playing with France.

Those injuries leave two massive gaps in the roster that will be hard to fill — and now also places any thoughts of a treble in serious jeopardy. In fact, some fans are already shifting focus to just winning the Bundesliga.

Whatever the case, someone on the roster will have to emerge as the player to lead this group through the second half of the season by performing on the pitch...but who will it be? Let’s take a look at some of the possibilities:

• Jamal Musiala: Still just 19-years-old, this would be a lot of weight on his slight shoulders, but the Germany international has the talent and drive to take his game to another level when the team needs it.
• Sven Ulreich: Can #SvenTheWall elevate his own performances to be a capable replacement for Neuer over the long haul of the Rückrunde?
• Thomas Müller: Does the Old Gunslinger have one more extended battle left in the chamber? His most recent performance seem to indicate “no”, but now would be as good a time as any for the veteran to rise up from the ashes.
• Leroy Sané: Heralded as a superstar when he arrived, Sané has been very good, but perhaps not consistent enough to be considered great just yet. Could this be his moment to break into that next level?
• Joshua Kimmich: Teetering between being recognized as an all-time great Bayern Munich player and somehow also being overrated, Kimmich could seize the day and start to write his own history at the club.
• Sadio Mané: Brought in to help replace Robert Lewandowski, Mané’s role will reportedly shift to being a winger full-time now as part of a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3. Will the permanent change set him free to run wild on opposing defenses?
• Matthijs de Ligt: Decent, but not great since arriving from Juventus, De Ligt is showing some red flags about his future and lack of adaptability. His bizarre self-admission about his World Cup benching and being okay with a role as a spectator was odd to say the least. Can he show that promise that so many projected for him?

Sure, you could go on and on, but it is clear that Bayern Munich will need a jolt. Who can supply that? You tell us in the poll and in the comments.

Did anyone stop him?

As some of you are aware, Julian Nagelsmann is vacationing in New York City, opting for one of the coldest periods of the year here in the northeast United States.

I immediately wondered if anyone recognized him? We know Bayern Munich has a decent fanbase in New York, but it would be interesting to know if anyone stopped him (or stopped him and asked him if he read BFW today...I kid, I kid).

Somehow, our old friend Jake, an NYC resident, has not found Nagelsmann yet, either.

Did any of you see him out and about? Let us know in the comments.

(Cue reports saying I saw Nagelsmann at the Rangers game vs. the New Jersey Devils on Monday at Madison Square Garden...he was double-fisting beers and wearing Axe body spray).

Bavarian Podcast Works — Weekend Warm-up Podcast: Season 2, Episode 23

Bayern Munich’s season is unraveling. Germany got booted early from the World Cup. Argentina and France are set to duke it out in the World Cup finale.

Things have clearly not been coming up BFW lately, but here we are — still grinding away.

With so much going on, you know there is a ton to talk about, so let’s get to it. This is what we have on tap for this week’s episode:

• Germany’s task force/advisory council and what impact can they really make?
• The crazy transfer rumors we heard this week: Konrad Laimer’s potential positions? Marcel Sabitzer out? Marcus Rashford over Harry Kane?
• A look at Manuel Neuer’s injury, what it means for Bayern Munich, and why replacing him has become such a debacle. Alexander Nübel, Dominik Livaković, Yann Sommer, and Keylor Navas all have been mentioned as solutions.
• Babbling about the backline: Injury clauses in a contract proposal to Lucas Hernandez? Benjamin Pavard is definitely out, but the coaches want to keep him, and MORE!
• Why the second half of this season will be Julian Nagelsmann’s biggest test as a coach.

Song of the Week: “Sleepwalking” by All Time Low

Most of the time, I dig into the archives here, but there is always room to check out some new music and I really like what I heard from All Time Low, who are probably best known for their tune, “Monsters.”

A new release, this one caught my ear (admittedly, my daughter was listening to it and I pulled the “Hey, what’s this?” Dad move to figure out what she was listening to). Anyway, check it out. This band has been grinding for roughly 20 years and they deserve the credit. Enjoy:

Bad Takes Incoming

It’s that time of year again! We are compiling all of our bad takes from the year and even some of our current bad takes.

Starting on Monday, you will see them flowing...you have been warned!

Prediction

I nicknamed this game the “The Insufferable World Cup Final” because it will be absolutely difficult to live (and hear about this victory) from the fanbase of whichever team wins.

Aside of its opening loss to Saudi Arabia, Argentina has been very good, while France has scuffled a bit along the way to reaching the finale. Argentina has Lionel Messi, France has Kylian Mbappe. Both teams have extremely strong supporting casts, but something tells me that France is going to rise to the occasion to win its second consecutive World Cup — cementing the core personnel group as the country’s “Golden Generation.”

It pains me, but here we go...

Prediction: Argentina 1-3 France

Now, on to our guest prediction!

RIPLT

While it wasn’t the World Cup final I was expecting, at least we continue the tradition of having a Bayern player in the final since 1982. Going back to the present, France have a lot of good players and I’m calling it now: Dayot Upamecano will have the game of his life and shut down Argentina’s attack while Mbappe and Olivier Giroud will score to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to defend their trophy.

Prediction: Argentina 0-2 France

Prediction Records

• Last World Cup match day record: 1-1
• Last Bundesliga match day record: 4-5
• Overall Bundesliga record: 64-69
• DFL-Supercup record: 1-0
• DFB-Pokal record: 2-0
• Champions League record: 5-1
• World Cup overall record: 38-24
• WWU overall record: 110-94
• Guest predictions: 7-4