Weekend Warm-up: Talking Bayern Munich’s generational shift; Bundesliga predictions; Looking at Bayern vs. Gladbach; & MORE!

Bayern Munich is in the midst of a change.

The days of Robert Lewandowski (transferred outlast summer), Thomas Müller (uncertain position on the squad), David Alaba (left as a free agent in 2021), and Manuel Neuer (injured with an uncertain position on the squad) being the squad’s core four are already long gone.

The transfers of Lewandowski (FC Barcelona) and Alaba (Real Madrid) were decisions made by the players to take the final phases of their respective careers elsewhere. The situations for Müller and Neuer, however, are far more complex and weighing on some portions of the fanbase.

Müller went from irreplaceable starter to out of the mix in a matter of weeks...without much of a reason. In some ways, the move has been non-sensical as the 33-year-old still appears to make the team better when he is on the pitch, but his position has been usurped by the wonderfully-talented, but still learning Jamal Musiala.

Finding a way to get both players on the pitch has not always been easy, but there is a feeling by some that manager Julian Nagelsmann has officially moved on from viewing Müller as a vital part of the squad. While the final chapters of Müller’s career with Bayern Munich are not yet written, it is unclear if he will want to be a role player in his final seasons.

As for Neuer, the club captain’s world has undergone a seismic shift. A broken leg came as the result of an ill-advised ski trip and that action created a dramatic reaction from Bayern Munich. First, Yann Sommer, a world class goalkeeper in his own right, was acquired. Next, Bayern Munich sacked Neuer’s preferred goalkeeping coach Toni Tapalovic. Finally, Alexander Nübel appears to he re-thinking his future to include Bayern Munich once more.

Where this will all leave a goalkeeper coming off of a broken leg, who will be 37-years-old at the start of next season, remains to be seen — but it might not be a situation that Neuer wants to be in.

These types of shifts are not easy for fans to handle. With Nagelsmann, too, the manager has drifted away from the club’s standard 4-2-3-1 formation, which many felt was part of the fabric of Bayern Munich.

It has become a lot for some fans to handle.

Sometimes, fandom is not easy. For some supporters this shift away from the players and style of play that many have become accustomed to won’t be easy — just like it was not easy when Pep Guardiola sauntered into Germany with different ideas and a preference for new players over some Bayern Munich stalwarts.

The club is changing...sometimes one player or one coaching decision at a time. Fans can only sit back and watch through both the good and the bad.

The club, however, will remain the club and in the end, that should be enough to overcome any temporary disappointments in how things are bring managed through this transition.

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Bavarian Podcast Works: Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 2, Episode 32

Bayern Munich vs. Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League certainly lived up to its lofty billing, but the Bavarians cannot sit back and rest on their laurels.

A bit banged up and maybe a little weary, Julian Nagelsmann will have some key decisions to make this weekend, but that is not nearly all there is to talk about this week. This is what we have on tap for this episode:

• A preview on Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach.
• Some thoughts on Bayern Munich’s 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain — and what might happen in the next match.
• Julian Nagelsmann seems to be debating on what system (back three vs. back four) works better for his squad.
• What is Thomas Müller’s role on this team?
• Should Bayern Munich ink Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to an extension?

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Song of the Week: “Wild” by Spoon

A relatively new song, “Wild” by Spoon is one that caught my ear immediately.

Admittedly, I had always heard of Spoon, but somehow never really became overly familiar with their music aside of a one-off tune here or there. For whatever reason this hit me with a bit of a 90s vibe that just got me. Check this one out and let me know what you think:

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Entertainment Rundown

The Last of Us

This week’s episode left something to be desired as it was a slow burn into introducing a new version of the infected via a storyline that might not have needed to be told. Let’s get to it:

• The ill-fated jaunt into Kansas City has turned badly for Joel and Ellie quickly.
• The thing I continue to like is the flashbacks to how things ended the way they did (for instance, the aftermath of the people taking Kansas City back from FEDRA). The flashbacks are really well done and do tell necessary stories. Aside of the interactions between Joel and Ellie, the flashbacks are a very strong part of the show.
• The more we see and learn about FEDRA, the more we can see that there is a whole hell of a lot of turmoil in a world that has already been turned upside down.
• Most of the episode, however, was spent learning about characters (Sam and Henry), whose stay on the show was short-lived. It’s a weird dynamic, that the show keeps progressing slowly while introducing new characters, whose roles do not really progress the story all that much.
• The biggest reveal was a new form of super-infected that emerges. Surely, that will be something that has to be dealt with in the future.
• Overall, it was a good, watchable episode, but the story progression is very slow and filled with characters whose place in the show ultimately means nothing. All that said, the acting has been very good, the story (while slow) is progressing, and appears to be picking up steam pretty quickly.

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Predictions

Bayern Munich should be able to roll through Gladbach, but we’ve all heard this story before. The big risk for the Bavarians is a letdown after an emotional and physically taxing Champions League win over Paris Saint-Germain.

Gladbach is not a great team at the moment, but it is still talent — and is still very dangerous. That said, Nagelsmann should be ready to throw some fresh legs at Die Fohlen and goalkeeper Yann Sommer will inevitably also be motivated to knock off his old squad.

It will not be easy, but the Bavarians will come out on top.

Prediction: Bayern Munich 3-1 Borussia Mönchengladbach

Other Bundesliga Match Day 20 predictions include:

• FC Augsburg 1-2 Hoffenheim
• VfL Bochum 0-2 SC Freiburg
• VfB Stuttgart 1-2 FC Köln
• Wolfsburg 1-2 RB Leipzig
• Eintracht Frankfurt 2-0 Werder Bremen
• Union Berlin 1-0 Schalke 04
• Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 Mainz 05
• Borussia Dortmund 3-1 Hertha Berlin

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Prediction Records

• Overall Bundesliga record: 91-89
• Last week’s Bundesliga record: 4-5
• DFL-Supercup record: 1-0
• DFB-Pokal record: 3-0
• Champions League record: 5-2
• World Cup overall record: 38-25
• WWU overall record: 134-111
• Guest predictions: 7-5