Weekend Warm-up: The six Bayern Munich players most likely to be sold this summer; Throwing it back to Mötley Crüe; Thomas Tuchel to make final call on Manchester City loanee Joao Cancelo; Bundesliga predictions; + MORE!

If you have been perusing the news surrounding Bayern Munich of late, you might get the idea that things are not exactly stable.

A new coach, a season in disarray, rampant failures, and a general uneasiness around the squad has just about everything feeling tenuous at best.

What all of that could potentially lead up to is a roster upheaval during the summer transfer window. Thomas Tuchel will want his players, while some current players might want to leave as their roles become increasingly questionable. The front office seems to have ditched their plan for the roster long ago.

Clearly, there will be change...but how much? Let’s take a look at six players most likely to leave the club during the summer transfer window:

#1 — Daley Blind

Being out of favor and not really having a role is a tough combination to overcome. This one was pretty easy to call.

#2 — Sadio Mané

What a massive whiff this was. As many stated at the time (despite the overwhelming support for the move), it was a panic buy. On the verge of losing Robert Lewandowski to FC Barcelona, sporting director Hasan “Brazzo” Salihamidžić tried to compensate for that upcoming move by cramming in the biggest name he could find into the roster — whether he was a fit or not (Hint: He was not). Already with a plethora of talented wingers, Bayern Munich tried to spin that Mané could play as the striker (Hint: He could not). It was a blunder and it appears best for both parties to divorce this summer.

#3 — Marcel Sabitzer

On loan at Manchester United, it seems like a foregone conclusion that Sabitzer will be sold. If you really wanted to argue about it, you could say that he was Bayern Munich’s best midfielder this season. Either way, he is likely to be sold as he was very good in the Hinrunde and has been awesome for Manchester United. Simply put, there is going to be too much traffic at his position, so he will be one of the odd men out in the central midfield at Bayern Munich. Men? Uh, yeah, let’s get into that...

#4 — Leon Goretzka

Yeah...a member of the Leadership Council could go this summer. A few things are becoming clear:

• Joshua Kimmich no longer fancies playing the No. 6 role and has pretty much abandoned those responsibilities — which means he is coming for the No. 8 position. Tuchel also does not seem that way, either.
• Goretzka has already drawn the ire of Tuchel and now — lo and behold — we are seeing stories emerge that the club wants either a true “defensive-minded midfielder” or a “ball playing” wizard to man the No. 6 position. Neither of those things will affect Kimmich, who has a Teflon suit on these days.
• It is debatable that Tuchel even wants Konrad Laimer (a No. 8), but he will also be in the mix, as will fellow No. 8s Sabitzer (though he will probably be sold — see above) and Ryan Gravenberch (who will likely have a lot more complaining to do next season if he stays).

I’m going to put this in ink now, this sounds like a DISASTER to deal with for any manager. However, we did see a report earlier today stating that neither side wants to part ways with the other. It just seems, however, like Goretzka might be okay with everything, until it becomes clear he’s the odd man out of the starting XI.

#5 — Yann Sommer

While it has been speculated by many, it is now becoming very evident that the plan all along was for Sommer to be a short-term rental, who would be sold during the summer. Already with a stable long-term deal, Sommer will be an attractive target for any club in need of a very good goalkeeper to play this summer.

With Manuel Neuer expected to return from injury, Alexander Nübel, Sven Ulreich, and Johannes Schenk already in tow, there is no room for Sommer on the roster. This makes sense on a number of levels, but there is risk involved if Neuer cannot recapture his old form.

#6 — Serge Gnabry

Gnabry is a very popular figure at the club and a Germany international. On the surface, there would be no good reason to look to get rid of him based on that alone. However, Gnabry’s performances have gone steadily downhill, which is a downgrade from his already inconsistent history.

It just seems like Gnabry needs a fresh start, unless he does not mind being a bench player. Either way, it seems like both sides will at least explore the possibility of a transfer, but with Captain Kimmich on his side and a history of being a good soldier (Fashion Week excursions aside), it seems like he might be on his way to being a “lifer” at the club — even if most fans are expecting Gnabry to move on.

Wild Card — Thomas Müller

I know, I know…but hear me out: Why would anyone sign up to be yanked around by the chain all season and to have your performance not factor into the determination of whether you play or not?

The tough part for Müller is that a transfer at this stage of his career would require going to a club which has a manager who already has a blue print on how to use him effectively. Leaving the club after all of these years would be tough enough, but finding a worthwhile place to close out his career might be a difficult task.

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Bavarian Podcast Works: Weekend Warm-up Podcast Season 2, Episode 42

What happens when Bayern Munich is in the midst of a crazy period where the executives, the coaches, and the players are all under-performing and are event being referred to as “shambolic” by some pundits?

Well, at Bavarian Podcast Works, we throw our normal Weekend Warm-up format out the window and go full roundtable.

Instead of just hearing my voice, I teamed up with BFW superstar Ineednoname and former BFW staffer and current Daily Mail journo Jake Fenner to break down what’s went wrong, how things are going, and what things might look like moving forward.

We cover it all, give our takes on why this has become a mess, and why no one — from the coach to the CEO to the starting No. 8 — is really safe these days.

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Tuchel to make final decision on Cancelo?

In just a few weeks, Bayern Munich is going to have to make a big decision on the future of Manchester City loanee Joao Cancelo...but who will make that call?

Per kicker journalist Georg Holzner, it will be manager Thomas Tuchel:

Bayern are awaiting Thomas Tuchel’s opinion regarding Joao Cancelo at the end of the season. If the coach speaks in favor of keeping the Portuguese, the club would open negotiations with Manchester City.

It would be a very interesting prospect to have Tuchel making a call on a player who will cost a ton of money — and might not even be a starter.

If this story is true, it does raise questions about what is going on these days inside the offices at Säbener Strasse.

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Song of the Week: “Smokin’ in the Boys Room” by Mötley Crüe

I don’t know...I wanted something heavy in the 80s feel today and there might not have been anything more 80s than dudes rocking jean jackets (with their favorite band’s jean jacket patch on the back), nailing heaters in the bathroom at school:

Damn, I miss the 80s sometimes.

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Bavarian Podcast Works: Preview Show — Bayern Munich vs. Hertha Berlin

Just a couple of months ago, it appeared unlikely that Bayern Munich would still be playing meaningful games at this point of the season.

Now, the team is fighting for its Bundesliga life.

Sitting in second place, the Bavarians will have to fend off a hapless Hertha Berlin side, in hopes of not totally burying itself in the league. Let’s take a look at wat we have on tap for this episode:

• A look at the Bundesliga standing and the recent form of both teams.
• A complete guess at what Thomas Tuchel might do with his lineup for this match.
• Some thoughts on how this is all unraveling and why it might not be easy to find a solution.

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Predictions

I got nothing. If Bayern Munich cannot decimate a thoroughly hapless Hertha Berlin side, we should cancel the rest of the season.

Prediction: Bayern Munich 3-0 Hertha Berlin

Other Bundesliga Match Day 28 predictions include:

• VfL Bochum 1-4 Borussia Dortmund
• Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 FC Augsburg
• FC Köln 0-2 SC Freiburg
• RB Leipzig 2-0 Hoffenheim
• VfB Stuttgart 1-2 Borussia Mönchengladbach
• Union Berlin 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen
• Schalke 04 1-1 Werder Bremen
• Wolfsburg 1-1 Mainz 05

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Prediction Records

• Overall Bundesliga record: 129-124
• Last week’s Bundesliga record: 4-5
• DFL-Supercup record: 1-0
• DFB-Pokal record: 3-1
• Champions League record: 6-4
• World Cup overall record: 38-25
• WWU overall record: 176-155
• Guest predictions: 7-5