Cheaper by the dozen

Bayern Munich eye a 12th consecutive title as Bundesliga standards slip

- Nick Bidwell

Here’s a chilling thought for any team hoping to dislodge Bayern Munich from their long-held number one perch: even when severely under-par last season, accumulating mistakes both on and off the pitch, the Bavarians still had enough to be champions again, albeit only on goal-difference from Borussia Dortmund.

Suitably chastened and not a little embarrassed to have let their standards drop, Bayern are most unlikely to make the same mistakes again: the complacency which crept in; the ego trips of certain players; the boardroom panic – notably the decision to sack coach Julian Nagelsmann in late March and replace him with Thomas Tuchel – and the poor transfer market dealings.

Everything points to Bayern bouncing back with renewed authority and purpose. Tuchel, as meticulous and driven as always, will have a full pre-season to bed down his principles and weed out those who don’t follow the party line. After retiring as CEO in 2021, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has returned to the board with the brief of bringing his extensive recruitment nous to bear. And perhaps most important of all, Bayern finally have realised what a colossal error it was to let star striker Robert Lewandowski leave the club without securing a proper replacement.