Pre-Supercup Q&A with Bavarian Football Works

We asked Phillip Quinn from our sister site Bavarian Football Works some Q’s ahead of our big match this weekend.

Q:Is Bayern weaker or stronger than last season after offseason additions and losses?

A:At this point, even if the transfer for Leroy Sane goes through, I think Bayern will enter the 2019-20 season a little bit weaker than last season due to a lack of depth at certain positions. However, that depends on 1) any future transfers over the next month and 2) the development of some of Bayern’s young players.Regarding transfers, there’s still some potential for Bayern to add more depth to their squad. They’ve been linked to Espanyol’s Marc Roca to add some more depth to the midfield. Also, throughout this summer, Bayern have been linked with multiple fullback candidates. You don’t want to get into a situation where one or two major injuries hampers the side for long periods of time.If the kids like Alphonso Davies and Fiete Arp show big signs of development with the ability to get regular minutes this season, it’s nothing but great things for Bayern. Both are flexible players: Davies has shown that he can go at left back and left winger, while Arp performed well this preseason up top or out wide. So, who knows?

Q:Who looks to break out this season for Bayern?

A:I think it’s very possible that we’re looking at huge improvement seasons from both Davies and Arp; however, I’m going to go with a more established player here who, I think, is in line to really make his name known as a star. That player is Kingsley Coman. The 23 year old is entering his fifth season at Bayern, and he finally has the opportunity to claim that it’s his time to shine now that Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery are gone. I’ve long been Coman’s BFW Personal Cheerleading Squad, and I really hope he stays healthy this season to show just how great he can be.Of course, Coman’s time to shine probably depends a lot of Leroy Sane.

Q:Whats going on with Leroy Sane(feel free to omit this one if this is all announced before you answer.

A:At this point, it really looks like a done deal. I’ve thought for some time now that it was only a matter of time for the transfer to get completed. Pep Guardiola is one manager who has always struck me as someone who wouldn’t want a player in his team that didn’t want to be a part of his team. I think Sane is a great player, and I’m glad that Bayern can afford him. I think he’ll be a great addition to the club.

Q:What are you looking for most from Kovac in the Supercup? What ideas do you want him to experiment with during the first “real” game of the season?

A:I have three big “wants” in this Supercup.First (obviously), is that I want to win. I know that, for years, people have denigrated the Supercup as just another preseason game, and... duh! Of course, that’s what it is. It doesn’t mean that I don’t want to win it. It’s the first real big game of the season no matter who is playing. The Supercup means the season is about to start! It’s the best time of the year.Second: I really just want an injury-free game for both teams. With the season about to start, I hope that both teams can avoid injuries, even little ones, at all costs. Losing Kingsley Coman and Corentin Tolisso to long-term injuries last season really set Bayern back as they had high hopes of relying on the two players as potential anchors in the squad.Finally, Kovac may have to display some sort of tactical flexibility in this match, depending on the health of both Coman and Serge Gnabry. With both have knocks of some sort, if neither are healthy enough to go 90 minutes and start, does Kovac play a very narrow team on the field or does he throw Alphonso Davies out there with Thomas Muller opposite of him? Too many people think Bayern need to ALWAYS play a certain formation and style, but if Kovac doesn’t show some flexibility this season, I don’t think Bayern can challenge for the Champions League crown.