Certainly KMJ can improve in that area. The thing is that's not what Bayern needs, they need a stable defence and finally somebody... anybody decent at DMF. Maybe Dier could play as DMF? Tuchel is creating more problems than he solves right now, but I get the feeling much of the team and staff are just waiting for the season to end. If the recent weeks were preparation for Arsenal (as everything else is essentially meaningless at this point) they fared very badly.
The problem is I dont think Dier was ever rated at Spurs and in the EPL. Kind of overrated. And now that he has taken Kims spot out of nowhere,damn it sucks.
Seems like a fitness issue....probably from playing too many minutes...injuries maybe? One thing i noticed is that he was very skinny this year... lost some pace as well.
started. 3-2 losing. pretty obvious to me its bc he will be benched against Arsenal, not bc he's back to the starting squad.
Not the best performance....was partially at fault for the second goal IMO...then again this whole bayern team is a joke....seems like nobody defends at al....
I rewatched parts of the game, and it seems Kim Min-Jae won the most defensive duels out of any player on the pitch (5 ground duels won, 6 aerial duels won), but it didn't stop Bayern Munich from leaking goals versus a very mediocre side. Kim Min-Jae cannot become the best defender in the world (I truly believe in his potential ceiling as a player, regardless of his current predicament) relying on his dueling traits alone. He really does need to work on his ability to martial the backline, communicate with his teammates, and work on his positioning (he does position too aggressively). Winning all those defensive duels with get him decent grades on algorithms like WhoScored, but I felt this game did expose many of his weaknesses as a player. One thing I do worry is about, is the inevitable media and fan backlash for Bayern Munich's failure this season. Kim Min-Jae is not known for his unwavering mental fortitude, and that will be the biggest obstacle for his future success at the club, because I truly believe a fully fit, and well focused Kim Min-Jae can overcome his issues over time (tasks such as overcoming language barriers, learning the more subtle nuances of the game).
Kim Min-Jae's defensive positioning, and ability to martial the back four has never been that elite, even within the K-League. What allowed him to reach world-class levels of performance was his fantastic defensive dueling capabilities, which he utilized to maximum potential at Napoli. That was a collaboration of Kim Min-Jae positioning himself aggressively for duels, and more positionally sound players such as Lobotka covering his space, and buying time for Kim Min-Jae should his high-risk dueling fail. The amount of players who dominate both the air and the ground to Kim Min-Jae's level are very few in number, for example, Micky van de Ven for Tottenham Hotspur is a fantastic ground duelist, but his aerial game has a lot to be desired despite his large stature. This is an asset that is the core reasoning behind my personal high rating of Kim Min-Jae's theoretical ceiling. Kim Min-Jae is essentially doing the same things he did at Napoli albeit with lesser athletic superiority (for whatever reasons including personal fitness), in a team that does not cater to his needs. That is okay, since his overall toolkit is quite substantial, but he should work on his deficiencies. The game versus Heidenheim was a clear example of Kim Min-Jae mispositioning and not communicating enough with his teammates, and probably caused his current lack of playtime to continue onwards. Eric Dier might be astonishingly lackluster in terms of defensive duels, but he has aspects to his game Kim Min-Jae can and should add to his own repertoire as a player.
Well he doesn't start again. Against Arsenal as well. Hope Bayern loses actually this time around. KMJ doesn't deserve this shit at all.
Came on as a sub and gave away a couple of unnecessary free kicks in dangerous areas. Wasn't too bad apart from that though.
I really think he lost a step from his previous seasons. His recovery speed was part of what allowed him to cover so much ground and play aggressively, but this season, he hasn't shown the ability to catch up to the fast wingers. the way the guy was overplayed last season, followed immediately by all the weight loss, then the immediate resumption of the new season with Bayern, really messed him up. Yes you can argue he's a professional and he should deal with it and all that, but really what he's been through the last year is just too much for any human body. Here's to hoping he uses this time as a part time player to heal and strengthen. He's too young to have lost his speed permanently. But maybe more important is the refresh of this Bayern team, that's so disjointed with all the egos and so many deficiencies. OR perhaps a transfer to another team where he can let his natural leadership abilities develop. English is not the issue as he showed with Napoli...
I'll reserve judgment til JAN winter break of next season. The man has played way too much football for club and country. Luckily it's the EU players' turn with the Euros this summer. Hopefully he gets on a good training and nutrition regimen this off-season and comes back hungry next season having regained a step
Surprised this thread hasn't been revived yet. KMJ has been getting decent minutes since the Arsenal game. And with the injury to MDL, there's a good chance Kim will get a start against Real Madrid on Tuesday.
I'll be nervous a bit if he does start. Still, he NEEDS to start. It is time to show what he got at the biggest stage with the biggest European Classic on the way! Edit: He will start. Pretty much confirmed! The players are back in their team hotel after a light warm-up session at Säbener Straße. Everyone is there except de Ligt, Boey and Sarr 🎥 @MichelSchroeer pic.twitter.com/LVf0Gu54B8— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) April 30, 2024
𝗕𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗫𝗜 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗱Neuer © -Kimmich, Dier, Kim, Mazraoui -Laimer, Goretzka -Sané, Musiala, Guerreiro -Kane #Packmas pic.twitter.com/Dpb3GsKfao— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) April 30, 2024