The debut of the 4-3-3 was a flop
Fans have been theorizing that Vincent Kompany will take the lineup in a different direction this season. Today, we got a glimpse of what that might look like.
Bayern Munich started the game with three specialist midfielders in the starting XI. Aleksandar Pavlović and Joshua Kimmich formed the base of a triangle with Tom Bischof at is apex. The reasoning was sound. This preseason has showcased Tom Bischof as a technical and dynamic midfielder with the physical attributes of a proper #8. His profile complements Kimmich and Pavlović, who are both midfield controllers.
Unfortunately, on a sunny Saturday afternoon in Munich, things did not work out according to the theory. Placed in an advanced midfield position, Bischof appeared largely lost and unable to make an impact on the game. His movements were disconnected from his midfield partners, who in turn found it difficult to make use of his presence up front. The game was crying out for a true attacking midfielder, a gap that would not be filled until Jamal Musiala and Ismael Saibari were subbed on in the second half.
Defensively, Bischof was called to press the Leipzig backline, while Kimmich and Pavlović dropped back. It meant a lot of running for little gain, as the 21-year-old fruitlessly chased shadows when Bayern Munich lost possession.
You have to wonder if Kompany got it wrong, or played it too safe. This iteration of the 4-3-3 simply resembles a basic 4-2-3-1 with a forward swapped out for a midfielder. It does not leverage the qualities of Tom Bischof to make the Kimmich-Pavlović pivot more stable. His physical gifts are wasted, and he cannot shine technically when surrounded by defenders. If Bischof is allowed to play a deeper role, he could still add something to the XI.
Whatever the case, it stands, version 1.0 of this new 4-3-3 system simply did not work as intended.
Glaring holes in the squad
Three (maybe four) injuries inside 90 minutes. Does Bayern Munich really have the squad depth to compete on all three fronts?
The lack of a striker backup is glaring. Arijon Ibrahimović simply is not that guy. Yes, Nicolas Jackson wasn’t amazing last year, but at least he provided a tall strong target to aim at. Ibra lacks the physical presence of a target man and his movement and technical skill falls short of a false 9.
Ismael Saibari could play the latter role, as shown in the short sequence where he assisted Jamal Musiala, but surely Bayern Munich did not buy the talented Moroccan to play him out of position in a role that barely exists in the squad.
Luis Díaz faces a similar prospect, though less severe. At least in the case of the Colombian, Kompany could theoretically move Jamal Musiala or Alphonso Davies to the left wing and plug the gap.
The final headache is right-back, where the Konrad Laimer and Josip Stanišić both have their fair share of weaknesses. Then you have Sacha Boey, who is a decent 1v1 defender but struggles mentally with his positioning. If you could somehow smush these three profiles into one, you could have a treble caliber right-back. However, as it stands, the position might be the biggest headache on the squad.
Fundamental changes? Not yet
Vincent Kompany did not get much time to experiment in this preseason. We saw glimpses of the 4-3-3, a few cameos from a bunch of youngsters, but little else. New signings joined the team too late to really make an impression, and the absence of Harry Kane turned every game into a ponderous exercise in how to play without a striker.
Going forward, it feels like Bayern Munich may start the season relatively slow. Vincent Kompany needs time to integrate his new pieces, and his squad needs time to get fit. Fans should not expect to see the team clicking until October/November at the earliest. As for major changes? Experiments will resume when a fundamental base has been established.
It will be some time before we see a radically different setup from Vincent Kompany.
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