THERE are some myths about what makes a good manager. Even in the age of analytics and data-driven dissection, the man in the dugout is expected to be charismatic, a gravitational force in the dressing room capable of pulling his team to victory through the strength of his own personality. Blame the likes of Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and Jose Mourinho for this notion.
Hansi Flick is not much of a character. He can’t always be relied upon for a good quote, nor is he the most compelling to watch on the touchline – a clenched fist in celebration is about as much animation Flick can muster. His Bayern Munich team certainly are compelling to watch, though.
It wasn’t so long ago that the Bavarians appeared to be on the brink of a generational transition. They still are, with a number of key figures in their 30s and into the twilight of their careers, but whereas before the path forward wasn’t so clear for Bayern Munich, now the route to a new is illuminated.
Flick hasn’t yet had the chance to build his team in terms of personnel, with the 55-year-old only appointed head coach permanently until after the January transfer window, but the culture and mentality he has instilled at the Allianz Arena has seen Bayern Munich establish the highest standards seen at the club since Guardiola.
They have been untouchable. Bayern Munich have won their last eight Bundesliga matches on the spin, including all four since the resumption of the German season by an aggregate score of 13 to two. One of Flick’s biggest successes can be found in the way he has reenergised the Old Guard that had given up on Niko Kovac – see Thomas Muller, Jerome Boateng and David Alaba – but he has also taken the Bavarians much closer to their next great team.
In Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich boast one of the best young full-backs in the sport. The teenage Canadian made his breakthrough under Kovac, but Flick has taken his game to another level. Then there’s Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry, two young wide men charged with filling the void left by Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben at the end of last season.
Joshua Kimmich is already a driving force through the middle of the pitch while Leon Goretzka continues to grow into his role alongside him. And at the back, Niklas Sule has been identified as Bayern Munich’s next defensive bedrock, the centre-back they will use as a foundation for the best part of the next decade.
Hansi Flick is the first manager to win 22 of his first 25 games with FC Bayern in all competitions since their promotion to the Bundesliga in 1965 (Pep Guardiola has won 21 of his first 25) [Opta] pic.twitter.com/b9Vk3UFjfW
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) May 30, 2020
Now imagine if Kai Havertz and Leroy Sane are added to the squad at the Allianz Arena this summer, as is Bayern Munich’s thinly veiled plan. The Bavarians broke their club transfer record to sign Lucas Hernandez from Atletico Madrid for around £70 million last summer and it’s possible they will break it again this summer, with Havertz their primary target as the natural successor to Muller and Sane a long term target.
While Bayern Munich won the Champions League as recently as 2013, they have been left behind by the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and even some of the Premier League elite in the time since then, both on and off the pitch. But their current crop has the makings of a team that could conquer Europe again. They might even be Champions League favourites when this season’s competition resumes.
There is still a transition to take place. Flick has been tasked with delivering results in the short term while also shaping Bayern Munich for success in the long term. But with an eighth successive Bundesliga title on its way, the appointment of Flick has provided clarity on the even greater success that might follow.
