Arjen Robben is making his Bayern Munich comeback soon after having to sit out due to injury and Die Roten have performed well without the Flying Dutchman. Will he need to change his game in order to suit Bayern’s new look?
Robben’s old role
Under Pep Guardiola, Arjen Robben has been the main man. The attacks all seemed to flow through the Dutch winger and for the most part, it worked. Robben was in sensational form and was widely seen as the third best player in the world, up there with the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
With Robben’s freedom came goals, assists and simply stunning play. However, Bayern’s reliance on Robben became evident when he would suffer a series of long-term injuries that would leave the Bavarian attack completely impotent, lacking that extra touch of class that Robben brought to the table.
This system was excellent when it worked but it left a few things to be desired. If you were going to rely on a player, Arjen Robben was not a bad one to pick because he got results. However it often left other players uncertain of their roles at times. Robert Lewandowski in particular was often pushed further back making plays out to wingers and creating chances for others when he could have been poaching goals.
Under Pep Guardiola, Bayern had left their traditional play of attacking down the wings and getting the ball to a target man, leaving Lewandowski a little isolated and at times looking unsure of his role. The system benefitted Bayern in some ways, and while at times the team looked unstoppable, it was pretty easy to break it down. If Robben did not drag the club to a win, then the Bavarians struggled.
Return to a classic
Pep Guardiola seems to have finally figured out that Bayern, while effective in his system, needed to change something up. To be fair to Pep, he has had to deal with so many injuries in past seasons that he has not had a good chance to play with wingers like other coaches did. The team has been without players like Ribéry so often that Guardiola has been forced to shackle players like Mario Götze to the left wing.
The inclusion of Douglas Costa has been a revelation because it has finally allowed Bayern to be creative down the wings. His explosive speed and dribbling gave a new life into the Bavarian attack – one that Götze simply was not providing. This has benefitted everyone around him, including Götze himself who can now play more centrally or on the right-wing where he is more comfortable.
However the player who has benefitted most from the wing play is undoubtedly Robert Lewandowski who has been in almost untouchable form. Instead of hanging out practically in the midfield or going down the wings, he is finally doing what he does best and thriving off service from the midfield and the wings. Since Robben’s last injury, Lewandowski has become the focal point of the attack and it is paying off big time for the Bavarians.
An adjustment for Robben?
One thing is for sure: Bayern’s #10 will have to start when he is fit. Just because the attack is now spearheaded by Robert Lewandowski does not mean that the Dutchman will not have a crucial role. He is still far and away the best attacking player on Bayern Munich’s squad when fit and healthy, and even though the young Kingsley Coman and Mario Götze are talented players, they cannot fill in for the quality he brings to the table just yet.
Robben still has the ability to grab a game by the scruff of the neck and win it when the team needs a victory. (Underserved points due to a clutch Robben moment are often the best points in the world). However the attack should continue to function as it has been and the system needs to be focused around support for Lewandowski and Thomas Müller.
Simply put, Bayern’s attack has rarely looked this deadly under Pep Guardiola and the team has started the season in stunning fashion completely brushing away all Bundesliga competition for the most part and winning soundly in the Champions League. If it is not broken, do not fix it even if that means changing the role of Arjen Robben.
Thankfully, this should not be a massive adjustment for Robben. He has already done similar roles under Jupp Heynckes when his job was to provide attacking support for the likes of Mario Mandžukić, where he was sending in crosses and drawing defenders in order to open up space. This does not mean that Robben cannot be the inside man we all know and love.
As we are all fond of saying, you know he is going to do it and there is not anything you can do to stop him. However with the attack no longer focused on Robben, he will have to also try and make space for Lewandowski and cannot expect the Polish to be on the wing or deeper to set up plays as often.
This change will not affect Robben’s usefulness to Bayern. He is still going to be the Robben we all know and love. The difference is that now we have a Plan B in attack, and a potent ally glorious return to some of the attributes that make Bayern Munich one of the best teams in the world.
The Flying Dutchman was still the third best attacking player in the world when Bayern attacked through the wings, and with the adjustment he can keep that crown while bringing Die Roten more titles.
Source: Bayern Central