Leroy Sane was booed by Bayern Munich’s own supporters last summer, but appears to be experiencing an unprecedented revival this season. The winger has regained his old form under Julian Nagelsmann and proves why of the Rekordmeister no less than 49 million euros for him to take over from Manchester City. How a small conversion saved Sané’s career in southern Germany.
By Mart Oude Nijeweeme
Whoever said in August that Sane was going to have one of his strongest seasons in his career would probably have been called crazy. The technician experienced a dramatic second day of play in the Bundesliga by losing the ball no less than eleven times in the first half of the league match against 1. FC Köln (3-2). Nagelsmann then put his pupil out of his misery by leaving him in the dressing room at halftime. Sané was probably not very sad about that, as he was frequently whistled during the first half by his own supporters, who would rather have lost him than rich at that time.
Nagelsmann decided to protect Sane and replace him halfway through the game with Jamal Musiala, who immediately handed over his business card and provided the assist to Robert Lewandowski on the opening goal. Musiala thus ushered in the record champion’s first competition win. “I noticed the whistle,” Nagelsmann admitted after the game. “Our fans have to support the players. There is no player in the world who does not like to put in a top performance.” At that time, everything seemed to indicate that Sané would face another hopeless season, as was the case a year earlier during his debut year.
?? @Leroy_Sane gives @FCBayernEN an extra spark as a leading #Bundesliga midfield maestro! ? pic.twitter.com/iUreN1RwpC
— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) December 13, 2021
Since Sané came over from Manchester City in 2020, he has been unable to live up to the sky-high expectations. The winger had only a modest share of Bayern’s 99 goals in the 2020/21 season with 6 goals in 32 Bundesliga games. Despite various efforts by various people within the club and with the national team of Germany, the attacker was unable to find his way. A first important step in Sané’s resurrection seemed to be a change of position. On the left wing, he showed the dynamism and deadly precision he was known for under Pep Guardiola’s reign. However, Nagelsmann decided to take it a step further by posting him in the number 10 position.
“I am a coach who likes variety and I also want my players to be able to play in different positions,” the German coach told the team at the beginning of September. TZ. “The same goes for Leroy. Of course, as a coach you always have to remember that the player plays in a position where he feels most comfortable. Leroy will also play from the right if I give him a central role. Against Hertha we are at some point moment – and we moved him to the number 10 position. That’s a role that suits him well. Leroy has the quality to play a supporting role anywhere on the pitch, regardless of side or position. “
The touch map of Leroy Sané under Julian Nagelsmann.
Bayern fans are spoiled for choice. Expectations at the Allianz Arena are sky high with the legacy of Arjen Robben and Franck Ribéry. Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, however, has a clear caveat when the comparison with Robben is mentioned. “Arjen wanted to leave us, but we started working with him and kept him to his contract,” the former Bayern CEO told BILD. “A year later he became the match winner against Borussia Dortmund (in the Champions League final of 2013, ed.). “Sane had a bad season and a bad European Championship, which of course doesn’t help. It’s up to Nagelsmann to get it back on track now.”
After Nagelsmann placed him on the right wing in the first two games of the season, Sané was allowed to try from the left in the game against Bremer (0-12 win) in the battle for the DFB Pokal. Okay, Bayern played against amateurs, but it immediately became clear that Sané was feeling a lot more cheerful on the left. With a goal and two assists, it turned out to be the resurrection of the 25-year-old attacker. When Sané also provided an assist as a substitute three days later in the league match against Hertha BSC, confidence seemed to be completely back. A base place against RB Leipzig was the logical next step.
The touch map of Leroy Sané under Hansi Flick.
Sané again played from the left, something that happened only sporadically under Flick. It marked the definitive resurrection of Sané, who has been making minutes in all matches since then. In 26 appearances in all competitions this season, Sané has scored 11 goals and provided 11 assists. He also scored 4 goals and provided an assist for the German national team in the World Cup qualifiers during the last three international breaks. The 22 goals that Sané has contributed to this season is already an improvement compared to last season. In addition, he is the only player at Bayern who is in double digits on both facets.
The fact that Sané was voted Player of the Month by the supporters of Bayern in September, October and November proves that he has silenced all critics. Even opponents are starting to praise the German’s qualities. “There are many top players in the Bundesliga. But the only one that really surprised me is Leroy Sané,” Kouadio Koné told BILD. The Borussia Mönchengladbach defender won 5-0 against Bayern, but that didn’t stop him from giving his colleague the necessary compliments afterwards. “He can do everything, is lightning fast, technically strong. I am really impressed with him.”
Lothar Matthäus also calls Sané the best player of the first half of the season at Bayern. “The mix of the pressure that was on that boy, the difficult initial phase with the whistling of the own fans and the current development is already excellent,” he said. sky. “That is primarily due to him, but also to the encouragement, support and important conversations with his trainers Julian Nagelsmann and Hansi Flick. He is now a top performer, leading the way and has become one of Bayern’s most important players.”
Leroy Sane has been involved in 22 goals for Bayern Munich this season, more than any other player.
Last season it was Flick who made sure to speak to Sane and demand that he put in more work when losing the ball. Sané responded to his trainer’s words, but did not immediately see it reflected in his form. Flick and Nagelsmann jointly decided to post Sane on the left, a decision that can be described as the best Nagelsmann has made since coming to Bayern. Sané continues to work his way defensively, is much more productive on the left than on the right and is more successful with his final pass.
All this is evident from statistics from opta. Sané has better figures in almost all areas than last season and that is mainly because he operates more often from the ashes this season. He shoots more often, creates more opportunities from open play and hits the ball more often. The fact that he suffers less loss this season with more ball contacts is due to the fact that he has more responsibility. Losing the ball in the axis of the field is more dangerous than if it is on the side. It is therefore not surprising that he is less than dribbling (average 5.6 dribbles deployed per 90 minutes this season compared to 5.9 last season).
The average figures per 90 minutes of Leroy Sané at Bayern Munich this season (right) and last season (left).
In Germany, it is believed that Sané’s disappointing debut season is partly due to a lingering injury. The attacker was out of Manchester City for much of the 2019-20 season, which also troubled him in Munich, as he never played the full 90 minutes in his first half with Bayern. His return to form this season is not only due to his being put on the left by Nagelsmann. Also under Flick, he appeared on the left every now and then, but that didn’t lead to the same impact as this season. Nagelsmann’s tactical ingenuity has ensured that Sane now has a role as a hybrid attacking midfielder.
The winger has a license to pull in from the left and roam around Lewandowski, when Alphonso Davies comes to cover the left. This ensures that the defensive organization of Bayern’s opponents is pulled apart and Sané enjoys more space on the ball. Sane is still thought to be most dangerous when he can dribble towards his opponents, using his technical skills and deft passing movement to create a hole for himself. Nagelsmann has taken the headache file surrounding Sané seriously from day one, by continuously taking him by the hand. It has resulted in a player who, in just five months, has grown from piss pole to Nagelsmann’s most valuable asset.