Bastian
Schweinsteiger is a name that needs no introduction in footballing circus. He
is a World Cup and Champions league winner for Germany and Bayern Munich
respectively. Schweini as he is fondly called is a Bavarian and made his debut
in 2002 for Bayern.
The
purpose of this article isn't to discuss about his move from Bayern to
Manchester United, rather to decipher if the signing is a gamble. This is
because Schweini has been severally injured since the 2010-2011 season. His
injury record was so bad that after a five star performance at the World Cup,
he had to wait till November 22, 2014, to make his first Bundesliga appearance.
Last season was his second lowest league appearance (20 games) since the
2002/2003 season that he made his debut (14 games).
How could he play a pivotal
role for United when he failed to dislodge Xabi Alonso from the first team even
when he was fit in Bayern, this is mainly because Alonso is three years older
than him (33 years). While it is hypocritical to say Schweini is over the hill,
it should be noted that at 30 years, he will be more susceptible to injury in
regards to his age. This is taking into consideration the physical demands of
the English premier league.
United
are also at a risk because he is still playing international football at the
very top level. One can imagine how he will joggle the demands of playing the
high paced physical premier league football and the international matches for
Germany considering the Euro 2016 qualifiers which will be concluded this
season. It could have been better, if Schweini retired from international duty
like veterans Philip Lahm and Miroslav Klose, this is also because it is
generally believed that concentrating on club football and retiring from international
football preserves a player and keeps him at the top lever for a longer time ie
Ryan Giggs (Wales), Paolo Maldini (Italy) and Paul Scholes (England). The
winter break which is non-existent in England also becomes an issue because
Schweini is used to a long winter break in Germany that helps to keep players
refreshed and fitter.
The
good news is that in Schweini , United have signed a player of the highest
quality , a true leader of the team (German Captain). His stats show that he
scored an impressive five goals in 20 league matches, creating 30 chances with
an average pass accuracy of 88% all from deep midfield. His physical attributes
is augmented by him winning an average duel of 44%, while maintaining a 44%
shot accuracy. His age shouldn't be a problem because there is evidence of
good, classy players who were signed aged but performed excellently well
ie Gary McAllister (Liverpool), Robin Van Persie (Manchester United), Mark
Hughes (Chelsea) and Emile Heskey (Wigan). Schweini may still has some productive
years in him if his injury problems are behind him. Also in Louis Van Gaal, he
has a coach who knows him and his abilities. It is still early to judge if his
signing is a masterstroke or failure but come end of the season, the football
jury will read it's verdict.
No comments:
Post a Comment