Here’s a look at how Bayern Munich’s squad fared in their double-winning season…

Manuel Neuer – Perhaps not the best season from him, he was prone to a rare mistake or two, but otherwise was one of the few consistent bright spots this year. As always, a solid, nearly unbeatable wall. Could have maybe done more against Real Madrid, but then again, who at Bayern couldn’t? 6/10

Dante – Having ended last season with the rash challenge on Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus, giving away the penalty kick, it seems he’s never been able to recover his rock-solid defensive form ever since. This season, Dante was the maker of many a mistake, but ultimately was still a reliable and highly useful centre-back. I think he was certainly a victim of some of Pep Guardiola’s challenges, but you can’t blame pep for many of his badly mistimed tackles. 5/10

Daniel van Buyten – Made a few appearances as a sub or a casual rotation player this season, but ultimately did not leave any mark on the season good or bad. When he played, he was usually quite good, although I counted too many moments where his speed was comically taken advantage of. Thankfully they never led to much. 4/10

Thiago Alcántara – Easily one of the most promising players at Bayern, Thiago was unfortunately subject to many injuries (at least three big ones). Despite this, Thiago managed to be probably the most creative player in all of Bayern. His lobbed passes were absolutely impossible to defend against and we scored several goals through his brilliant vision, like his near-full-pitch through pass to Arjen Robben or his lob to Mario Götze. If he can stay fit, he has a cemented place in Bayern’s midfield. And who could forget his scissor kick game-winning goal against Stuttgart? 7/10

Franck Ribéry – From Ballon D’or finalist to flop of the season, Franck Ribéry was the one who suffered the most. While many will be quick to blame Pep, Ribéry himself shoulders much of the blame. His dribbles were transparent, his runs were slow and easy to beat, and he never seemed able to thread a good pass in from the wing. Still, Ribéry did score some important goals and make important assists, so his season wasn’t completely bad. I have a feeling that a good bit of this has to do with his aging, and I would not be surprised if he “acclimates” to his lessened speed by next season, giving much better performances. I would imagine he’s as surprised as anyone by this season, and I’m willing to bet it’s a fluke. 3/10

Javi Martínez – Javi had a rather unfortunate season due to injuries, form, and being played out of position, but it was book-ended by two spectacular final performances – against Chelsea and against Dortmund. Javi Martínez took both games by the balls and it was through his sheer will and determination that Bayern were able to emerge from both games victorious. Although he was fairly mediocre at CB, having to adjust to the switch of position as well as Pep’s high line of defense, his final game in the position was among the best CB performances I’ve ever seen. To top it all off, performances at defensive midfield showed us (yet again) just what a monster he is. 7/10

Mario Mandzukic – Wasn’t exactly bad, per se (he was Bayern’s Bundesliga high-scorer), but this will be a season to forget from Mandzo. Under Jupp Heynckes, he could get away with not being very clinical in front of goal because his gegenpressing made up for it. Under Pep, however, his inability to slot some of the most simple goals imaginable really showed. Despite this, though, he often managed to be the one lone savior of Pep’s total-midfield style where everyone wants to pass the ball and no one wants to score. Unfortunately, this most recent row with Pep has spelled his demise and we are almost certain to see him depart in the summer. It’s too bad, because he was actually an incredibly important part of the treble-winning side last season. 5/10

Arjen Robben – I have very little to say because very little needs to be said. Arjen Robben was the beating heart of this team. He managed to stay relatively injury-free (for once!) and boy, did it pay off. Absolutely untouchable player and arguably the best player in the world while in-form. No amount of singing his praises would do his season justice. 10/10

Xherdan Shaqiri – We didn’t see very much of him and he was rocked by several bad injuries, but when he came on, he looked very, very promising. Unfortunately, he didn’t have enough time or opportunities to make his mark and he still showed the exact same weaknesses he had last season, meaning he hasn’t really improved. I am excited to see him next season and I think, with Ribéry’s form, he definitely has a chance to shine. 4/10

Rafinha – Who would have thought we’d have seen so much of the little Brazilian? For the most part, Rafinha was quite solid, even impressive at times. He was, however, massively exploited in big games (really, was anyone surprised?), and his slap against Dortmund’s Henrikh Mkhitaryan was absolutely inexcusable. While he massively exceeded expectations, expectations were not very high to begin with. 5/10

Claudio Pizarro – Nearly 36 years old and still Bayern’s best striker. If there was one player at Bayern I wish we could turn back the clock on, it would be him. A Pizarro 10 years younger could even displace Robert Lewandowski. Time and time again, Pizarro came on the field and Bayern immediately scored. And don’t forget, he scored the fastest hat-trick in Champions League’s history! My only complaint about him is that his age meant we couldn’t really see him in a more decisive role, but that’s not really his fault. 7/10

Jérôme Boateng – It was a mixed season for him. On one hand, he was easily the best and most stable CB all season and he managed to even improve on a stellar last season, in terms of his ability and vision. He’s taken his passing to a whole new level and routinely threads some beautiful balls to the attacking line. Unfortunately, he also made far too many mistakes against high level teams and many of these were downright comical. We thought Boateng had deleted them from his system, but it seems that maybe they will always be part of his game. I hope that isn’t the case. 6/10

Mario Götze – Another mixed season, Mario Götze was sidelined for a long time with a regrettable injury sustained against Ramires from Chelsea. When he played central attacking midfielder, he was often the best player on the pitch. But when he played left winger, he was completely invisible. Unfortunately, Ribéry’s injuries meant that Götze often had to play LW because there was simply no other option. I expect that next season will look a lot better from him. On a final, positive note, don’t forget his decisive goal against BVB, leading to the first time Bayern ever beat Dortmund in the league in 3 years. Of course it would be Götze! 6/10

Philipp Lahm – He was the glue that held Bayern together. Played most of the season at DM and within only a handful of matches, managed to be among the best DMs in the world. I would also like to compliment his intelligence, because only an incredibly clever and complete player could ever play the lone 6 under Pep Guardiola. It takes a very special breed, and Lahm can do – literally – anything. 9/10

Thomas Müller – As always, Müller is one of the most controversial players at Bayern. Despite looking like he has no idea what he’s doing, misplacing passes left and right, and being mostly invisible, Müller is Bayern’s unpredictable wildcard. No one has ever played this game like Müller has and no one will likely ever do it just like him. All it takes is one moment of Müller magic and he ties an entire defensive line in a knot. Definitely one of my favorite players on this star-studded team. And as always, he shut up the haters with perfect timing. 8/10

David Alaba – He had an amazing 2012/13 season, but for some reason (Pep?) Alaba never seemed able to pose much of a threat. On top of that, he still showed off many of his defensive weaknesses, like his complete inability to track a runner behind him, despite being one of the fastest players in the game. I was not happy with Alaba’s performance this year, but ultimately he’s still incredibly young and entitled to some growing pains. I am fully convinced he’ll be back to his awesome form next season. 4/10

Bastian Schweinsteiger – In my opinion, Bastian Schweinsteiger was the worst player at Bayern all season and that’s because a player like Schweinsteiger needs to be held to a higher standard than say, Van Buyten or Rafinha. Schweinsteiger is very much a victim of bad luck. Rocked with several injuries, he never once was able to find form this season. Despite this, Guardiola, much like Joachim Löw, insisted on playing him in midfield regardless of form, mostly due to his commanding presence and his reputation for greatness. When it was shown early in the season that Schweinsteiger did not have the defensive qualities or the high passing speed necessary to play the lone 6 position, Pep tried him as an 8. Unfortunately, Schweinsteiger was still easily the most invisible player even when relieved of most of his defensive duties. I honestly believe that he did not have a single good game this entire season. Even in games like those against Mainz and Wolfsburg where he scored important goals, he was completely unable to work with the team as a cohesive unit, let alone as the midfield engine we’ve come to expect from him. At this point, Schweinsteiger has Toni Kroos, Thiago, and Pierre Emile Hojbjerg breathing down his neck, and he’s not getting any younger. He can either step up his game or be relegated to the bench – it’s all in his hands now. 2/10

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – Obviously never had a large role due to his young age, but this kid showed that he is going to be huge. Within a couple of seasons, I fully expect him to break into Bayern’s starting line-up. He received an unexpected start against BVB with Bayern’s injury-plagued line-up and the result was better than could have ever been expected. I truly cannot sing Hojbjerg’s praises enough. Mark my words, you will see more of him in the very near future. 7/10

Toni Kroos – He started off the season incredibly strongly, often being the most important part of the midfield engine and was very consistent. Unfortunately, Kroos managed to very slowly decline throughout the season, ending like a bit of a wet noodle. Still, Kroos is a very important player at Bayern and Pep seems to rely on his ball-holding abilities more than any other player. He often rocked the stat chart with the most passes and the most successful passes, but sometimes it looked like he always wanted to play the safe option and never start attack himself. The biggest exceptions of course, are his balls to the wing for Robben, which were a huge part of Robben’s running riot through defenses this year. The Dutchman himself admitted how huge Kroos was to his success. I expect Kroos to have a greater leadership role next season and I think he’s only going to get better and better. 6/10

(Grey is a fan of Bayern München and a moderator of BayernZone forum)

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