For those hoping to see a more robust roster at Bayern Munich next season, this will be disappointing.
Per Sport1 journalist Stefan Kumberger (as captured by @iMiaSanMia), club executives are plotting to keep a small roster again and will not ‘bloat’ the squad numbers during the summer transfer window:
Bayern are not planning to ‘bloat’ the squad this summer. The plan is to maintain a relatively small squad, roughly the same size as this season’s. The club is thus consistently continuing on its current
path. The prevailing strategy will continue to be ‘sell and then buy’
There are two reasons as to why the transfer strategy is not being changed: Firstly, the sporting success is good, and secondly, money is still not as available as it once was. Salary costs haven’t decreased enough to allow for major signings. And: there’s no Club World Cup this summer, which had boosted Bayern’s finances in 2025 and prevented the club from making a loss.
One thing that we do not often see or hear is how head coach Vincent Kompany feels about the small roster numbers, but it might be safe to ascertain that the manager likes it. Why? Here are some theories:
- It is easier to manage a smaller group of players, divvy up minutes, and keep the locker room happy. This season, the only reported issue was with Sacha Boey, who was promptly shipped out on loan.
- Kompany does not appear to be a massive fan of rotating too much and smaller roster makes that immensely easier for him as can spend more time developing an opinion on where each player is with this game and putting together a plan for how to best use that player.
- The coach is also able to communicate better and built better relationships with players because he can invest more time into each one.
For Kompany and his style, it seems like having a smaller roster is a natural fit.
Of course, Bayern Munich’s squad versatility and having so many players being able to bounce between different positions helps. Whatever the case might be, the formula has worked so far this season, even as the team dealt with injuries and illnesses.
Bayern Munich could be on to something…what do you think?
Song of the Week: “The Rat” by The Walkmen
Back in 2004 (22 years ago…F Me!), when I was griding on 60+ mile one-way commutes, the only redeeming thing from that godforsaken period of my life (aside of some cool co-workers!) was that I had plenty of time to listen to all kinds of music.
The ride to work was never difficult — a little coffee and a lot of good music can carry you a long way. However, the rides home were AWFUL. I even started smoking cigars at one point to pass the time as I sat in traffic, so I could stay awake.
That is neither here nor there, though. This is about the music after all. During that period, I stumbled into all kinds of music and this gem, “The Rat” by The Walkmen was one that stuck with me. I had not listened to this song in at least a decade, but it still hits after a recent trip down memory lane.
It is considered post punk, but it is just indie rock to me (look at me…like a 2026 Billy Joel — minus the part about crashing into someone’s living room). Enjoy:
Entertainment Rundown
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms
If there is one show that has caught the attention of the masses this winter, it is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. Let’s get into the latest episode:
- It is rare that an episode of a show lives up to the hype, but this one did.
- Granted, there was the controversial decision to integrate an extended flashback into the middle of the action, but the episode still delivered. The flashback did alienate some folks, but it worked in the context in which it was used. Was I a little disappointed that we didn’t get a full view of the battle? Definitely. Did I think the flashback was too long? Sure. Somehow, though, it just worked for me.
- The look back at how Dunk first encountered Ser Arlan of Pennytree was both tragic and purposeful. The scenes showed the innocence of a young Dunk, but also the rage that burned inside of him.
- The fighting itself was chaotic, yet cool, but I’d have loved to see how some of the other combatants fared.
- Dunk took on a ton of punishment — just an absolute beating and continued to pull himself up. Meanwhile, Egg’s passion and tension for what was going on, was incredible.
- One thing that can get overlooked in battle scenes is just how exhausting a fight can be. That was not the case here, as it was full communicated just how physical and stressful the battle was.
- The death of Prince Baelor was something the book readers knew about, but for the non-readers was considered to be a “shocking death.”
- We got enough foreshadowing from the preview to know where it goes from here, but the fallout from this fight will surely be a focal point for the upcoming episode.
- This was a great episode, no doubt. However, was it as good as “Watchers on the Wall” (my favorite episode), “Battle of the Bastards”, or “Hardhome”? The answer to that is no. There is a bit of overhype in weird way, but it should not diminish just how strong this episode was. It really was great, just not at the level of those Game of Thrones episodes.
- The show is also very meme-able…maybe more meme-able than Game of Thrones.
- Overall, the show delivered at a time where the Game of Thrones universe was wobbling. The original GoT stumbled badly across the finish line, while House of the Dragon comes across more as “Incest Dynasty” sometimes , while using painfully slow pacing and a combination of too much HBO showrunner and not enough George RR Martin to give anyone faith that it will actually get better. This show is giving people a reason to believe once again.
Rating: 9.00/10.00
House of the Dragon
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
Admittedly, I was a massive Peaky Blinders (still am, really), but even I can admit the show trailed off pretty steeply and — unlike some other shows — did not handle the loss of main characters and a swerve in direction. Some of what was done just did not work and the show lost some of its steam.
Now, there is a movie coming out, which will feature Tommy Shelby, but it is hard to — even in the trailer — to get too excited (and I HATE that I feel that way):
Predictions
Bayern Munich will be starting Jonas Urbig and could also put Joshua Kimmich and Jonathan Tah on the bench to start as they both are sitting on four yellow cards. On the surface, this game has a chance to get dicey. However, Bayern Munich is deep enough and strong enough to overcome missing a few regulars from the XI. The Bavarians will be tested, but will still power through for three points.
Prediction: Bayern Munich 3-1 Eintracht Frankfurt
Other Bundesliga matches:
- Mainz 05 2-2 Hamburger SV
- FC Köln 1-3 Hoffenheim
- Union Berlin 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen
- VfL Wolfsburg 1-1 FC Augsburg
- RB Leipzig 2-1 Borussia Dortmund
- SC Freiburg 2-1 Borussia Mönchengladbach
- St. Pauli 1-1 Werder Bremen
- Heidenheim 0-2 VfB Stuttgart
Prediction Records
- Total: 395-227
- Perfect Picks: 37
- Bundesliga Last Matchday: 7-2
- Bundesliga Overall: 118-81
- DFB-Pokal: 49-11
- World Cup Qualifiers/Friendlies: 99-45
- Champions League: 85-67
- Club World Cup: 39-23
- Club Friendlies: 4-0
- Franz Beckenbauer Supercup: 1-0
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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