Michael Olise is currently one of the most important players on FC Bayern. The French attacking star wows fans with his individual skills and regularly scores goals and sets up assists. But TV analyst Dietmar Hamann now sees this as a serious problem. The former Bayern pro fears that the Munich team has become too dependent on the 24-year-old in attack.
In an interview with BILD, Hamann spoke plainly and put forward a remarkable theory.
“No Olise, no party! Bayern’s dependence on Olise is becoming too great for my liking. If he doesn’t do anything, no one else does! He’s an exceptional player. I don’t even want to imagine what would happen without Olise if he were to be sidelined for an extended period.”
The statistics underscore the Frenchman’s importance. So far this season, Olise has already tallied eight goals and four assists in nine competitive matches. This makes him one of the most productive offensive players on the German record champions.
Hamann sees a dangerous trend at FC Bayern
Just how important Olise is to Munich’s attacking play was also evident most recently in the 3-3 draw against Viking Stavanger in the Champions League. The Frenchman was sent off early after receiving a yellow-red card. At that point, Bayern were leading 3-2, but while down a man, they conceded a late equalizer.
It’s impossible to say definitively whether the result was primarily due to being a man down or to the loss of Olise’s individual quality.
For Hamann, however, it is clear that Munich’s offense is more dependent on their French national team player than they would like.
This could prove to be a problem, especially with the upcoming matches in mind.
The Arsenal match will be a real test without Olise
As early as this coming Wednesday, FC Arsenal will serve as a true litmus test for Vincent Kompany’s team. Of all opponents, Bayern will have to do without Olise against the top English club. The 24-year-old is suspended due to the yellow-red card he received in the Stavanger match.
This means other offensive players will be called upon to take on more responsibility. Harry Kane and Luis Díaz, in particular, are likely to take center stage. Serge Gnabry could also play an important role, while Jamal Musiala remains sidelined due to injury.
For Kompany, therefore, it’s not just a matter of finding a replacement for Olise. The Munich team must prove that they can generate enough attacking threat even without their most important creative player.
Hamann’s warning is likely to further fuel the debate about the team’s reliance on its offense.
The match against Arsenal now offers Bayern the opportunity to prove the opposite. A convincing performance without Olise would send an important signal for the coming weeks.