Last season, Lennart Karl was one of FC Bayern’s rising stars. He made such an impression that he was even part of the World Cup roster before he got injured. Right now, however, he’s facing criticism.
That’s because Karl’s start to the season after his recovery didn’t go as one might have expected. Not much remains of the impact he had last season.
Internally, Karl is currently being viewed critically for his performances. Bayern’s management is watching closely and demanding more from their top talent, even though an 18-year-old player must always be given some leeway for a minor dip in form.
Hoeneß wants to have a serious talk with Karl
In recent matches, Karl has stood out more for his lack of assertiveness. His dribbling hasn’t been as explosive as usual, and his shots have flown all over the place, missing the goal. As a result, he’s been getting fewer minutes on the field lately than he’d hoped.
Uli Hoeneß, the honorary president of FC Bayern, has now spoken out about Karl and also voiced criticism of the young player. “I plan to have a serious talk with him. He’s far from being a superstar. Young players need humility. Comparisons to Olise are clearly not doing him any favors; there’s still a world of difference between them,” Hoeneß explained in an interview with *WELT am Sonntag*.
So far this season, Karl has made nine appearances, spending a total of 267 minutes on the field. Karl has scored one goal, which came in the Bundesliga away game against SV Elversberg.
A Karl in top form would be quite important for FC Bayern right now, as there are not only many games on the schedule in the coming weeks. Luis Diaz’s injury and the fact that Jamal Musiala is still in rehab are further thinning out the offense.
