Bayern Munich signed one of the most promising young talents in Europe, but the youngster has not been able to establish himself as a starter. The Dutch midfielder is once again showing his dissatisfaction in public.
Just recently, Ryan Gravenberch was ranked 6th in this week’s KOPA trophy, awarded by FranceFootball magazine. The Netherlands international showed last season at Ajax Amsterdam that he’s capable of playing at the highest level. At Bayern, things are not really going well so far. Gravenberch has only played 46 minutes in the past seven Bundesliga games.
After Leon Goretzka’s injury at the beginning of the season, it looked as if Gravenberch had a good chance of playing regularly. The youngster is now only the fourth option for Julian Nagelsmann in central midfield, behind Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, and Marcel Sabitzer. The Dutchman’s frustration is increasing.
Gravenberch had already expressed his dissatisfaction in mid-September during the international break. In an interview with the „Abendzeitung München“, the 20-year-old once again hinted that his dissatisfaction still remains: „The situation is not easy for me, of course, I want to play“ said Gravenberch.
„Of course, I know my quality, but it is what it is.” The youngster however aims to be calm and patient: “I have to be patient. Bayern is a big club with a lot of good players. I have to stay calm.”
Nagelsmann also recently hinted that Gravenberch „must have patience“. At the same time, the head coach has a lot of trust in Gravenberch and he is far from having reached the end of his development: „He knows what to do in order to establish himself here within the structure“, said Nagelsmann.
But what does the coaching staff really think of Gravenberch?
Even though Nagelsmann rates the Dutch midfielder a lot, according to the newspaper, the youngster still has room for improvement, of course. He is 20 years old.
However, at the moment, he is far from being a starter and Gravenberch must be patient. According to Abendzeitung, the coaching staff is of the opinion that Gravenberch needs to improve his defensive aspects a lot, especially ball recoveries, tactical discipline, and his workrate. Against Plzen, the midfield stability was lost when the 20 years old came on and the Bavarians conceded two goals. Of course, that’s not to say he was completely at fault, however, he definitely has areas to improve as long as it did not affect the outcome. As a 20 year old, of course you need a lot of development and time. At the same time, Gravenberch will also have to receive the playing time that he needs to develop.
In any case, the coaching staff still thinks highly of the Dutchman despite some deficiencies. They are very satisfied with his training performances and if he keeps on learning, he will certainly receive the minutes he wants.
Before the match against FC Augsburg, the German coach Nagelsmann responded to Gravenberch’s public statements: „With Ryan, we had a good conversation two days ago […] It’s just a completely different situation (for him). Of course, he’s sad that he doesn’t play much, but he’s not frustrated or angry at all“, said Nagelsmann for Sky Sport
