Kim Min-jae (27, Bayern Munich) is facing a lot of criticism for his below-par performance.
Kim struggled mightily in the German Bundesliga’s 2023-24 season’s 28th round match against FC Heidenheim on June 6th. He returned to the starting lineup after a five-match absence and was full of intent, but his body didn’t match his mind.
His stats weren’t too bad. According to soccer stats site Sofascore, Kim had a 90% passing success rate (88/99), ground battles (5/5), aerial battles (6/9), six clearances, and three blocked shots in 90 minutes based on 118 touches.
That’s why his stats-based ratings were good. Another statistical medium, HooScore.com, also gave Kim a high rating of 7.4, and Footmob gave her a rating of 7.2. Footmob also gave him a 7.2 rating. Despite Bayern Munich’s collapse, Kim was praised for having the most successful passes (89) and contested balls (11) from the back.
However, it’s important to note that the Bavarians conceded three goals in the second half of the game, which led to a 2-3 defeat. Kim was involved in every single one of the three goals. He lost the battle for possession, missed his marker, and left space behind him.
He missed golden opportunities. Kim Min-Jae is not the first-choice center back for Bayern Munich these days. It’s a far cry from just two months ago, when he played a grueling first half and was a starter upon his return from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in Qatar. He was pushed by Eric Dier and Matthias der Licht on the bench for all four games.
As such, he needed to rebuild his credibility with a solid defensive performance against Heidenheim, as he was ordered to start again. However, Kim was not up to the test. He was unflappable in the first half, but after the first concession in the second half, he showed an uncharacteristic anxiety.
Kim’s poor performance led to a deterioration in public opinion. German publication Bild gave Kim an unusual rating of 6. On a scale of 1 to 5, the lower the rating, the more favorable it was, but a 6 was seen as the reason for the defeat. Bavarian Football, which focuses on Bayern Munich information, also said, “Kim Min-jae will be a complete bench player after this game. Bayern Munich are playing their worst soccer in decades. The team has fallen into a hole that it cannot climb out of.”
Another German media outlet, SPOX, said, “Kim Min-jae touched the ball the most in the first half, but a failed header early in the second half cost them the goal. The second goal was an out-of-nowhere move” and “There were two fatal mistakes. There is no one in Bayern Munich’s central defense who can replace Eric Dier and Matthias der Licht.”
Kim Min-jae’s usual criticism, the “kicker,” was not left out. The kicker was always a problem area for Kim, even when he was a regular starter. “I wonder if it’s a lack of skill or a lack of confidence,” he said as soon as Kim Min-jae showed anxiety.
“The reason behind the defeat against Heidenheim was the defense line. Kim Min-jae and Dayo Upamecano have long been Thomas Tuchel’s preferred duo, but in this game they showed why they are no longer the main players,” he said soberly.
“It’s surprising to see Kim Min-jae, who was one of the best defenders in the Italian Serie A last season, struggle. He can’t make the right decision on when 토토사이트 to get forward and defend resolutely or when to drop back.” “Kim Min-jae finished the first half okay, but after the second goal, he was very shaky.”
Kim Min-jae’s challenging defensive style doesn’t seem to fit in with Bayern Munich. Tuchel has been more nuanced in his criticism of Kim’s tendencies lately. After a 2-2 draw with Freiburg last month, in which Kim played, Tuchel said, without naming names, “There was no order in the positioning. The center-back even ran ahead of the full-back. This is not something we trained for or discussed,” he said, adding, “We were punished, and it was like a hara-kiri.” He blamed the players with harsh words.
After the Heidenheim game, he continued, “The first five minutes of the second half were the reason for this defeat. We were very careless, and we lost the competition.” During the goal, Kim lost the battle for possession with opposing striker Tim Kleindindst.
In the ensuing crisis, Kim always lost his man and allowed space. In the equalizer, he looked at the opponent’s cross and allowed Kleindindst to score. “You shouldn’t give up goals like that at this level,” Tuchel said, pointing the finger at Kim.
The situation was further muddied by the fact that Kim played a big part in the shock defeat. With the upcoming UEFA Champions League quarterfinal against Arsenal, there are calls for a change at center back to a combination of Dier and De Ligt. It’s likely that Kim Min-Jae will be dropped to the bench again, and his time at the back will be quite lengthy.