Today Bayern met Felix Magath’s Wolfsburg. It was difficult. It was not a good game. Bayern surely can play better than that, but still Bayern won. What really made me happy was the fact that Bayern continued to fight for the ball until the final whistle. Last season there were plenty of times when they simply became demoralized in the second half if they had not scored in the first. Today was different, and that was great. Granted, the game can be mapped out better, and the overall ‘teamness’ (that is my word ahaha) can still be achieved. But I was happy with the result.
As to Lahm, it was an average game for him. A good game. He did not have as much speed as I know he can have. He did not have as many creative moments as he can have. I do not claim to be an expert on Lahm, but I think it is, perhaps, due to the fact that he needs some time to adjust to playing on the left. If anything, Lahm is human, too. (On a side note, one of the opponents jumped at and over Lahm who got hit a bit, but Lahm got blamed for it. I still do not know how that happened.)
In any case, without further due, here is Lahm’s interview to Spiegel online, published today and conducted by Rafael Buschmann. (I am starting to notice that I might like Spiegel.) I enjoyed reading it and liked it quite a bit. (If you wish, let me know what you think.) I believe it does not require my commentary, thus here we go.
Bayern’s Defender Lahm: “Luck? [That] does not interest me.”
Spiegel Online (SPo): How do you describe the 1:0 victory against VfL Wolfsburg?
Lahm: In the beginning, we did not get a feel of the game, [it] took longer to find our rhythm. But from the beginning of the second half, we have been clearly superior and have created many chances to score a goal. Thus, we deserved to win.
SPo: After the previous match, how big was the fear of losing again and having a classically bad start [my note: in the Bundesliga]?
Lahm: A defeat like that, of course, does not give you self-confidence. We have already had an experience in that regard. But here, nobody was afraid; instead, the previous defeat motivated us.
SPo: You could fuel your confidence from the game against Brazil during the week. Today, was that a factor contributing to the victory?
Lahm: No, absolutely not. On the contrary, the impact of the match against Brazil has shown itself rather in the form of heavy legs than additional self-confidence. The only reason why we won today was the fact that we really wanted to win. Today we demonstrated the right attitude.
SPo: But it was a very lucky win.
Lahm: That does not matter to us. What important is the three points; how they have been achieved does not matter at all to me.
Spo: Then, how would the game have ended if Patrick Helmes’ goal had not been disallowed due to the wrong call about the offside?
Lahm: That does not interest me. During the previous match we also scored a goal, but it was not counted. But we did not complain about it. During a season, such decisions are always made, one should not look back at it anymore.
SPo: From a [football] player’s points view, you cannot call this victory satisfying, can you?
Lahm: Absolutely not. It is clear that we played badly today. We have to work on it, we will work on it. We still must play forward faster, switch faster. We have to learn to take advantage more wisely of small areas offered to us.
SPo: Why doesn’t it work still?
Lahm: Because we keep making last season’s mistakes and pay too much attention to our ball control and possession. In doing so, we neglect very often a game’s tempo and bridging the playing field. We have to play the ball more often to the striker, more directly.
SPo: At the moment, one still notices some uncertainties on the left side of defense. Meanwhile, do you feel comfortable there?
Lahm: I have always said that, in terms of defense, I feel more comfortable on the right. On the other hand, I have more opportunities in the offense on the left.
SPo: How much reassurance does today’s victory give you for the Champions League qualification match against Zürich?
Lahm: The victory gives us a good amount of self-confidence. Hence, we can play a little bit more freely. I hope that everyone, too, will see that against Zürich.
SPo: Would it be a successful start of the season, if you won against Zürich and HSV next week?
Lahm: Those are two home games that we must win anyway. But they are not going to give us back the three points we lost in the match against Gladbach. Thus, I do not care if we have a good start, a good finish and whatnot: we must win and get our points. And [do] that, at best, in every game.
(my translation, (c) unavis; any use of this translation without my permission and the link to this blog is forbidden)
I love the answer to the second question: love that dry wit. With regard to some answers, I am just going to say, with a smile, the following as a closing remark: oh, the brilliance of Philipp Lahm.
PS.: answering my own questions here, but I guess the lack of speed, etc., was the result of the international friendly.
Der Kapitän 
but, i am still worried, though. i am not keen watching lahm play on the left. i missed watching him play on the right again. as a result, the performance of lahm was not really convincing.
but i know, he needs some times to work out his magic! what about you? do you prefer him to play on the right or left?
Hi =) Thanks for commenting!
It’s an interesting question… I like when he scores and stuff, but I did like him on the right, too. I like the way he defends on the right. (For example, I think he was absolutely stunning on the right in the National Team.)
That’s why I usually say that I want Lahm to play diagonally: going from right to left in the offense, and going from left to right in the defense =))
[Spo: Then, how would the game have ended if Patrick Helmes’ goal had not been disallowed due to the wrong call about the offside?
Lahm: That does not interest me. During the previous match we also scored a goal, but it was not counted. But we did not complain about it. During a season, such decisions are always made, one should not look back at it anymore.]
I love this one! Indeed, I’ve never seen him complaining about the referee whether there was a wrong call or not. He always focuses on his own match. Looking forward – that’s right!
And I think Lahm got a talent for attack. His shots and passes are good. So I would like to see him playing on the left side, though he thinks himself more comfortable on the right… Anyway, I hope he will find a good way to balance it.
Thanks for commenting!
Me too, I like that answer. It is so matter-of-fact =)
I agree with you that he is talented in the offense, but sometimes I think people forget that it is not his primary duty. I mean it is awesome if he scores, but, most importantly, what he should be able to do is to defend.
So, I’m going to agree with you: finding a balance is the answer =)