5 Areas for Mario Gotze to Improve on with Bayern Munich Next Season

The 2014-15 season was a tough one for Mario Gotze, who despite having a good start, spent long stretches of Bayern Munich's campaign struggling to have any influence on the pitch. His benching in the Champions League semifinals against Barcelona, despite the injury-forced absence of Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, spoke volumes of the 23-year-old's fall from grace.

Last week, Bleacher Report analyzed what Pep Guardiola can do to get the best out of Gotze. But if he is to achieve his potential, the former Borussia Dortmund prodigy will have to make big changes to his playing style and attitude. Read on for an analysis of what Gotze must do in order to fulfill his promise at Bayern Munich.

Dribble More

If Gotze is to replace Ribery in position and/or function, he'll need to create plays from dribbling situations far more often. Taking on defenders in one-on-ones was always Ribery's forte, and his ability to navigate through tight spaces made him a unique asset to the Bayern team.

Gotze has similarly outstanding control in crowded areas, as well as the strength and quickness to explode past defenders. In terms of skill set, he has what he needs to be a great dribbler.

Yet last season, per WhoScored.com, Gotze attempted 2.4 dribbles per game, the 11th-highest figure in the Bundesliga. Karim Bellarabi led all players with 4.7, almost twice as many, while Robben had 4.5. Even Kevin De Bruyne, known much more for his creative passing than his dribbling, significantly exceeded Gotze's tally at 2.9 dribbles per game.

To date, Gotze has played more conservatively, avoiding being dispossessed but also not taking on defenders nearly as often as he could. He needs to be more concerned with taking on opponents and less worried about losing the ball.

Take Chances to Make Chances

Just as he seems a bit hesitant to take on opponents by dribbling, Gotze also seems to be averse to taking risks with his passing. A playmaker should never be worried about losing the ball. He should have plenty of teammates behind him ready to win it back if it's lost.

Per Squawka, among Bayern players in the last Bundesliga season, only Robert Lewandowski and Claudio Pizarro (13 meters each) averaged less distance per pass than Gotze (14 meters).

Gotze's passing was not only limited in distance, but effectiveness as well. Per WhoScored.com, he averaged a modest 1.4 key passes per game, ranking him 29th in the league and a far cry from De Bruyne's 3.3. Even Bastian Schweinsteiger and Philipp Lahm, both meant to be more defensive players, averaged more key passes per game than Gotze—and David Alaba was not far behind.

Gotze should heed the rule that one has to take chances in order to make chances. This applies not only to dribbling but to passing as well.

Ping the Ball off Lewandowski More Often

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

Prior to his move to Bayern, Gotze forged a brilliant partnership with Lewandowski at Dortmund. Together in the center of attack, Gotze would make runs to receive the ball from the target man after he fielded long-range passes, play clever one-two passes and directly assist the Poland international's chances on goal.

Partly due to his frequent placement on the left or in a deeper role, Gotze wasn't able to recreate his partnership with Lewandowski last season, despite his Dortmund teammate having moved to Munich.

Thomas Muller assisted Lewandowski more often (four times, the league's second-highest combination, per WhoScored.com), as did Robben (three times). Gotze was at his best pinging the ball off Lewandowski. He'd be wise to play to his strengths and try to resurrect the devastating combination they once developed.

Get Wide

One of Gotze's strengths at Dortmund was his ability to appear anywhere in attack: left, right, in the penalty box or just deeper, he did what needed to be done.

At Bayern, Gotze has played more predictably with less freedom in a more or less permanent central position. Per WhoScored.com, he averaged just 0.4 crosses per game last season, and via Squawka, just 15.5 percent (4.4 percent from the left, 11.1 percent from the right) of his chances created came from wide areas.

Gotze is most at home in the center, but he needs to be flexible, mobile and willing to show a bit of diversity in order to trick defenders and reach his previous heights.

Take the Bull by the Horns

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More than anything else, if Gotze is to succeed at Bayern, he's going to need to take some initiative. Until now, he's taken on a supporting role in the team, allowing Robben, Ribery and others to work their magic in attack.

It's nice to be polite, but that won't serve Bayern's interests in the short or long term, and it certainly won't facilitate Gotze's development. The Germany international needs to be more selfish, more arrogant, and take his chances. He needs to be willing to fight.

As Franz Beckenbauer told Sky (h/t Goal.com) in May, Gotze behaves at times with all the passivity of a youth team player. At 23 years old, it's high time he came of age.