3 Areas for Bayern Munich's Thiago Alcantara to Improve on in 2015-16 Season

Last season, the top tasks for Thiago Alcantara in terms of his development were to get fit and play in an extended run of games to build his form.

It took him almost the entire season, but after a series of knee injuries, he returned in March and showed more than the occasional glimmer of class. In fact, the Spain international was quite consistent in his 13 appearances in all competitions in April and May, despite having missed more than a full year on the sidelines.

Thiago has begun the 2015-16 campaign in a positive way, having avoided injury through the first two months of action. And now that he seems to have turned the corner in his career in terms of fitness, the 24-year-old can take advantage of the opportunity to develop that he missed earlier in his 20s.

Read on for a rundown of the areas where Thiago could most improve this current season.

Scoring

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For a player with such supreme dribbling and passing technique, Thiago is not much of a goalscorer.

It’s perhaps, in part, due to his mentality of being a provider, much like Mesut Ozil. Yet if he becomes a greater direct threat on goal, the Spaniard—like his Arsenal counterpart—can be an even more effective and dangerous player in the Bayern team.

Thiago’s last Bundesliga goal came against Hannover in February 2014, almost 20 months ago. And now, perhaps more than ever under Pep Guardiola, Bayern need him as a threat on goal.

The former Barcelona coach has taken a more-pragmatic approach to football than in recent years, with more play coming from the wings. It’s indirect in a sense, in that it requires good crosses to Robert Lewandowski and for the Poland international to connect.

There is no tactical backup for the main striker in the system Guardiola has preferred, and moreover, it’s possible that some teams will be able to “park the bus” against Bayern. That’s why a direct goal-scoring threat from central midfield is necessary. And Thiago can fit the bill, much as Toni Kroos once did.

One needs to shoot in order to score, and taking more chances would certainly help Thiago in his development as well as helping Bayern become even more diverse in their attack.

Strength

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One area where Thiago could really do with improvement is in his strength, both in upper- and lower-body.

Rehabilitation from major injuries can sometimes be a blessing in disguise, given the opportunity it offers for players to spend in the weight room.

Consider Lothar Matthaus, who after anterior cruciate ligament surgery as a 31-year-old, returned in the shape of his life and after just over five months on the sidelines. Shorty before his 34th birthday, he ruptured his Achilles tendon. Yet, he came back athletically superlative and would continue playing until the age of 39.

Thiago is still rather on the small side, which is somewhat understandable given that he only stands at 1.74 metres (5'7"), per Transfermarkt. At the same time, Gary Medel is an example of a player who is shorter still, yet has been able to make the most of his slight stature. The Chilean is a hard-nosed defensive midfielder with tremendous strength.

With a bit more muscle, Thiago could become an even more complete player. Whereas Medel and most physically strong midfielders use their athleticism to help them win the ball, Thiago has dribbling ability rivaled by few in world football.

With a bit more strength, he won’t be shrugged off the ball as he’s often shown he can be. It could be a big help especially when coming up against stronger defensive midfielders and centre-backs. And it could also help him become a better scorer.

Tackling

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Another aspect of Thiago’s game that, right now, is a bit deficient is his ability to win the ball.

It’s common that naturally technical players will think a bit less about defending just as naturally athletic players might pay less attention to developing their skills on the ball. But the best players mix the best of both worlds and are very complete.

Thiago has a great example within the Bayern team in the form of Arturo Vidal, who is an excellent all-round player who uses his strength, acceleration and natural aggression to win the ball, yet is also very adept in dribbling and short, one-two passing and even is a rather effective scorer. Few midfielders in today’s game can even claim to be in the same league as Vidal in terms of his diversity of skills.

Right now, Thiago has the quality on the ball, but could still use a fair bit of development without it. In fairness, his anticipation is quite good, and he did well to intercept the ball before assisting Robert Lewandowski in the recent Champions League match against Dynamo Zagreb.

However, there is some distance to go for the Spaniard in terms of tackling. Per the official Bundesliga website, Vidal has made about 50 percent more tackles than Thiago.

Despite appreciating a good rate of success, the Bayern star still lacks a bit of aggression and desire to engage in a challenge. With a bit more strength training and some more commitment to winning the ball, Thiago can reach the next level.