Time for Carlo Ancelotti to Make Thiago Alcantara Bayern's Anchorman

"We need to improve on our structure, how we are in possession of the ball, so that we are better positioned to avoid counter-attacks," Bayern Munich defender Mats Hummels told Kicker (in German) after Tuesday's UEFA Champions League win over PSV Eindhoven.

As deftly analytical with a microphone in his face as he is incisive with the ball at his feet, the Germany international echoed what everyone else has been thinking this season.

It was at the forefront of everyone's mind once again as PSV's goal in the German champions' 2-1 win had stemmed from a Bayern Munich free-kick just outside the hosts' penalty area.

Carlo Ancelotti's preference for a 4-3-3 formation has left Bayern Munich a far less solid, much more vulnerable side.

There was a switch—in desperation—in the Netherlands on Tuesday to the 4-2-3-1 that had served Pep Guardiola so successfully, but the new Bayern boss could still employ his favoured strategy if he would also make another change: bring Thiago Alcantara in as the man in front of his back four and drop Xabi Alonso.

That last sentence is almost painful to write. I am a huge Xabi Alonso fan. Anyone who can play football that well and also speak as intelligently as he does off of the pitch deserves admiration. But approaching his 35th birthday, the former Liverpool and Real Madrid man should now be used sparingly rather than be first choice.

Ancelotti, it seems, is not to be moved, however. "Alonso is slow, that is true. I was slow as a player too, though. It's not a bad thing," Ancelotti told the media recently, per Kicker (in German). "What is important is that the ball circulates quickly, and Xabi is the best at that."

It was a robust defence, one that was not only a defence of his player but also of his own choices. It is time, though, for Ancelotti to see Thiago is the best option in the role, even though it was not possible in Eindhoven with the younger man nursing an injury.

"I think he is good for us," Guardiola had said after Thiago's signing, one that the then-Bayern coach had demanded upon his appointment, per Kicker (in German). The current Manchester City boss sounded like a lottery announcer when he stated his new addition could play as "a six, an eight, an 11 and a seven." If Guardiola believes Thiago can play as a six, that is good enough for me.

But the stats also back Pep up.

"My style has not changed under the new coach. I'm still the same as I was before," Thiago told TZ (in German) this season, though his figures suggest a little extra steel has been added to the Spain international's game.

According to Kicker (in German), his percentage of challenges won is up in both the Bundesliga and Champions League, to 60 per cent in the former and 63 per cent in the latter.

Arturo Vidal, the self-proclaimed "Warrior," who has been playing in a similar, more advanced midfield role to Thiago this season, is at 55 per cent and 59 per cent, respectively. The combative Joshua Kimmich only has a slightly better ratio at 62 per cent in the German top flight. Alonso is at 53 per cent and 42 per cent.

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press/Associated Press

"That's because Xabi reads the game better," I hear you cry. Well, Thiago also has more interceptions than Alonso and commits fewer fouls across all competitions, according to WhoScored.com, and he offers a similar goal threat with his ability to shoot from distance—a significant bonus when Bayern are struggling to break down ultra-defensive, compact opponents as they were on Tuesday.

Thiago's passing stats are even better than Alonso's. He averages over 10 passes more than his compatriot per match in the Bundesliga this season, and he completes a higher ratio of them, according to WhoScored.com. Given he has played higher up the pitch than Alonso for much of the campaign, and therefore in an area in which space is at more of a premium, that is no mean feat.

Imagine what he could do then when played directly in front of the back four. He is Alonso Mark 2.0, is nearly 10 years younger, and is just as good at both launching attacks and snuffing out counter-attacks—a real boon with Ancelotti's strategy.

With Alonso out of contract at the season's end, it is time for Ancelotti to prepare for the future now and make Thiago his No. 1 in that position with Alonso his luxury back-up when/if injury strikes or a breather is needed.

With Thiago in the role, Bayern would have an effective barrier to opponents keen to exploit counter-attack opportunities while also having a deep-lying playmaker, which is a perfect hybrid for Ancelotti's system.

The prospect of Thiago being the inverted tip of a midfield pyramid that includes Renato Sanches and Vidal is one that makes surely more than just my mouth water. If that is too daring for you, pop Kimmich in there to give yourself a little bit more security.

Thiago would also flourish in a "Doppelsechs" (a "double six") pairing of two midfielders in front of the defence in a 4-2-3-1 formation like the one that turned the game in Eindhoven.

With Thiago sitting deeper, Vidal/Renato Sanches and Kimmich would be great foils: the former when a more dynamic partner is required, say for the lesser lights of the Bundesliga; the latter for those tenser, more closely-contested European nights against the creme de la creme of the continent when more defensive qualities are needed, leaving Thiago to provide the creativity and forward impetus.

It is in that more conservative role that Ancelotti could also find a use for Javi Martinez, Bayern's third Spanish midfielder. "I know that he can play very well in defensive midfield," Ancelotti said recently, per Kicker (in German). "Above all in difficult games, I will rely on his personality, which is good for our game."

Having signed a contract extension through to 2021 in December last year, Martinez, who made his name as a defensive midfielder at Athletic Bilbao, could not only provide handy cover for Hummels and Jerome Boateng at centre-back, but play a pivotal role alongside Thiago in midfield for a good number of seasons to come.