Bayern's First-Half Term Report: A Focus on Individual Performances

Goalkeepers

Michael Rensing : Louis Van Gaal decided to start the man believed to be Oliver Kahn's successor in the first match. After three matches, Rensing was dropped and has since not been used in a single game. He will probably be sold in January. Personally, I thought that in the Klinsmann era, he did well at times. Yet, Van Gaal relegated him to the subs and I wouldn't say that it was an incorrect decision.

Grade: C-

Hans Jorg-Butt : Bayern needed a back-up keeper. So, they decided to get a forgotten and aging keeper from Benfica who wouldn't mind sitting on the bench for 30 odd matches or so. Instead, what they actually got was a gem of a keeper. Bayern's actual defensive mess has been hidden only due to this man's saves. He has played in every match since Matchday Four, and can also be relied upon to take penalties.

Grade: A

Defenders

Edson Braafheid : I had my doubts when he was brought into FCB, and I turned out to be correct. Braafheid isn't poor defensively, but he hardly wants to attack. When he played, the attack flowed only from Philipp Lahm's channel. He is currently used as a sub.

Grade: C

Daniel Van Buyten : Louis Van Gaal had played Van Buyten as a striker in the dying minutes in a Bundesliga match, and he duly scored the winning goal. He has been reliable at both ends of the pitch and has scored seven goals in all competitions. He has made a few mistakes in defence but his overall contribution is enough to cover up all those tiny errors. 

Grade: A-

Martin Demichelis: He has had to deal with his fair share of criticism. He has done a job most of the time, but some of his errors are horrendous. The team has played well and Demichelis' contribution cannot be denied.

Grade: B

Andreas Gorlitz : Gorlitz has hardly appeared this season and despite his injury problems, I would have liked to see him get more playing time. I can't really give him a grade as I have hardly seen him play all season. However, his goal against Gorlitz in a friendly was a good one to his credit.

Breno Borges : Breno will most likely be loaned out in January as he needs to go somewhere else and mature. I haven't seen him too many times this season and thus cannot grade him.

Philipp Lahm : The right back turned left back spent his time on both channels this season. Barcelona have wanted him but he wants to be with his boyhood club currently. He has shown flashes of brilliance and has played well most of the time. His all-revealing interview is not easy to forget as well.

Grade: A

Holger Badstuber : The lad from the youth-team has made Munich proud. He has done well in the left-back berth as well as in central defence. His winning goal against Gladbach will live in everyone's memories for a long time. He is a good dead ball player and is used by his coach to deliver corners and the odd freekick.

Grade: A

Christian Lell : Van Gaal hardly gives him any playing time. He has hardly played this season and thus cannot be graded.

Midfielders

Franck Ribery : He has been telling Bayern to strengthen their squad while he himself has hardly featured due to injuries. When he has featured, he has done well but Bayern are no longer heavily dependent on him.

Grade: B+

Hamit Altintop : He may be on his way out of the club soon. I like Altintop and injuries have really cut his playing time short. He hasn't played as well as he can following his last injury. He hasn't had much playing time and has been used as a sub. He played a total of 12 matches in all competitions.

Grade: B-

Arjen Robben : Bayern's newest signing has impressed but injuries have come back to haunt him. When he has played, he has done well, and to his credit he hasn't said much to the tabloids to add to all the problems at the club(even though that might be because of a language barrier).

Grade: A

Andreas Ottl : Despite all the rumours about buying and selling players, I haven't seen any rumour about Ottl which is quite surprising. The Bayern Youth Academy product is a good DM but can't expect too much playing time as long as Mark Van Bommel is at the club. When he has been called on, he has done his job well, but has not done anything extraordinary.

Grade: B

Mark Van Bommel : He has done well and his performance against Juve was marvelous. He has played a part in the team's attacks recently and has lead the team well. He has earned five yellow cards in the Bundesliga and is yet to earn a single card in the other competitions. He has no red cards to his name. Yet, he hasn't actually stopped tackling; he has just stopped doing it harshly.He has also shown good vision and has passed the ball well.

Grade: A

Alex Baumjohann : His talent cannot be denied but the timing of the move to Bayern wasn't right. He will probably be loaned out and has hardly featured. Thus, I can't actually rate his performances.

Danijel Pranjic: He took a while to settle in but since has done well in an attacking role. He scored a peach of a goal in the Bundesliga in December. He moves the ball well but there is still room for improvement.

Grade:B

Bastian Schweinsteiger : He is inconsistent and I will not disagree with anyone who says so. Louis Van Gaal decided to try him as a DM and the move paid off. He has really performed well in his new position. He has also attacked well and has been quite consistent towards the end of the first half of the season.

Grade: B+

Anatoliy Tymoshchuk: The former Zenit man primarily found it difficult to settle in Bavaria. Following an interview where he said he wants to leave Bavaria, he struck a beautiful goal against Juve. He has done enough when called upon but has hardly done anything spectacular.

Grade:B

Forwards

Luca Toni : The season started with speculation about him. I feel he has been hard done by Van Gaal because even though he was in poor form, he tried his best to help Bayern out. He even trained with the reserves squad and played a match in the third division of the Bundesliga. He doesn't deserve a poor grade because he atleast tried his best on the  pitch.

Grade:C

Ivica Olic : Nobody including Van Gaal himself expected this free transfer to be the saviour of their season. I used to enjoy watching Olic in his Hamburg days. He always gives his best and has duly scored eight times in two competitions. Olic contributes much more to his side than goals. He is a nuisance for defenders.

Grade: A+

Miroslav Klose : For a man whose scoring record in the Bundesliga reads double figures for almost the entire decade, zero goals in 11 appearances in the Bundesliga sounds like an insult. He is the second highest scorer in the entire Bundesliga amongst the active players. He never really recovered from that injury he sustained last season against Bochum. For a season where more was expected from him, he has hardly given fans anything to be happy about in his performances. He seems to be past his best.

Grade: C-

Thomas Muller: When your last name is Muller and you can score goals, you are bound to be loved by Bayern supporters. Muller from the beginning of the season did well. He has most been used as an attacking midfielder rather than a striker, but has done his job well. He can pass the ball well and has scored nine goals this season. His speed makes it difficult to defend him. He has been a bright spark all season and deserves a good grade.

Grade: A

Mario Gomez : Bayern broke their own transfer fee record and brought him in for 30 million euros. He disappointed at the beginning but has slowly started finding the back of the net. He has already spent time on the bench though. He and Ivica Olic have formed a good partnership up front. He is currently Bayern's top scorer with 12 goals in all competitions.

Grade: B+

Coach

Louis Van Gaal : Van Gaal has already fallen out with Toni but he has found a way to play a 4-4-2 without relying on Robben or Ribery. The Dutchman looked set to be on his way out following the second loss to Bordeaux but found a way to revive the team and keep his job.

Grade: A-

Who do you think deserves better or worse grades? Your comments are most welcome.