Since the start of the campaign, Bayern Munich are yet to kick into gear, with underwhelming performances becoming an all-too-consistent issue. Nevertheless, despite their shortcomings in certain areas of the pitch, Der Rekordmeister’s forward line have been sensational this season.
Harry Kane and Leroy Sané have been scoring goals for fun, while Jamal Musiala and Kingsley Coman have dazzled on a regular basis. As well as this, their attacking quality has also been able to reach their bench, with Mathys Tel enjoying a stellar start to the campaign.
With six goals and three assists in all competitions, Tel is playing a crucial role in Thomas Tuchel’s side when called upon from the sideline. However, by averaging a goal contribution every 53 minutes, there have been calls for the Frenchman to be included in Bayern’s starting XI.
Nevertheless, as previously reported, Tuchel addressed this topic by explaining how Tel has been enjoying his role within the team: “We think every day about whether we should let him play for 90 minutes. But Mathys is handling this role so well at the moment that we don’t want to just give this role away. It’s very important to have someone who loves this role.” However, when speaking to the French newspaper L’Équipe, Tel would have his say on his future at Bayern:
“I’m not frustrated by my game time. But I’m definitely working to get a starting spot. Today, I have a super-sub status, but that’s not what I’m looking for in the long term. But that’s where we are now, and I’ll continue to learn in order to have a more important place within the team. I’m following the principle that, to become big, you have to learn to be small. It comes through learning.”
The 18-year-old was then asked whether he was surprised by his tremendous start to the season: “I wouldn’t say it’s surprising because I work hard every day to get good stats and to be able to contribute as much as possible to the team. I would rather say it’s encouraging for the future. It shows that I know how to do things and that we must continue on this path.”
For Tel, being able to displace a striker of Kane’s quality will always be an almost impossible task, but the signs are there for him to do so. By improving every day and learning from those ahead of him, his time will soon come, and this was a sentiment the 18-year-old shared.
GGFN | Will Shopland