By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes is counting on a risky rotation policy to keep his squad in a good mood.
Heynckes admitted to deliberately taking a risk in the German Bundesliga to keep all of his players motivated. "It is necessary to give some of the constantly performing players a break to keep them fit for the knock-out phase of the international competition," Heynckes said.
The manager is also keen to make sure his player's don't become complacent, and he says that "healthy competition within the squad," is essential. "With just eleven players you won't survive a season, you need competition to keep things in a flow and to get everyone on the same level," the 2013 treble winner commented.
Heynckes admits things might change as soon as the knock-out stage of the Champions League starts. Today's German Cup duel against third division side SC Paderborn could give the first hints of the efficiency of Heynckes strategy. Heynckes said his side accepts the "favorites" tag, but is happy to have a knockout game as a test.
After 21 rounds of matches, Bayern is currently further ahead in their domestic league than any other team in Europe. It is also the biggest lead in Bundesliga history.
Bayern are 18 points ahead of second placed Bayer Leverkusen but international competitors enjoy smaller leads. Manchester City is 13 points ahead of United in the English Premier League and in France Paris St. Germain is 11 points ahead of Olympique Marseille.
"Some hard decisions might have to be made by the coach later in the season when the thrilling knockout games come around," German international Mats Hummels emphasized.
Heynckes added that hard decisions are part of professional football. The team's focus is to keep concentration at the highest level. "We have a fantastic level in daily training sessions which is the key to the team's success," Heynckes commented.
The state of the defense seems pretty clear with David Alaba, Hummels, Jerome Boateng, and Joshua Kimmich all firmly entrenched in their positions.
No less than nine international experienced top stars have to battle it out in midfield and in the final third despite several second-string rivals. Javi Martinez, Arturo Vidal, James Rodriguez and Thiago are all competing for a spot in the middle of the park while Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Kingsley Coman, Thomas Mueller and Robert Lewandowski compete up front.
According to club insiders, Ribery and Robben have to wait until the end of March or mid-April for a decision regarding their future. The French and Dutch star hope for an extension of their contracts that expire at the end of the 2017/2018 season.
Future decisions will have to be made by the new manager taking over next summer. Heynckes has renewed his decision to retire and leave the club in summer. There are rumors that former Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel or current Liverpool coach Juergen Klopp could replace him.
Former German international Lothar Matthaeus told German TV that German national coach Joachim Loew would be the ideal solution for Bayern.
There are also rumors that Bayern is considering signing a new winger. Reportedly Bayern could be eyeing FC Porto's right back Diogo Dalot. The Portuguese 18-year-old under-21 international is supposed to be worth up to 20 million euros.
