Klose: Bayern to park bus against Bremen
Reuters - Friday 27 February 2009, 17:35
BERLIN - Bayern Munich will shift the
emphasis to defence on their visit to Werder Bremen on Sunday
despite a 5-0 rout of Sporting in the Champions
League, striker Miroslav Klose said.
The German champions, devastating in the first leg of their
last-16 tie in Lisbon on Wednesday, made the decision after a
third defeat in four Bundesliga matches this year.
"Within the team council we had agreed that something was
not right and we have decided to play more defensively," Klose
said on Friday.
"The coach was part of every discussion," he added at a news
conference following media speculation that Juergen Klinsmann
had not been party to the decision.
"There was no team meeting where the coach was not present.
That is absolute nonsense. We sat down and agreed to put more
weight on the defence."
Bayern are fourth, four points off the pace and showing few
signs of the defensive strengths that contributed to the double
last season -- yet they remain in with a chance of a German Cup,
Bundesliga and Champions League treble.
Their most recent defeat, 2-1 at home to Cologne last
weekend, was especially bitter as their fans started booing and
whistling halfway through the match.
It was after that defeat that the team council which
includes Klose, Philipp Lahm, Lucio, Mark van Bommel, Martin
Demichelis and Klinsmann agreed to a change of tactics.