“Rollercoaster ride”: Bayern Munich coach Aaron Danks discusses Lennart Karl’s development
Bayern Munich interim head coach Aaron Danks has defended Lennart Karl, who has faced heavy criticism recently.
"I have been a coach for a long time and have spent most of that time working with young players," Danks said at a press conference on Friday, drawing on his years in youth development at England's Football Association.
Standing in for the unwell Vincent Kompany, he added: "What Lenny is going through right now is completely normal. Everyone expects and hopes that the path will be straight and lead directly to the top. But in reality, it is like a rollercoaster: there are highs and lows, fluctuations in performance, moments of great confidence and moments of low confidence. We believe in him, stand behind him and encourage him to work hard."
The 18-year-old right winger broke through rapidly last autumn, but his progress has since stalled. Various injury problems held him back in the second half of last season and ultimately caused him to miss the World Cup. Karl made a disappointing start to this season, but has recently shown signs of improvement and started two matches in a row.
Uli Hoeneß and Max Eberl criticise Lennart Karl
In Wednesday's 6-1 win against 1. FC Magdeburg, Karl played a superb through ball in the build-up to Michael Olise's opener and provided the assist for the fourth goal. "In the last two games, he has shown some really positive signs. He has worked hard, carried out his defensive duties for the team very well and shown moments of real quality," Danks said. Across eleven appearances this season, Karl has played 443 minutes, scoring one goal and providing two assists.
Several senior figures have recently criticised Karl, particularly over his behaviour off the pitch and on social media. Honorary president Uli Hoeneß announced a "serious conversation" with Karl. Board member for sport Max Eberl spoke of "one or two missteps" after the Magdeburg match and said: "Lenny has to show on the pitch that he is coming out of this slump." Karl is expected to feature only as a substitute in Saturday's top-of-the-table Bundesliga clash with Borussia Dortmund (6.30pm).
