Gomez & Olic.. it's not just about the goals

After the 08/09 season, Olic was brought in for free since his contract ended in the summer.  At the time, I wasn't too happy since I wanted Bayern to get a real target striker.  A few weeks after however, Bayern did buy Gomez for a record fee.  Olic had his best season last year scoring 7 goals in Champions League including a hat-trick in the semi-final match vs Lyon as well as a goal apiece to Manchester United.  Suffice to say, he had a very good season.  Unfortunately for him, he got injured for the entire season this year and Gomez has literally taken over from his reign .. at least so far.  I will basically explain why in my opinion, Gomez fits the team better than Olic, if both are fit and I'm not just looking for goals as the reason.

Olic naturally is a second striker, he plays behind the main forward.  Last season when Gomez was benched and "Golic" was no more, Olic played as the main man and Muller played behind him.  Muller like Olic is a second striker by nature who can also play out wide or hybrid playmaker role.. well basically any attacking position.  One thing that I noticed so many times during the second half of the season, Olic would drop back many many times running after the ball because he is thinking as a second striker, so basically the 4-2-3-1 formation turned more into a 4-2-4-0.  It was problematic since when we got the ball, we had no one to pass it to.  I know to some I will sound like a mad man, complaining about tactics last season when Bayern won the double and reached the CL final, 1 match away from having the best season ever..  however this was a problem at times.  Many times Robben, Muller or Ribery would get the ball but would have to wait and hold the ball until Olic went forward once again.  Gomez for the most part, stays right at the defensive line, waiting for either a pass or make a run.

 Olic & Gomez,both lovely additions to the new 

Bayern revolution

Mario Gomez is positionally speaking, a monster.  He is the type of player at the end of a match that you ask why he missed a chance or two that he should have scored, even though he actually scored one or two from other chances.  He knows where to be and when, Ruud and Luca Toni in particular understand what I'm stating.  The good change between Gomez and Olic is that Gomez hugs that back line and always has players on him, especially at the moment since teams know he will score a goal per game average.  In particular during the 4-0 thrashing of Hoffenheim for example, the 4th wonder goal from Robben.  If you notice the cross from Ribery, there are 3 defenders in the box all marking Gomez.  Robben gets the ball free and one of them runs to him, only for Robben to do what Robben does.  Gomez does this constantly, which completely stretches every defense since they have to double mark Robben, they have to do the same with Gomez and with Ribery's form getting better, will have to do the same with Ribery.  In other words if the team stays fit, teams won't be able to focus on a specific player, and Gomez helps make space for the wingers & Co.  I think Olic personally is a great team player and I cannot wait until he is back.  His running and giving his heart out in the field is something none of our strikers bar Muller show to such an extent anyways...  I think for Olic to work in the system best, he would have to play behind Gomez where he was successful last season before Gomez got benched, and that's where Thomas Muller plays.  Let us be realistic folks, is there any Bayern fan somewhere that would want young Muller benched?  Because I will find you, and I will change your mind...