sport news Bayern Munich: Sadio Mane's struggles and Julian Nagelsmann's outfits - where ... trends now
Not a question we get to ask often after 10 straight titles but - what's up with Bayern Munich?
Their unrelenting dominance domestically had taken some eyes away from Germany's top flight. A procession. Bayern are always going to win so what's the point?
Well, consider eyeballs back on the team in Bavaria, only this time it is flux, rather than celebration, that they find themselves in.
Here they sit, fifth in the standings, with question marks over their tactics, the decision to grant Robert Lewandowski his wish to leave, why do players already look so tired and what on earth is Julian Nagelsmann wearing?
Loaded from front to back and yet things aren't clicking and the German national team, littered with Bayern stars, are feeling the knock-on effect.
Sportsmail takes a closer look at how Bayern's free-scoring start has made way for a disjointed and lethargic run which has bosses sweating over their championship monopoly.
Julian Nagelsmann criticised his Bayern Munich players following their 1-0 defeat to Augsburg
Club chiefs Hasan Salihamidzi (left) and Oliver Kahn (right) have both expressed their concern
'We made a very intensive analysis. Julian is very clear. He and his staff know exactly what to do,' Hasan Salihamidžić told Sport Bild.
'Julian knows that he has the full backing of FC Bayern - we don't need to emphasize that again and again.'
A ringing endorsement - but it appears all is not totally harmonious, no matter how hard Salihamidžić tries to smooth things over in the papers.
A report in Bild has claimed that there have been gripes internally at Bayern over Nagelsmann's touchline attire.
Much more modern and a step away from a traditional suit or tracksuit that many managers lean towards, the Bild report claims that people behind the scenes at Bayern want Nagelsmann to view matchdays through a football and not a showbiz lens.
Julian Nagelsmann had a frank conversation with his bosses at Bayern in international break
Reports in Germany have claimed that some at Bayern have questioned Nagelsmann's outfits
It must be stressed that Nagelsmann wears adidas and Hugo Boss clothes for games and they are both primary sponsors of Bayern. He is not breaching any rules with his wardrobe choices.
Bild have also claimed that his arrival at training, which has been both on a skateboard and on a Harley, is seen as an 'unnecessary show'.
Amid all the talk of Thomas Tuchel, brutally axed by Chelsea earlier this season, waiting in the wings, all the talk in Bavaria is that there is no immediate threat to Nagelsmann's job.
There seems to be agreement behind the scenes that the players are the ones underperforming but with the international window now drawing to a close, patience towards Nagelsmann won't run forever.
Less and less xGTaking the first six league games as a sample size, Bayern's creation dipped, and dipped and dipped to the point Nagelsmann may have checked if his top marksman had taken up some annual leave.
Disclaimer, a bright start - helped massively by a 7-0 win over Bochum, has Bayern as the top scorers in the Bundesliga, with 19 goals.
In the three games that followed that romp over Bochum - 1-1 vs Borussia Monchengladbach, 1-1 vs Union Berlin, and 2-2 vs Stuttgart.
Nagelsmann's working his way through a myriad of changes in personnel and also constant evolution of the style but with that he is still expected to deliver winning football, and attractive football.
In the first three games - wins over Eintracht Frankfurt, Wolfsburg and Bochum - delivered an average of 3.1 expected goals per match. They scored 15 across those three games.
Bayern started the season free-scoring but have seen their expected goals tally diminish
Robert Lewandowski left Bayern in the summer and has proven a hit already at Barcelona
But, interestingly, the forward line has only created an average of 1.7 expected goals in the three games that followed - delivering four goals in three.
To the surprise of very few Bayern
