MSR AWARDS 2021/2022: FC BAYERN PLAYER OF THE SEASON

It’s no secret that the 2021/22 season was disappointing for most at FC Bayern. We have discussed at length the missed goals and opportunities as well as the litany of underperformances. All of those things made selecting a player of the season both more challenging, as few actually seemed to deserve the distinction, and very straight forward as there was one obvious candidate.

Marc

June 16, 2022

Amongst five nominees, that included Joshua Kimmich, Manuel Neuer, Thomas Müller and Leroy Sane, Robert Lewandowski remained the obvious choice and won the vote in a landslide. And it’s not hard to see why.

Which records remain untouched?

Coming off of one of the greatest seasons in Bundesliga and football history, the 33 year old put together another incredible season scoring 50 goals in all competitions including 35 in the Bundesliga and 13 in the Champions League.

Week after week it seemed like he was either breaking or on the cusp of breaking a new record. For a good portion of the season, there was even a question of whether he could break his single season scoring record for the second consecutive season as he scored in 18 of his first 23 Bundesliga matches sitting on 28 goals with 11 matches to play.

Sadly, it wasn’t meant to be as he would only manage to score 7 in the final 11 matches which still eclipsed the 34 goals scored in the 2019/20 season for his second highest total ever. Likewise his 13 Champions League goals fell just two short of his personal best of 15 in the 19/20 season and tied his 2012/13 mark, both times having made it to the Final.

**Robert Lewandowski would claim his fifth straight Torjägerkanone and seventh overall in the 2021/22 season.**
Image: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

What did we expect?

Still, despite all of those stats, it felt like he could have produced more this season. It’s extremely hard to blame him for that. But the injuries and system took a toll and changed how Bayern played to such a degree that it became increasingly difficult for the striker to score at the rates we’d become used to.

Regardless, it was still another landmark year for the striker and the disappointment in such a season just goes to show the lofty expectations put on him. In reality, Lewandowski has delivered in every capacity asked of him.

The End?

And now we’re in a situation where the current best player in the world is trying to force his way out of the club. Obviously, there are a lot of reasons why. Many have been speculated on, more will probably never come to light. But if Lewandowski were to leave Bayern this summer, it is a hole that no single player they bring in or currently have will be able to fill themselves.

Whether we have seen the final match that Lewandowski will play in Bayern red remains to be seen, but if it is, he capped off a tremendous run with another great season that easily makes him the second best striker in the clubs history and not far behind Gerd Müller for that top spot.