Bayern Munich’s sporting director Matthias Sammer is a hard man to please.
The German giants have already added the Uefa Super Cup to the terrific treble they won last season.
And they are unbeaten after five matches in the Bundesliga so far this time out, with only one draw blotting their copy book.
But ahead of Bayern’s first group stage match of the defence of their Champions League title, against CSKA Moscow on Tuesday, Sammer has criticised the team.
Bayern were forced to slog for their win against Hanover at the weekend, and compared to their major rivals, Borussia Dortmund, they are looking relatively flat-footed.
Jurgen Klopp’s merry band of swashbucklers has won the early plaudits in Germany, by outscoring Bayern by 15 goals to nine in their 100% start to the season.
Sammer is unimpressed, and he has called on Bayern to find extra “emotion” and motivation before they embark upon their Champions League campaign.
"We played lethargically at times,” Sammer said after Bayern’s haggard heave-ho with Hanover.
“We played football without emotion, we worked as if we were following rules," Sammer told German media.
"We must get out of our comfort zone.
“It's nothing to do with lack of effort, we're lacking that last five percent,"
Bayern are expected to blitz CSKA on Tuesday night, but their catalogue of injured stars includes Javi Martinez, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mario Goetze and Thiago Alcantara.
CSKA meanwhile, have started the Russian season strongly, and they will certainly be no pushovers in their first-ever meeting with the behemoths from Bavaria.
