Bayern Munich were held to a 0-0 draw by promoted Schalke 04 on Bundesliga matchday two, and gave up top spot for the first time in 67 matchdays. The result quickly brought criticism, with Sky pundit Dietmar Hamann taking particular aim at one of the record champions' new signings.
"Ismael Saibari is a wonderful footballer, but he is too slow," the former Bayern player Hamann said on Sky90. "He is not just not quick, he is like a poor Kane. Kane is not the quickest and now his back-up is not the quickest either."
Before the season, Bayern signed the 25-year-old Morocco international from PSV in Eindhoven for around €50 million, repeatedly stressing his versatility across the attack. Hamann sees it very differently.
"They say Saibari can play in four positions - I say he can play in exactly one position: that is behind Kane, because out wide he is too slow," said Hamann, who sees "Serge Gnabry as a class above" the Reds' new signing in the No 10 role.
Elsewhere, Hamann is far from convinced by Bayern's transfer window as a whole. Alongside Saibari, they also signed Nathaniel Brown for likewise around €50 million from Eintracht Frankfurt, as well as Bara Sapoko Ndiaye from partner club Gambino Stars.
"Bayern not better than last year!"
"People always say they are better than last year. They are not better than last year, because the two players who came were Brown and Saibari," Hamman said. In return, "they lost Raphael Guerreiro, Leon Goretzka and Nicolas Jackson, that is over 100 matches and more than 25 goals - and Jackson's pace."
Hamann said he had "not been the biggest fan" of the Chelsea loanee, but "with his pace he stretched the game and created space for others". That is a profile Saibari cannot offer.
On top of that, Hamann also has doubts over the situations of Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala, who recently made his illness public. "Internally, they are not sure with Davies whether he will come again and with Musiala there is also a question mark at the moment for other reasons," Hamann said.