Robert Lewandowski critical of the newer generation of younger players

Young players in football today, Lewandowski feels, have it too easy and don’t have to put up with as much.

In a recent interview with SportBild, Bayern Munich talisman Robert Lewandowski said he feels that the newer generation of younger players in football today has it too easy. In contrast to when he was a younger footballer, he feels that players now the “red carpet” before they have accomplished anything.

In today’s over-inflated transfer market, the Polish ace argues that young prospects are given far too much money without any sort of guarantee for the buying club. The transfer market is “problematic for structure on the team.”

There are young players, a new generation, for whom the red carpet is rolled out right away, who already cost an incredible amount of money in their young years. But these players still have to grow; they don’t guarantee you success.

Lewandowski himself worked his way through Legia Warsaw’s reserve side before he moved to Znicz Pruszkow in Poland’s 2. Liga before joining top flight side Lech Poznan. After two strong seasons with Poznan, he made his big move to Borussia Dortmund in 2010, and the rest is history.

Now, Lewandowski argues, the way players are brought in the game changes their perception:

Young players today have a totally different education behind them, were often in a youth academy in their youth. These talents need a different approach than the supposedly older generation. Their ideas, their interests are different.

Success, in Lewandowski’s view, comes from “a good mixture of young and old.”

Another issue Lewandowski sees in younger players is their inability to accept not being used by their managers. Sitting on the bench is something that younger players don’t want to have to deal with. Because of this, he feels that communication between the players and coaching staff needs to be a transparent as possible so the younger players especially know what’s expected of them and what their role is on the team.

He said it is critical “that there be good communication in the locker room — that the groups, who might be separated by a whole decade, understand one another.”