Bayern boss Louis van Gaal intends to deploy French ace Franck Ribery as a playmaker rather than a wide man from now on. Ribery dazzled as a winger for Bayern since signing from Marseille two years ago, but it seems that new coach Van Gaal wants his key man closer to goal. "It means he has more options, he's closer to goal, closer to the strikers," Van Gaal told Bayern's official site. "He can thrust to either side – not always cutting in from the left, which is becoming easy for defenders to predict." Interesting Experience Bayern GM Uli Hoeness welcomed the notion of playing Ribery at the center as the Bavarians target their first Bundesliga win when they take on Mainz on Saturday. "We'll have to see how it works out with Franck in a central role over the longer term. It's a crucial question and impacts the way the team develops,” Hoeness was quoted as saying by Bild. "If it works, I'll be very optimistic. Many people don't see Franck as a playmaker. I'm of the opinion that it's a very interesting experiment."
