Harding's harte Thesen

Guardiola's flattering support

"I wish I had a thousand Dantes." After Brazilian center back Dante endured some of his worst form since joining the club, Bayern Munich head coach Pep Guardiola sprang to the support of his defender. He's hailed Bastian Schweinsteiger as a super player, but Spaniard Xabi Alonso - a yellow card machine of late - appears to be the preferred option. And his 37 million euro "chosen one" Mario Götze was on the bench for the most important game of the club's season. It's time someone started talking about Guardiola's hyperbole. Not only is not working, it's just not true anymore.

While protecting his players is admirable, flattery is a dangerous method particularly when standards are remarkably high. Head coaches in professional sport all over the world have turned to compliments when backs are against the wall. In a world saturated with clichés and phrases, the truth is harder and harder to find. In American football, the former head coach of the San Francisco 49ers Jim Harbaugh said his wide receiver Michael Crabtree had the best hands [catching] he had ever seen in the NFL. Harbaugh was fired unceremoniously at the end of the season and Crabtree was cut. It's wishful thinking but wouldn't it be nice if head coaches spoke a bit more truth? We can handle it.

Kruse follows the money

Max Kruse clearly has a career plan. After doing well at Freiburg, he moved up another level to Gladbach. After excelling there, he's now swapping Lucien Favre's high-flying group for Wolfsburg. This time, it's not a competition-based move - the pair have both qualified for the Champions League - but one about earning more for his trade. While Kruse fits into Gladbach's system better, his arrival gives Dieter Hecking much more variation in attack. Wolfsburg will be even more dangerous. Imagine Kevin de Bruyne linking with Ivan Perisic and Max Kruse? Sounds a bit like Gladbach those three at Gladbach this year.

As for Favre and his bunch, the key is not to struggle post departure. Mind you, they've hardly looked back since Marco Reus left so I wouldn't worry.

Something rotten in the state of Schalke

Headlines at Schalke! This isn't really news, but the indefinite suspension of Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sidney Sam is. I've never been in a Bundesliga changing rooms before or after a game, but I've played sport and there have always been and will always be players like Boateng in the team. At least, that's what type of player the Ghanaian appears to be. Clearly, enough was enough and that really doesn't surprise me. The mystery arrives when it comes to Sam and Marco Höger. The former has struggled with injuries, yes, but from the outside looking in he's always been a quiet, hard-working winger. Why now? The latter has been one of their best players this season, but now his future hangs in the balance? For all of Horst Heldt's trust-issue talk, there's no escaping how much of a circus this club is. From nearly beating Real Madrid to winning one of their last eight? Losing out on a Europa League spot to Borussia Dortmund after talk of a Champions League spot earlier in the season would be the end of Roberto di Matteo. In any case, Heldt should follow him out the door.