A-Lahm bells at Bayern

Germany defender Philipp Lahm on Saturday slammed his club Bayern Munich for their policy of buying in talent rather than nurturing home-grown stars.

Lahm, who captained Bayern at the start of the season when regular skipper Mark van Bommel was injured, says the German giants should not copy Europe's big-spending sides like Barcelona or Manchester United.

With team manager Uli Hoeness and chairman of the board Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in charge of recruitment, Lahm's words are a thinly-veiled attack on the club's senior bosses.

While Bayern's rising home-grown star Thomas Mueller was called into the Germany squad on Friday, the 20-year-old midfielder is the exception at a club which is not shy of recruiting top-names like Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery.

"Clubs like Manchester United and Barcelona have a system in place and they go out to buy a player who fits into that system," the 25-year-old told Munich-based German daily the Sueddeutschen Zeitung.

"In a strong side, you need at least eight players who know the club, know their position well, are self-confident and are competitive.

"I do not see those eight players with us and it is not just the current players fault, it is the philosophy which has been missing over the last year."

And wing-back Lahm says Bayern are struggling in the centre-back positions and questioned the willingness of his fellow defenders to attack.

"Where are the players who can take the ball forward with authority and moves the ball forward to begin attacks?

"It is not happening for us at the moment."

But Lahm says Dutch coach Louis van Gaal, who took over last summer, is the man to help build a strong team in Munich.

"I believe that we already have a coach who can build a team," said Lahm.

"He is probably sometimes difficult to handle for some players, he needs time, but I am firmly convinced he is a good coach."