Bayern Munich legend Lothar Matthaus feels Carlo Ancelotti's relaxed approach is not working and has urged the Italian to be stricter with his players following the reigning Bundesliga champions' recent struggles.

Bayern are on a three-game winless streak following their Champions League defeat at the hands of Atletico Madrid and consecutive Bundesliga draws with Cologne and Eintracht Frankfurt

That poor run has seen Ancelotti come in for some criticism and Matthaus believes the 57-year-old has no other option but to alter the way he treats his players.

"Giving players a bit of freedom is a good thing on one hand, but you have to keep them on a short leash if you notice it is not working," Matthaus told Sky.

"The players will feel the consequences, particularly those who have disappointed Ancelotti, the players who have not been performing as expected. With such a strong squad, those players could be dropped from the starting XI.

"I think Ancelotti has what it takes to be stricter with his players. I think it is a good thing that he called on the players to take their own responsibility, but perhaps some of them did not understand it.

"But I am convinced that he can be very strict if necessary. He tried a certain approach and will have to try something else now that this isn't working.

"It's now up to Ancelotti to get the best out of the team again. Maybe some of the players thought it would all go automatically. You need to go the extra mile. The coach has to acknowledge this and take action."