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| *Pep with Frank:AP |
Munich:
This could be the first Champions League campaign to bear fruit following one
man's strolls through the Strawberry Fields of the Big Apple. Pep Guardiola has
returned to Europe refreshed from his sabbatical in New
York, a period spent wandering through Central
Park, enjoying family life and also plotting how to make the best
better.
When Guardiola took over Bayern Munich, many sceptics
pondered how he could improve on the work of the revered Jupp Heynckes, who
coached Philipp Lahm and company to the treble of Bundesliga, German Cup and
Champions League. Beat that, Pep.
Guardiola accepted the challenge. A serial success during
his Barcelona
days, the Spaniard was not fazed by his inheritance. Still only 43, Guardiola
has wanted this chance to imprint his philosophy on another team. Absence made
the heart grow stronger, the mind more focused.
"I've lived," Guardiola reflected of his time out.
"I'm a different person. I have more experience now. It doesn't matter
whether it is good or bad experience. With experience, you can be a bit more
brave with the way you work as a manager. I am a different manager now. More
brave."
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That was quite a statement from the casually dressed man
talking at the Allianz Arena in Munich
on Monday in advance of Arsenal's visit on Tuesday.
Guardiola's Barcelona
sides were "brave", passing, moving, scoring, not really worrying
about defending. Guardiola instilled some of those pressing and possession
qualities into the triumphant, often counter-attacking side bequeathed by
Heynckes.
Since reimmersing himself in European football, Guardiola
has responded by setting records. Bayern are 20 points clear of second-placed
Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. Arsenal can take comfort from the fact
that Bayern went behind at Wolfsburg on Saturday, but they then scored six,
including five in 17 minutes, a 16th league win on the spin breaking their own
mark set in 2005. Across Europe's five leading leagues, only Barcelona have managed a longer goalscoring
run (64 in 2012-13) than Bayern's current 60. If Bayern avoid defeat at home
against Bayer Leverkusen at the weekend, they will have notched up a
half-century unbeaten record in the Bundesliga; of Europe's top divisions, only
AC Milan have managed a longer run (58 games from 1991 to 1993).
These are serious numbers Guardiola and Bayern are
crunching. Built into a machine by Heynckes, Bayern have accelerated under
Guardiola. There is more fluidity and variety to their football, more intense
pressing higher up the pitch, a greater range of goals. "The way we are
playing has changed a little bit [under Guardiola]," Thomas Muller said.
"We play more in the opposition half, now we have the
ball in the middle rather than on the wing. Guardiola does not compromise. He
wants to win. He inspires the team."
Take the thrashing of Wolfsburg.
There were crosses from Arjen Robben leading to goals for the likes of Franck
Ribery. There were passes bent with the outside of the right foot from Muller
to Mario Mandzukic to score. The Croatian has already reached his best season's
tally for the club (18) and he will be replaced by Robert Lewandowski next
season. Europe should be very afraid.
Blessed with so much, Bayern have so much more to come. They
have the world's best goalkeeper in Manuel Neuer, probably the world's best
left-back, right-back and holding midfielder in Lahm. They have strength in
depth in midfield in Javi Martinez, Mario Gotze, Thiago Alcantara, Bastian
Schweinsteiger, Muller and Toni Kroos.
They are two away goals to the good against Arsenal. The
stats alone tell an unequivocal tale: so far this European season, and noting
Arsenal's love of the ball, Guardiola's men have managed 5531 passes to the
4456 of Wenger's players, outscored them 19-8, had more possession (65 per cent
to 50 per cent), more attempts on target (96-38), hit the woodwork seven times
to Arsenal's once and had 51 corners to Arsenal's 21. Arsenal need a miracle at
the Allianz. They won here 2-0 last year but it was a victory that went under
the label "Pyrrhic", as they went out on away goals. What Bayern also
have is a head coach seeking to redefine football, pushing back the boundaries,
and amassing more trophies. Guardiola spoke for almost 30 minutes on Monday and
the recurring theme for the game with Arsenal was "we have to win".
He smiled occasionally but that intense desire to progress in the Champions
League underpinned every word.
"We have to attack. We have to win this game. We have
to play with the mentality that we will win this game. Arsenal are a very good
team, when they have possession, they have very good players, Mesut O–zil,
Santi Cazorla and Mikel Arteta, a lot of quality in midfield. We saw what
happened until the penalty O–zil missed, a time when the opponent was better
against us. It's small details. If O–zil had scored that penalty, it would have
been 1-0, a totally different situation."
Perhaps to dispel any complacency, Guardiola praised Arsenal
non-stop. There has always been a suspicion with Guardiola that at some point
in his career he would fancy life in London.
Arsenal would be ideal, having the right financial model, the appreciation of
youth, and a certain style on and off the pitch. Taken in such context,
Guardiola's compliments about Arsenal carried additional significance, albeit
acknowledging neither he nor Wenger will move for some time.
"He's one of the best managers in the world,"
Guardiola said of Wenger. "Arsenal has always been in the Champions League
for many, many years. They buy very good players. He worked a lot with young
players and they always get better and better. They built a new stadium and
that's not easy, it's expensive.
"They also sell their most important players to Barcelona, or to another
club, but we can't deny Ozil is a good player. I do not want to see O–zil
control the game. We have to win. We train, train, train, play in the rain and
the wind and we win.
"I'm incredibly proud of my players. We are maybe the
best team in the world."
Maybe. Guardiola just wants Bayern to prove it every game.
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