How do you make a winning team even better? The answer is simple: hire a certain coach named Pep Guardiola and all would be well? Well, to a certain extent that's what Bayern has done and this simple formular seems to be working well.
After winning the treble in 2012/13, the question of how do we get better and not experience a downward spiral from here might have played heavily on the minds of Bayern Munich directors. And from a historical perspective it is a genuine concern. The Manchester United team of 99 that stunned Bayern in the final of the CL never taste any European glory until 10years, though they remained strong domestically.
Mourinho's treble winners also defeated Bayern Munich in the CL final to cap a memorable season. But then that was the last we have heard of that team, even domestically Inter is not the team to beat! Such has been the cruel consequences of unprecedented success, some of them resulting in unprecedented lows for the once revered team. Barcelona almost experience a similar decline after Franck Rikjard had revive the fortune of the team 3years earlier winning the la liga back to back until things seems to go down the 3rd season. In came Pep Guardiola and in 4years 14 trophies have been added to the Nou camp trophies room! And so when Bayern decided to avoid such fate befallen them they too like Barcelona turned to Pep. But this Pep is much more experienced, rested, recharged and re-vitalise after taking a one year sabbatical from the game. A little 'pep up' here and there, Bayern looks like a team set to repeat the heroics of winning the treble again just like they did in 2012/13. The score card looks impressive: 7 points ahead of Bayern Leverkusen in the league and 12 points ahead of their bitter rivals, Dortmund, Bayern looks like winning the league and also on course to do so in the CL.
Kudos to Pep for a job well done! But the credit not only belongs to him but his players who have applied themselves to Pep's vision of the game. Their performance has made Pep times and again during the course wax lyrical over his players: 'I love Ribery...Lahm is the best player i have ever coached..am in awe of Robben'. The players have performed admirably over the course of the season and in this article we will look at their top performing players during the course of the season so far.
RIBERY... Ronaldo may win the baloon dor but if their is any player who deserves the award more than any other, it is Ribery. He has continued this season where he stopped last season, in 11 matches he has scored 6 times assisting 7! In every match he has played Ribery has either scored a goal or assisted one! He is that decisive! Add to that 2.7 key passes and average of 6 dribbles completed per game and you will understand why Bayern are so unplayable this season.
MANDUKZIC... Has already scored 10 goals this season, he scored 15 last season. At his current strike ratio he should hit up to 20 this season. His 10 goals account for 24% of goals Bayern has scored this season!
MUELLER... His doing well in his new role under Pep as a false nine. 7 goals and 6 assists represents a decent return in 13games. Like Ribery he has been decisive in every game he has played in contributing either a goal or an assist!
LAHM... The best player Pep has ever coached and maybe rightly so. Its hard to hear a left or right back been converted to a holding midfielder. Lahm has made the transition without much fuss. And against Man.City in the CL at the Etihad he showed the world why Pep said he was the best player he has ever coached. Against Yaya Toure he controlled the midfield outpassing and outbattling the ivorian. His average passes completed per match this season reads 80.7 passes per game completed at 92% success rate! Upfront he has contributed 3 assists and the season can only get better!
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