Pep Guardiola to FC Bayern Munich

[Aquavit]

German club Bayern Munich have announced that former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola will take over as their manager at the end of the season.

The 41-year-old - who had been linked with Chelsea and Manchester City - has signed a three-year contract to 2016.

Guardiola will replace current boss Jupp Heynckes, who will retire.

[link]http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/21048679[/link]

--------------------

I'm surprised not to see any threads on this yet.

[Ron Obvious]

1. Bad choice all the way around, imo

I don't particularly rate Guardiola, as I think Barcelona's success has little to do with their manager. Even Frank Rijkaard was successful there, and his managerial career elsewhere has hardly been stellar. Hell, they're doing even better now under current management than before, and they would be successful if they promoted a ball boy or tea lady to the manager position in my opinion

Bayern are known as FC Hollywood in Germany, but this really smacks of going with the flavour of the month the way Chelsea do. I don't predict this will be a happy marriage or a long one.

[Aquavit]

3. Beginning to agree quite a bit here...

Not particularly impressed with Pep so far. We didn't need Thiago, or Goetze really, and these additions will needlessly push big contributors (esp. Kroos and Schweini, but also potentially Boateng and/or Dante) to last years success to the bench. Smacking players isn't going to win the hearts and minds of the fans, and it's really not going to win over the players. I expect a slow start to the year, and FC Hollywood to return in force by the winter break.

I wouldn't be surprised -- or particularly upset either -- if this is Pep's only year at Bayern.

[Ron Obvious]

4. I'm beginning to think we might have been wrong about Pep...

Based on what I've seen the last few games. Well, good for him if it works out.

[Aquavit]

5. The biggest improver under Pep so far IMO

is Jerome Boateng. He is looking very composed so far this year, minus that last gasp straight red he took against Manchester City.

Still, Pep was gift-wrapped an astoundingly good team. If I was in charge of filling out a lineup card that included the likes of Ribery, Schweinsteiger, and Neuer and I was free to leave players like Mario Goetze on the bench, people would probably think I was a hell of a manager too!

I still don't like tiki taka, either.

[teddy007]

2. Pep

Interesting, how he would get by with German mentality...

[Aquavit]

6. Is it too soon...

to start the "Pep OUT" bandwagon?

Totally flat and uninspired performances against Arsenal and Man U, a lucky draw against Hoffenheim, and now consecutive losses to Augsburg and Dortmund. The attacking edge and insane quality that Bayern had last year seems severely lacking this year, and especially this last month. Pep and his tiki takka tactics are painfully boring and frankly wasteful with a team like Bayern. If Bayern win the treble again this year, and I'm starting to strongly doubt that'll happen, it'll be in spite of Pep and not because of him.

Pep OUT!