Robben pegs Pep to prosper in Premier League
Bayern Munich purveyor of pace Arjen Robben has backed current manager Pep Guardiola to excel in the Premier League season at the helm of Manchester City.
With reports suggesting that Guardiola will have a war chest at his disposal to bolster an aging squad upon his arrival, expectations are that the former Barcelona boss will be able to help City bounce back from a below-par 2015-16 campaign.
Cash rich or not, Netherlands international and Bayern veteran Robben concedes that Guardiola will alter the script at the Etihad with tactics and transfers.
"Definitely he will put his philosophy on the team," Robben told The Mail Online.
"The way he thinks about football, how football has to be played, that's what he wants to bring to Manchester. So it's going to be interesting with the squad he has now and what players are coming in and it will be a curious project to follow."
Poised to capture his third successive Bundesliga title in three years in charge of the Bavarian giants following a decorated spell with the Catalans, Robben reckons the former defensive mid-cum-manager will also succeed in England's top-flight.
"Overall it is just a great experience to work with him because with him, it's football 24-7," Robben offered.
"He thinks constantly about how to make the team better and how to improve players."
In the spirit of former Barcelona standout and proponent of Total Football, Johan Cruyff, Robben thinks Guardiola's positional flexibility will pay dividends at City.
"He'll get some players to play in a different position not just because he thinks that better for the team but also because he thinks the qualities of the player can be used better.
"These little changes are quite interesting; this flexibility. Normally I played on the wing but under him I've played in midfield, I've played behind the striker, I've played as a striker on the right side."
With eight matches left in the German top flight and a five-point lead on second-place Borussia Dortmund, Guardiola appears set to capture another league title, though a continental conquest has escaped him during his tenure with the Bavarians.
Looking to halve his total of two Champions League titles with the Catalans, Guardiola and his lot face a straightforward two-legged fixture with Benfica with a semi-finals berth seemingly in the cards.
With or without Champions League success at Bayern, Robben is certain his manager will succeed at Manchester City because he demands the most from his squad.
"He's always challenging the team. He talks a lot about football and tactics and you have to go with him and have to start thinking yourself and constantly think about what you're doing on the pitch."