ANSWERS

Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola has always been a manager who has built a team wherever he went. He never ran away from his principles. People said that Pep could not play his way in England but the last 4 years would say otherwise. There has been a lot of comparison between Pep and Mourinho, as managers they may be comparable, but as ‘coaches’ Pep is seen as being light years ahead.

Pep is someone who wants football to be played in a proper way and he always prefer attacking football. Pep is brave. He always wants to win and he will stick to his principles even if he doesn't get results. Pep has won a lot of trophies in his career but trophies are not his main priority. The way he makes a team play is what makes him a better coach than Jose.

Pep can also be described as a teacher. Think about players who improved under Pep at City. Otamendi, Stones, Delph, Fernandinho, Sterling, Sane, De Bruyne and many others have all improved under Guardiola. That's what makes him a better manager. If players go to training thinking that they will learn something that will make them better, you already know that the manager must be world class.


Eddie Jones

Jones is impatient with tedium – as it warns him not to become boring. He constantly adapts training sessions so that players feel that things are different, whilst developing the same skills all along.

He is a former school principal; a natural teacher will change metaphors to bring home a point. “It’s like giving them a meat pie one day with tomato sauce,” he explains, “and the next day you give it with barbecue sauce.” I’m a big fan of using surprise as a way of keeping people alert and on their game.

Players always know where they stand with Eddie and although he has a reputation for his direct style, he’s a big fan of continual feedback. The players really value the honesty and openness this creates, as they always know what they need to work on and what he expects from them, even if it is not what they want to hear;.

When Eddie Jones talks about team culture he starts by ensuring that the values are right for the ambition of the squad. If they are, then he says it’s important to make sure everyone lives and breathes them. From these values he says that good behaviours will grow.

What Eddie does brilliantly is that he continually monitors these behaviours, rewarding good behaviour and punishing bad. This way he reinforces how he wants people to show up and operate. Creative culture is all about behaviour and the best cultures are always rewarding and recognising them.