Shaun Wright-Phillips has outlined the key difference between Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho, making it clear why the Manchester City boss is streets ahead today.
Pep Guardiola has just come off the back of winning his second treble in management and Manchester City could still do the unprecedented and win it in successive seasons this year.
Jose Mourinho does have a treble to his name, too, but that was in 2010 and his career trajectory has plummeted in recent years while Guardiola remains at the top.
The former Manchester United boss was recently sacked by Roma and is currently out of work.
Shaun Wright-Phillips has explained the big difference between the two that has allowed Guardiola to pull streets ahead of his old foe.
The big difference between Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho
Speaking toSuper Sport, Wright-Phillips said: “Mourinho had his way and it is still his way today.
“Whereas Pep has not only evolved football, next year he will have something completely different.
“He is always improving with the game and keeping the game chasing him. Or other people chasing him.
“When he first came, City used to get hit in transition all the time. Sorts that out.
“Now all of a sudden he’s got everyone playing with right-backs that now play centre-midfield. That was his thing the year before last.
“Now, for us, it’s the centre-back that comes out from the centre and plays midfield. He always finds a way to solve a situation where they have total control over a game of football.
“It’s very rarely that they don’t have majority of the possession, like at the Anfield game, which is a hard place to go for anybody. We had our spells but once Liverpool got on top they made it hard.
“But one thing he never changed was what Man City wanted to do.
“They still tried to play out from the back. That centre-back still tried to step forward into those gaps and create an overload in the midfield area.
“For me, Pep always evolves with football but I think Mourinho’s way is Mourinho’s way.”
The great Guardiola vs Mourinho rivalry
Mourinho’s stock may have fallen now but the great rivalry with Guardiola will forever be remembered.
The two managers were embroiled in a fierce grudge which started when Mourinho was at Inter, with his side controversially knocking Barcelona out of the Champions League on their way to victory in 2010.
It heated up further when Mourinho then became manager of Real Madrid, with Guardiola’s great side famously beating him 5-0 in his first El Classico.
They battled it out in La Liga for two seasons, with each winning the title and both getting big victories over the other.
The battle was put on hold for a couple of seasons but reignited when Guardiola joined City and Mourinho returned to the Premier League.
Mourinho actually had a very good record against City, beating them four times while in charge of United and Tottenham, but it’s Guardiola who has clearly won the war.
Of their 25 meetings, the Blues boss has won 12 and drawn six.