As pre-season favourites, Manchester City faced the league leaders, Chelsea, it is imperative to look at how their managers have shaped these teams. Both the managers are into their first season at the helm of a Premier League club. They both came in with huge expectations on the back of domestic success achieved by their previous clubs. Both were great players in their heydey, an integral of their respective club and country eleven. Despite having multiple similarities, there is one particular difference between them that is hard to ignore, their Style of play. Despite the fact that both were defensive midfielders, their styles of play were contrasting, to say the least. While Conte relied on his hard work and his defensive nous to succeed, Guardiola was the elegant passer that got the attack going. Let us have a look at how their playing style affects their coaching style:
Antonio Conte: Defense first, then attack
Conte is a diligent learner of the game. The retired defensive midfielder’s biggest asset was his work rate. He was not the most gifted but he made the most of whatever talents he had been bestowed with. Conte’s willingness to adopt various formation throughout his managerial career has made him stand out among his peers. He values hard work, athleticism and tactical versatility from his players.
Managerial Beginnings
Conte started out in the lower leagues of Italian football before being appointed by Juventus as their Head coach in 2011. He won the league title in his first season in charge and defended it successfully for the next three years. His most favoured formation is 3-5-2. This formation leads to on overload of players in every area of the pitch if implemented properly. Conte used Chiellini, Barzagli and Bonucci as his three centre-backs during his time at Juventus. These three went from good centre backs to being one of the best at what they do. Conte has always instructed his players to defend as a unit and press the opposition.
Guardiola does not expect but demands hard work from his players
Conte’s Current Tactical Setup
At Chelsea, Conte started out with the 4-1-4-1 formation but got handed heavy losses by Arsenal and Liverpool. He realised that the Premier League’s combative nature deserves more respect. He changed to his trusted 3-5-2 which did wonders to the careers of Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso. They are the most important parts of this formation as they contribute defensively as well as offensively to the game. Playing in the back three also allowed David Luiz to make the most use of his ball playing abilities and at the same time, there was a cover for his defensive lapses. The formation also allowed Eden Hazard to play more freely as his defensive contribution was minimised. This little tactical switch from Conte leads his team to the top of the table.
Pep Guardiola: Attack is the best form of defence
Guardiola learned his trade under the stewardship of late great Johann Cruyff. The midfielder’s class was on the show every time the ball rolled to his feet. He was the metronome of Cruyff’s much-lauded dream team. He has achieved unprecedented success in Spain with his Barcelona being lauded as the best ever. Pep Guardiola refined his mentor’s philosophy of “Total Football” at his all-conquering Barca side. His time wasn’t considered as successful but winning three league titles in a row isn’t too shabby at all.
Guardiola demands perfection from his players
Managerial Beginnings
Guardiola stepped into management with a star-studded Barcelona side. He made some tough calls by moving on players such as Deco and Ronaldinho who were in the twilight of their careers. His midfield at Barcelona comprised of Xavi, Iniesta and Sergio Busquets, each of them a master at the role they performed. Guardiola promoted La Masia youngsters into the first team picture. Most notable names were of Sergio Busquets, Pedro and Messi. He generally played with a 4-3-3 formation which transitioned into 3-4-3 sometimes with Busquets dropping in between the centre-halves. Such was his team’s fluidity that their pre-match formation didn’t really matter. He applied similar tactics in his time with Bayern Munich.
Guardiola’s Current Tactical Setup
Guardiola started off with a 4-3-2-1 system. The holes in his system appeared when individual concentration lapses lead to team conceding soft goals. Guardiola’s style of play does not offer his defenders much protection. He tried to use Aleksander Kolarov as a make-shift defensive midfielder but things didn’t work out for the full back. More recently Guardiola’s blunder in the second leg of the tie against Monaco was there for all to see. He went to combat attack with attack despite having a two-goal advantage. His front five have the ability to tear any defence apart but at the same time, they are always vulnerable to being torn apart themselves. He must realise that his Manchester City defenders and midfielders are not at the same level as the ones he had at his previous clubs. This has led to multiple cracks in the tried and tested formula.
Conte and Guardiola, both have stellar CVs and are among the top managers in the world. But the fact remains that Conte got to grips with Premier League management before Guardiola which is why currently Conte’s Defensive style is trumping Guardiola’s Offensive style.
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