Guardiola will play to his strengths - but his leaders on pitch must step up

PEP Guardiola knows that he can be intense and demanding of his players.

- By SIMON BAJKOWSKI

It why he gives them more time off than most coaches do in similar circumstances, happy for them to have as many breaks as possible as long as they give 100 per cent when they are around him.

Being on the wrong end of some famous duels with big personalities - Jose Mourinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic spring to mind - has given the City manager an unfair reputation though for being more of a nerdy coach than a strong leader of men.

In reality, any look behind the scenes of City's triumphs will show that the personal touch is one of Guardiola's biggest strengths.

A man who relies on expected goals as a central pillar of his strategy also leaves it to the experience of the players.