Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and his City counterpart Pep Guardiola are not that dissimilar, according to former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso.
The pair meet for the 17th time in their coaching careers on Saturday in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford, with Guardiola having won seven of the previous clashes and Mourinho three.
Alonso worked with Mourinho at Real Madrid, winning the Champions League with the club, before Guardiola signed him for Bayern Munich.
The Spaniard told Sky Sports: “I think they share many things, and overall they are both leaders.
“They have that charisma, that special thing, when they get in a room everyone knows the boss is there, we have to listen to him.
“They have different visions in terms of football, but in terms of leadership, they share many things, and they are into the details, into the game, and that’s why they’ve been at the top for the last few years.
“They have different personalities, and different approaches to the game, but in terms of how their ambitions, their detail, how long they spend analysing, they spent a lot of time doing this and are hard workers.
“It’s not just about your knowledge, you need to work a lot, and be self-demanding. To be demanding with your players you must be self-demanding, and they are.
Alonso has been impressed with Guardiola’s impact at City, who have matched United by winning their opening three Premier League games.
The ex-Spain international said: “People tend to think of Pep as just focusing on attacking, but I say it’s the opposite. He thinks more about defence.
“I’ve seen footage of Sergio Aguero running back, David Silva pressing, and I’m sure he’s changing that mentality and intensity at City. The intensity they’re gaining on the offensive and defensive is important.”
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