Bolton Wanderers boss Ian Evatt has cited Pep Guardiola as his “biggest influence.”
In an interview with the Telegraph, the 42-year-old gave an insight into why Guardiola has been such a role-model for him.
Ian Evatt hails Pep Guardiola as his “biggest influence”
In November, Frank Leboeuf referred to the Spanish tactician as a “legend” of the game.
After the Sky Blues beat Luton Town 2-1 on Wednesday, Jack Grealish also crowned the Catalan as the “best manager in the world.”
As Manchester City head honcho Pep Guardiola continues to be hailed by his colleagues and pundits, Ian Evatt has now delved into why he has always been inspired by him.
“Pep has been the biggest influence because, for me, he’s changed the game”, Evatt told the Telegraph.
“But it’s not about trying to recreate what Man City are, it’s about taking that information and applying it to your own team. As coaches, you’re like a magpie. You take little bits from everyone and implement that into your own ideas and philosophies. What I love about Pep is he’s constantly evolving. Every season, there’s something different because he’s always trying to get better and I think that’s the mindset you have to have.”
Pep Guardiola evolves on a match-by-match basis
Ian Evatt is especially correct about how much Pep Guardiola evolves his tactics but it is not even on a season-by-season basis but often game-by-game.
For instance, against Luton Town, the 52-year-old deployed Phil Foden as the No.10. However, it was noticeable that often, the Englishman was interchanging positions with Julian Alvarez and even Bernardo Silva.
When Guardiola has previously utilised Foden in midfield, he has never used him in such a manner.
But against the Hatters, the former Bayern Munich boss decided to do so and it worked wonders as the opposition struggled to pick him up.
In the same game, Pep Guardiola gave Jack Grealish the license to drift in centrally, with Josko Gvardiol often providing the width.
Once again, this tactic involving the pair has not been seen before this campaign but it indicates that Guardiola is constantly adapting, especially as per the opponent’s set-up, which sets him apart from the rest.
