Guardiola insists that when things are going well, he’s more forceful and fervent to keep standards in camp sky high.
But when life on the pitch is challenging, as it has been of late, he believes empathy and understanding is key for his stars, who he credits with inspiring him to sign a new two-year deal.
“Now I want to be closer to the players, my hugs and arms are closer because I know they’re suffering,” he said as he addressed the media in the second part of his pre-match press conference.
“I know they’re unstable for many things, ‘oh god, how did we not win that game against Feyenoord for example, or why didn’t we score when we had the chance against Spurs and then after concede two?’
“What can I do, blame them? Absolutely not. I am here sitting and extending the contract thanks to them.
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“All the times I won at Barcelona and Bayern Munich was thanks to the players and in the good moments I have to be more aggressive to stop complacency, being relaxed, but they want to do it but we’re not finding the right way to do it.”
Guardiola also stresses he’s exactly the same manager in defeat as he is in victory.
The boss says he still has the same mindset and mentality regardless of the result.
“This too shall pass, I don’t know when but in life nothing is eternal,” he added.
“When I face this kind of situation, I think honestly in my heart, that is normal, maybe not five games or whatever, the three games in the Premier League losing, but maybe it’s more unusual to win four Premier Leagues in a row.
“At that moment, I was stable enough and happy because we did better but I wasn’t thinking different to who I am.
“I’m the same person in four Premier Leagues in a row and that situation, I have the same doubts, what to do next, be careful on this, be careful on that.”
Watch the manager’s press conference - part two - in the video player above.
