Steering Brighton & Hove Albion to a Premier League promotion last season, and, so far, doing rather well in the top tier since, Chris Hughton is enjoying a great himself at AMEX Stadium these days.
Handed a tough opener against Manchester City, the Irish manager was unable to stop Pep Guardiola’s men from picking up the three points.
Speaking to So Foot in France, the 58-year-old admits that while he and the former Barcelona coach have the same job on paper, there are vast differences between how they have to approach it.
He said: “Guardiola is different to us, mostly because he’s always managed the crème de la crème of players, which makes talking with him fascinating. I have to adapt all the while thinking that we can’t defend for 90 minutes.
“A defensive approach leads to frustration, which leads you 100% of the time into a defeat”.
Another difference between the two is the way they act on the touchline.
The Manchester City manager is well known for his wild gesticulating during the game, trying to give instructions to players constantly, while the Brighton boss is more of a calm and collected individual.
However, this approach isn’t because he isn’t passionate about what he’s doing, it’s just the way he is.
He explained: “It’s more of a personal effort, a desire to focus on the important elements during the game, what’s happening on the pitch. I can’t waste time screaming at the fourth official, especially now that we’re in the Premier League. Each manager feels emotions in their own way, and it’s true I’m not the most emotional person.”
On top of that, it keeps him out of trouble and out of the headlines, something the Spaniard appears to be struggling with these days.
