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Gundogan plays down importance of Guardiola 'five-second rule' at Man City

The Catalan is famed for an approach which places plenty of emphasis on winning the ball back quickly, but his players are allowed to adapt the method

Pep Guardiola does not force his beliefs upon the players at Manchester City, according to Ilkay Gundogan.

Throughout a distinguished coaching career, the Catalan has placed plenty of emphasis on an approach that he considers to deliver the greatest rewards.

At Barcelona, his 'tiki-taka' methods won a host of admirers as silverware was secured on a regular basis.

A similar system brought further success at Bayern Munich, with Guardiola looking for his teams to press high and play their way through opponents.