Tittle-Tackle #4

In the wake of Josh's assertion that Ancelotti will be the manager of the season, Jonathan Northcroft reports on the Italian's attitude to life and to football:

But he is relaxed, without airs, ready with the dry-witted quip. A farmer must be stoical and he is even-tempered in the dressing room. “I won’t shout, I will explain,” he says when asked what he does when unhappy with a performance. “I want to have a discussion with my players. I don’t want to impose upon them. I want to propose to them. Treat them like men. I never want to control the private life of my players. Never. When I played, a coach controlled my private life. He said when I played, when I had to stay at home. In the relationship he was above me. I didn’t like it very much.

"Now, as a coach, I want to have a relationship with my players that is on the same level. I have kids and as a father I’m the same. I have my character and I want to stay with my character when dealing with people. I want to be true.”