Mindset of managers key in the pursuit of glory, says David James

David James believes the mindset of rival managers Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp is key to their respective bids for multiple major honours this season.

Manchester City hold a one-point advantage over Liverpool in the race for the Premier League title after last Sunday’s crunch clash ended 2-2 at the Etihad Stadium.

The two clubs meet again on Saturday in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley and remain on course for a Champions League final showdown in Paris next month.

Liverpool won the League Cup in February and former Reds goalkeeper James, who also spent more than two years at City, told the PA news agency: “It’s almost unprecedented what we’re looking at this season with regards to City’s treble or Liverpool’s quadruple.

“It’s easy to say they can’t do it because the chances are you’d be right, but I think with Jurgen it all depends on how he’s framing it with his team.

“If they are desperately looking for a quadruple, one result could upset that and possibly anything else going after that.

“So I think Jurgen won’t even be thinking about it as a realistic proposition, but if they win every game they get the quadruple, simple as that.”

Liverpool came through their Champions League quarter-final against Benfica after resting key players in the second leg, while City could be without Kevin De Bruyne and Kyle Walker at Wembley.

Both hobbled out of a bruising goalless draw in the return leg of their last-eight clash in Madrid against Atletico.

James, working as a UEFA technical observer at the Wanda Metropolitan Stadium on Wednesday night, said: “City had to go strong because they weren’t guaranteed to be through and Atleti were always going to play differently from the first leg.

“If City are forced to make big changes