Ibra is from the last generation of footballers though, and was always an extreme example. He has probably one of the toughest personalities in the game, and it was one of the best attributes he brought to the club. I genuinely think there is a correlation between when he left the club (last March), and when things seemingly started to unravel. Ibra was the strongest link between the squad and Jose's ethos.
I don't think it comes as a surprise that old-school, hardline man-management is no longer able to yield the success and respect it once did. You can still have intensity (Pep), but when it comes to handling players egos, it does appear a softer approach gets the most success. This may have to do with how international the game is - the former approach is less likely to translate throughout an entire squad than a softer, more inclusive one.
That said, when Jose first came to the EPL, I always got the impression he was one of the first managers to really embrace this. He seems to have changed tact massively since being at Madrid.
That said, I do think there is still a place for a more traditional managerial approach, just not necessarily amongst the game's biggest clubs right now. Jose has always embraced the underdog spirit, and had incredible success at teams punching above their weight. I wonder if this would be a move he would consider after his stint with us.