Manchester United must leave Erik ten Hag alone if they want to return to the top believes Pep Guardiola, as the Manchester City boss warned his cross-city rivals that the Blues are not going anywhere.
For decades, City had to watch as United dominated the Premier League and enjoyed success in Europe under Sir Alex Ferguson. But since City’s 2008 takeover and Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, it has been the Blues who have been number one in English football – and they equalled United’s historic 1999 treble last season as they won their first Champions League trophy.
Ten Hag is the latest United manager tasked with returning them to challenging for titles, with a protracted takeover saga rumbling on in the background the cause for dissatisfaction among the impatient fanbase. Assessing why United’s levels have dropped slightly this season from last term, Guardiola offered some advice to the decision-makers at Old Trafford before Sunday’s derby: Give Ten Hag time.
“Nine years. It takes time,” he said, pointing to his own tenure at City up until the end of his current contract in 2025. “United are able to win five or six games in a row and if they do that they will be on top. Leave the manager to the job, like I was allowed to in my first season when we didn’t win.
“We had 10 or 11 players over 30 so we had to bring energy and quality and invested, like all the teams invest. They supported me and this is the same. Give time to the managers and they will do it.”
Guardiola feels that even if United returned to the top table, they wouldn’t dominate like they did under Ferguson, but suggested their best chance will be to get their organisation right off the field to spark a resurgence on it.
“Maybe not [dominate in future] in the way that Sir Alex Ferguson controlled in there because then there were two or three teams and now there are more, with a lot of incredible managers,” he said. “Maybe not in that way, but if they take good decisions with the hierarchy, the sporting director, the managers and players in the same ideas, come on.
“Manchester United are still on highlights all day. That is the reputation and prestige they have. They just need to click the right decisions and they will be there.”
While Guardiola was offering some friendly advice to United, he also insisted City have no intention of stepping aside and allowing their rivals to win titles ahead of them.
When it was put to him that Sir Alex Ferguson once said City would never be United’s rivals, Guardiola agreed. “He was right. City did not challenge them, we were in the middle,” he said. “But after that, without the presence of Sheikh Mansour, Khaldoon [Al Mubarak] and the takeover to make investment when United and Arsenal were the richest ones, Sir Alex Ferguson could not expect what would happen. I couldn’t in Barcelona. Now we want to stay as long as possible.
“Maybe it is uncomfortable because we weren’t in the elite and now we are so maybe many things are uncomfortable but we are there and we want to be there in the future.
“I don’t know United because I’m not there but the way we played is there, not just the results. Imagine from now on winning five of the six Premier Leagues. Chapeau for the whole organisation and we will try to do it again and again.
“What we have done is so difficult and maintaining it is even more difficult but you can drop like that into the middle of the table when you believe you are something you are not. What we have done is clear.”
