Manchester City have outshone Manchester United in recent years but manager Pep Guardiola believes his team are still a decade away from closing the gap on their bitter rivals.
There has been a momentum shift in Manchester since City were purchased by the Abu Dhabi United Group, with the club claiming six major honours since 2011, including Premier League titles in 2012 and 2014.
City’s fortunes have been in contrast to United, who have not won the Premier League since Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013 – failing to qualify for the Champions League on two occasions.
However, Guardiola – whose City are third in the table and seven points adrift of leaders Chelsea with United sixth – feels the blue of Manchester must consistently compete in the Champions League if they are to catch their historic rivals at Old Trafford.
“Tactics are so important because everybody has to know what they have to do on the pitch. The relationships and behaviours off the pitch between team-mates have to be as good as possible,”
Guardiola said in an edited extract from an interview with NBC Sports.
“Everything is important: your life, your private life, your relationship with the media. And especially we are going to try to convince this amazing club that they are good. They are good. And the fans as well; the fans have to believe they are good, the club are good, the players are good.
“We don’t have the history, the shirt of Barcelona, Madrid, Juventus, Bayern Munich or Manchester United, their titles.
“To be in Europe – we have to try over the next decade to be there every year. That is the most important for the club, more than winning one title, believe me.”
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