If there is a footballing city in world football that has experienced a power shift, it is Manchester without question.
During Sir Alex Ferguson’s time in charge of United, for the most part, they were the team to beat in England.
The legendary manager spearheaded the Red Devils to 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two Champions League trophies amongst various other honours.
Even when Manchester City famously beat Manchester United to the Premier League title in 2012, Ferguson managed to ensure that the league title returned to Old Trafford a year later.
However, since his departure, things have massively changed in Manchester.
Since Roberto Mancini’s departure in 2013, Manuel Pellegrini also won the league title in 2014 before eventually being shown the door in 2016.
David Moyes makes Pep Guardiola claim about Manchester United
While Manchester City had been successful under Pellegrini while Manchester United were still struggling in the aftermath of Ferguson’s decision to depart the club, the power shift well and truly took place once Pep Guardiola started to find his feet in the blue side of Manchester.
With Guardiola’s City finishing in third place and failing to win a single piece of silverware during his debut season, perhaps there were suspicions over whether he could dominate England like did in Spain and Germany.
However, the £378.846-a-week man has put any potential doubts about his adaptability to English football to bed ever since, as he is set to enter his ninth season as Manchester City boss.
The Catalan made history by managing the first team in English top-flight history to win four league titles in a row last season and next season, Darren Ambrose has fancied the Sky Blues to win the league again.
Such has been the former Bayern Munich boss’ dominance that Ambrose claimed that he will never doubt this City side’s title credentials, no matter the circumstances at play.
David Moyes, who managed Manchester United feels Manchester City and Pep Guardiola are his former club’s “biggest problem” due to how much they have overshadowed them due to their resounding success.
The former West Ham United boss told the Up Front podcast: “Those [Manchester United] players themselves will know that if they reach the standards as well, whether the manager was in or not but overall, Manchester United’s biggest problem will not be their manager or their players at the moment. Manchester United’s biggest problem is Manchester City and Pep [Guardiola].”
Until Pep Guardiola is at Man City, Man United might remain in their shadow
As David Moyes implied, Pep Guardiola and his Manchester City machine could continue to dominate the footballing landscape in England, which will be a worry for Manchester United.
United will be intending to return to the top but unfortunately for them, their local rivals are seemingly unstoppable under Guardiola.
While Sir Alex Ferguson’s legacy is set in stone around world football, the Sky Blues boss is setting new records at City season after season.
With how amazingly run Manchester City are run as a club and the genius of Pep Guardiola to execute their vision, Manchester United might have to wait for him to leave before trying to become the kings of their city again.
