"We're in a results-driven industry" - Sir Alex on Man Utd's standards amid Pep Guardiola's struggles at Man City

Sir Alex Ferguson once perfectly explained how he was able to keep Manchester United on top of English football for almost 27 years amid Pep Guardiola's current problems at Manchester City. The Spaniard is coming under fire amid the Cityzens' remarkably poor form.

City have won just one of their last 10 matches in all competitions and Guardiola has looked lost for ideas. A 2-0 loss to Juventus midweek leaves them 22nd in the UEFA Champions League standings. His fourth-placed City host United on Sunday, eight points above the Red Devils despite the latter making the worst start to a Premier League campaign in their history.

Guardiola and Ferguson are often debated as the two greatest managers in football history. The Spaniard is the only coach to win two trebles at two different clubs (City and Barcelona). He also became the first manager to steer a club to four titles in a row last season.

However, Ferguson's longevity was astounding as he took United to the top of English football and kept them there. He won 38 major trophies including 13 Premier League titles, the last coming in his final season at Old Trafford.

Sir Alex Ferguson on his winning mentality and its what separates him from Pep Guardiola

Ferguson once gave a fascinating analysis of his managerial career and the state of coaching in the modern era. The Scot highlighted using youth to help continuously adapt to the times, something Guardiola has failed to do with Rodri sidelined and other areas of his team vulnerable.

The iconic former Manchester United manager told Harvard Business Review in 2013:

“When I arrived, only one player on the first team was under 24. Can you imagine that, for a club like Manchester United? I knew that a focus on youth would fit the club’s history, and my earlier coaching experience told me that winning with young players could be done and that I was good at working with them. So I had the confidence and conviction that if United was going to mean anything again, rebuilding the youth structure was crucial. You could say it was brave, but fortune favours the brave."

Ruben Amorim is United's current manager and will face Guardiola for the second time this season on Sunday in the Manchester derby. The Portuguese oversaw a 4-1 win over City with Sporting CP in the Champions League before heading to Old Trafford in November.

Ferguson touched on the expectations of a new coach and how results mean everything in today's game:

"The first thought of 99% of newly appointed managers is to make sure they win—to survive. So they bring experienced players in. That’s simply because we’re in a results-driven industry. At some clubs, you need only to lose three games in a row, and you’re fired. In today’s football world, with a new breed of directors and owners, I am not sure any club would have the patience to wait for a manager to build a team over a four-year period."

Where Ferguson's assessment can be used to tackle Guardiola's issues at present is when he explains the need to build a club using youth for the long run:

"Winning a game is only a short-term gain—you can lose the next game. Building a club brings stability and consistency. You don’t ever want to take your eyes off the first team, but our youth development efforts ended up leading to our many successes in the 1990s and early 2000s. The young players really became the spirit of the club.”

It's an interesting delve into Sir Alex's vision and how he became the most succesful manager in British football. It's also somewhat of an eye-opener for Guardiola to reflect on where it's going wrong for City at the moment. Their squad is plagued by aging stars who may have been world class but are past their best.

Ferguson knew when to overhaul his squad and did so regularly with the emergence of youth. He also never lost four games in a row during his career and it wouldn't be fathomable for his United team to be in the situation their arch-rivals find themselves in.