Pep Guardiola is set to leave Manchester City at the end of the season and his departure could lead to a period of transition at the Etihad.
Michael Carrick
Michael Carrick's latest Manchester United reign started with a win against Pep Guardiola
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There is a certain irony that, in the week Pep Guardiola prepares to pack up his belongings and leave the Etihad, Manchester United are in the process of confirming another permanent head coach.
If Guardiola has offered trophy-winning stability to Manchester City for a decade, across town, United have been in a constant state of flux, lurching from one grand plan to another in an attempt to crack the code.
Guardiola's 10 years at City ushered in an era of dominance in Manchester, if not necessarily always on derby day, then certainly over the course of a 38-game season. There were memorable days for United, none more so than the FA Cup final of 2024, but dethroning City was always too big a challenge.
It wasn't impossible to beat them to a title, as Liverpool and, probably, Arsenal have proved, but it took years of toil and your decision-making around managers and recruitment had to be faultless. That isn't a description that sits comfortably with events at Old Trafford in recent years.
United were never resting on their laurels and shrugging their shoulders, but in recent years it has been clear that they had to put the club back on a footing to challenge in time for Guardiola's departure, which has been edging closer and now appears certain to happen at the end of this season.
He could have left at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, when United had just finished 15th, and that would have been worse in a way. Guardiola has built a squad of enviable depth at the Etihad and his successor has plenty of talent to pick from, but this isn't the title-winning machine of the late 2010s and early 2020s, and any changing of the guard comes with a degree of uncertainty.
The quality in the squad should avoid the kind of scenario United had in 2013, while Enzo Maresca is a more sensible continuity appointment than David Moyes. But there will be no guarantees that City will be as good next season. There will be an emotional toll with Guardiola's departure.
And now United will feel they are in a position to capitalise on that. They have already secured third in the Premier League and could yet finish as close to City in the table as at any point since Guardiola's first season in charge. If both teams win their remaining games, the gap will be 12 points, but it was 29 points last year and 31 the year before that.
United will hope that this time they are on to a winner in the dugout, but also that the head coach will have an easier time of it now that the structure is in place to support them. That structure has leaned heavily on the success at City, with chief executive Omar Berrada poached directly from the Etihad and director of football Jason Wilcox arriving via Southampton. There have been other recent hires who have swapped City for United as well.
So far, Michael Carrick has delivered a compelling case to suggest he has what it takes to bring success back to Old Trafford and to build on a third-place finish. Eleven wins from his 16 games in charge is an excellent record and one that began against Guardiola.
The former midfielder was the sixth different United boss that Guardiola had come up against during his time at City and he will end with the distinction of holding a winning record against him, even if that is just based on one game.
Having seen recruitment go well in the summer of 2025, United have another big window ahead of them as they look to overhaul their midfield. Getting the replacement for Casemiro right is vital, but if they manage that, there is reason to believe there can be good times ahead.
Winning the league within the next couple of years remains the target, with Project 150 still very much on the agenda at Old Trafford, which would mark the club's 150th anniversary with a league title in 2028. That should be more achievable with Guardiola no longer in charge at City.
Arsenal will require catching as well, but City have been a trophy-winning machine under Guardiola, having accumulated three FA Cups and four Carabao Cups. Maintaining that under Maresca will be difficult and it might lead to more opportunities for silverware for others.
United will now feel they can be in the shake-up for trophies. If there is any drop-off at City after Guardiola's departure, they had to put themselves in a position to make the most of it. They might have done that just in time.