Life after Pep Guardiola: Can Manchester City dodge the United trap?
As Manchester City enter the final year of Pep Guardiola’s current contract, the spectre of ‘life after Pep’ looms larger than ever.
Guardiola has overseen City’s most successful era, but the 55-year-old’s time at the Etihad Stadium is drawing to a close.
Across town, the cautionary tale of Manchester United’s post-2013 decline serves as a blueprint for what not to do when a legendary figure departs.
Manchester United’s first mistake was allowing Sir Alex Ferguson to hand-pick his successor, David Moyes.
City must resist any urge to let Guardiola do the same. Reports suggest they are already taking a more analytical approach.
Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and new sporting director Hugo Viana are already drawing up a list of potential replacements, including Enzo Maresca, who served as Guardiola’s assistant during the 2022-23 treble-winning season.
United’s immediate dismantling of Ferguson’s backroom staff also contributed to their decline, as Moyes brought in his own team and severed the institutional memory of a winning culture.
City have already begun mitigating this risk by bringing in Hugo Viana from Sporting CP well in advance of Guardiola’s potential exit, ensuring the administrative and recruitment structures remain stable regardless of who is in the dugout.
In the 13 years since Ferguson, United have cycled through the pragmatism of Mourinho, the “DNA” focus of Solskjaer, and the tactical rigidity of Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim.
This has resulted in an identity crisis and around £1.5 billion in scattergun transfer spending. For City, the lesson is clear: the system must outlive the man.
As Guardiola enters what many believe is his “Last Dance” in 2026/27, the City hierarchy know that replacing someone of his quality is virtually impossible.
However, by prioritising structural stability over individual personality—a lesson learned from the past 13 years of underperformance at Old Trafford—they can ensure the “Blue Moon” does not fade into the same darkness that engulfed their neighbours.