City are miles clear and gap will only get bigger

THOSE closest to Sir Alex Ferguson believe the great man wouldn’t have been able to handle being dominated by Manchester City.

For him and other Reds, the greatest concern is that the gap between the two Manchester clubs is set to continue growing.

Ahead of today’s derby at the Etihad, United interim boss Ralf Rangnick confesses that landing the transfer targets they need will be harder if they fail to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola’s ambition in the blue half shows no signs of abating in the final 18 months of his contract. Even if City win the Premier League for the fourth time in five years, he insists they must sign a stellar centre-forward.

Since Guardiola became head coach, City have amassed 106 more points than United in five and a half seasons. Victory today would put them 22 points ahead. They haven’t finished below their rivals since Ferguson retired in 2013.

No wonder Rangnick carries the air of a beleaguered fire fighter despite an unbeaten run of 11 games. City are odds-on to win today and defeat for United would allow Arsenal to move above them into fourth if they win at Watford.

‘Financially, everybody knows what not playing Champions League would mean. You have less money for your budget,’ accepts Rangnick. ‘It would be better for players and staff if we were there. It would also make negotiations with any new players easier.

‘City seem to be favourites for this game but I am convinced we can create moments and win. We haven’t lost an away game since I arrived but we know this will be the biggest challenge so far.’

Guardiola has beaten United six times at Old Trafford but only once at home. He has worked around not having an orthodox No9, having missed out on Harry Kane in the summer, but it is not a situation he wants to continue into next season.

‘I think the club needs a striker, definitely,’ he insists. ‘The club is going to try. If you don’t have a striker, you have to adapt and play in a completely different way.’

Guardiola doesn’t know yet if he will stick around beyond 2024 due to the demands he places on his squad. ‘I am incredibly satisfied but I have to see if my players are still comfortable working with me,’ he explains. ‘We have to see until the end of next season.’

City’s track record suggests they will transition into a post-Guardiola era much more successfully than United managed after Ferguson.