Pep: City won't have United-like collapse if I leave

Pep Guardiola has said there will not be a Manchester United-style collapse at Manchester City if he decides to quit as manager in the summer.

United haven’t won the Premier League title since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down in 2013. City have won it in six of the last seven years and Guardiola is adamant the club will continue winning even after he leaves the Etihad Stadium.

“I don’t know what happened [at United],”Guardiola said.

“It will be a bad sign for the club if after just one person leaves and everything is dragged down. Maybe they will make mistakes, but during the mistakes they will solve it.

“Then the mistakes will be solved immediately, that is for sure. The guys know exactly what they have to do.”

Guardiola is under contract until the end of the season and has so far refused to be drawn on whether he will extend his deal.

Sources have told ESPN that City expect a decision between the November international break and the new year, although they have been conscious of not putting pressure on the 53-year-old to make up his mind.

Director of football Txiki Begiristain has already told the club he will leave at the end of the season and will be replaced by Hugo Viana from Sporting Lisbon.

“They [the club] will be patient, calm and know what they have to do,” Guardiola said.

“Absolutely, I don’t have doubts about that. With Txiki for 12 years and my case, it is normal that it looks like we cannot leave, but of course we can move on. Life moves on. The earth continues to go round.

“The club is well run and the structure is good. Solid clubs don’t depend on one figure or another. When the club is strong it doesn’t matter. Otherwise it would not be good.”