Man City must heed dire Manchester United warning when looking for Pep Guardiola successor

Manchester City's second-half mauling of Manchester United on Sunday was hilarious from a sky blue perspective, the gulf in class a microcosm of the divergent trajectories the two clubs have taken over the past decade.

Following a tight first half City were superb after the break, stamping authority on the game with their brand of controlled and dominant play. In one 15-minute spell, City enjoyed 92% possession. It was a masterclass.

But as good as Pep Guardiola's side were, United were equally as bad. Ralf Rangnick's men could barely get a touch, and when they did there was a distinct lack of quality in their play. Most striking was the player's unwillingness to run and press coherently.

There is a problem at United far greater than players deciding to down tools in one of the biggest matches of the season. The lack of playing identity, a hotch-potch squad of players suited to different styles and no clear plan for the future all stem from one thing: failed attempts to replace Sir Alex Ferguson.

Ferguson retired in 2013 after leading United to a 20th Premier League title, and in the nine years since they have tried a whole manner of approaches to finding his successor.

At first they went for David Moyes, a coach Ferguson recommended as a no-nonsense Scottish coach similar to him that would ensure continuity. He lasted 10 months.

Next they went for Louis van Gaal, a disciplinarian who had a track record of winning silverware with some of Europe's biggest clubs. He delivered one FA Cup over two seasons and was sacked, his turgid style of football deemed incompatible with The United Way.

Jose Mourinho was the big name punt, and to be fair he did lead United to a League Cup and Europa League triumph. Predictably though, the