Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on January 16, 2026
3 min readLast updated: January 19, 2026
Add as preferred source on GooglePep Guardiola is preparing Manchester City for an unpredictable Manchester United under new interim manager Michael Carrick in the upcoming Premier League derby.
Jan 16 (Reuters) - Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said his focus was solely on his own team as he was unsure what to expect of Manchester United under new boss Michael Carrick in Saturday's Premier League derby.
Carrick will be in the dugout as United's interim manager for the first time in the derby at Old Trafford after being appointed until the end of the season in the wake of Ruben Amorim's sacking.
United, winless in their last four matches in all competitions, are seventh in the league, while City, who are second and six points adrift of leaders Arsenal, picked up a dominant 3-0 win when the two sides met in September.
But Guardiola was still cautious about facing their familiar foes under a new leader, with only Carrick's time as Middlesbrough manager and a previous stint as United's caretaker boss to go on.
"If you don't have more info of the opponent, you focus on yourself and the players," the Spaniard said on Friday.
"You can have some ideas of what Middlesbrough has done or when Michael was in his part as a manager at Man United, but tactics is about the players and the players tomorrow are different to the Middlesbrough ones.
"I don't have a timeout after 10 minutes to tell them what Michael wants to do. When you don't have info it's better to focus on yourself."
Since City appointed Guardiola in July 2016, United have had nine managers, including interim and caretaker appointees, with the local rivals standing in stark contrast in terms of on-field success.
"Results, results," said Guardiola, when asked about his longevity at the club.
"If you don't win, you are sacked. If we don't win, I would be sacked. We won a lot, that's why I am sitting here. There is no other secret."
Guardiola has added a haul of silverware to the City trophy cabinet including six Premier League titles, two FA Cups and a Champions League.
He endured a difficult spell last season, however, when City finished third, a long way adrift of champions Liverpool.
"Another club after last season I would not be here anymore. They are more patient maybe because what we did in the past as well. We had three months that were really poor. The past was really good so that is why I am still here," Guardiola said.
Chief among Guardiola's challenges is City's injury-ridden defence.
"Without John (Stones), Ruben (Dias), Josko (Gvardiol) we are in a difficult situation not for one game but a long period... Ruben will be back soon, Josko no, John hopefully, we'll see," Guardiola said.
Guardiola refused to comment on reports linking City with Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi, but Palace coach Oliver Glasner confirmed on Friday that the centre back was on the verge of leaving, without naming which club he was joining.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in BengaluruEditing by Toby Davis)
An interim manager is a temporary leader appointed to manage an organization or team during a transition period, often until a permanent manager is found.
Financial stability is a condition where the financial system operates effectively, with institutions able to manage risks and absorb shocks without causing economic disruption.
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