Patience is required for fans of both Manchester clubs.
Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho
It was clear at the end of last season that morale was low at both Manchester clubs and changes needed to be made.
The addition of a new manager and signings brought a lot of hope and excitement for the new season. The anticipation grew further as both Manchester City and Manchester United started the new season in impressive fashion and made the most of a kind fixture list to get the jump on their rivals.
However it is clear that both teams have suffered a dip of form in the last month. While it may be frustrating for the coaching staff, players and fans alike it is far from a uncommon occurrence.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho
When managers arrive at a new club they come with a different range of coaching methods from the previous man in charge. At Manchester United, Jose Mourinho is working with a squad of players that have a different set of skills than those he had at Chelsea, and there are bound to be occasions when his message does not come through as clearly as he would like especially early in his reign.
This has never been more evident than in their last two league games. Against Liverpool they defended like their lives depended on it for ninety minutes and claimed what their main aim was which was a point. In contrast against Chelsea, they conceded within a minute and all pre match planning was thrown into complete turmoil.
While Pep Guardiola has two issues he is currently dealing with. First he is getting used to the ins and outs of English Football and also implementing his style onto the players. Some observers may correctly point out that Mourinho won the Premier league in his first two seasons in England. The one point of difference is that the league is much more competitive and at a far stronger level overall than it was in the mid 2000s.
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp
Jurgen Klopp is a good example to look at when you talk about managers adapting to the league. The German arrived at Liverpool in October last year and oversaw a Premier League campaign which never took flight, eventually finishing eighth.
Once top four was out of the question, he treated Europa League as his main priority to build the flagging confidence of his players, and that has now carried over to the impressive league form at the start of this season. Mourinho also took a season to reacclimatise in his second incarnation of Chelsea manager, laying the foundation to claim success in the second season.
Both teams have shown glimpses of what their best is this season and a positive for Man City is they still are sitting on top of the league despite playing well below their best. There is bound to be more ups and downs along the way for both clubs, but there must also be a level of patience from all concerned with the clubs as that will be the quickest way towards securing success in the future.
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