Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says he has sympathy for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and says Manchester United managers come under twice as much pressure.
The under-fire Norwegian is facing increased speculation over his future after the 5-0 defeat to Liverpool and with United struggling in seventh in the Premier League.
Guardiola, who took a year out after leaving Barcelona, knows about the intensity surrounding coaching top clubs.
What's been said?
"At United, everything that happens is doubled," he told a news conference ahead of City's game with Crystal Palace on Saturday. "The influence of them, like Liverpool, they are the greatest teams in England for many years. When it happens, their victories are double, defeats are double, of course, it’s not a surprise.
"If I don’t have good results, I’ll be treated the same. Every manager. Nobody can survive bad results, no one. So expectations are so high at United, you have to win.
"For a long time the team didn't win the Premier League, they do and they work to get results in terms of titles because their history demands it. When I took over Barcelona, I knew it, I had to win otherwise another manager will be in this position.
"I’m saying the most obvious things that everyone knows. And in that moment that it happened I’m pretty sure Ole is surrounded by people, family, the staff to be close to them and try to win the next game. There are no more secrets than that."
The bigger picture
United's board has been consistently strong in their backing of Solskjaer and club sources maintain that while the situation hasn’t changed for now there is an acceptance that there is ‘a lot to do’ to turn the season around.
Guardiola's side travel to Old Trafford just before the international break and a win for City would increase the pressure on Solskjaer even further.
However, he has one of the best records of any manager against Guardiola, having won four and drawn one of their eight encounters.
Ahead of that though, United have difficult trips to Tottenham in the Premier League and Atalanta with their Champions League group stage qualification far from certain.
A win for City at home to Club Brugge would leave them on the verge of reaching the last-16 for a ninth successive season.
Further reading
- Guardiola: Xavi ready to coach Barcelona
- Man City tried to sign Lukaku in 2020 - agent
- Solskjaer protects Pogba and blames media 'lies'
