Ian Wright has said that Pep Guardiola would make Manchester United as good as his Manchester City side given the opportunity.
Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho has been heavily criticised after the club’s shock Champions League exit to Sevilla on Tuesday, while there is no prospect of redemption in the Premier League as they lie a distant 16 points behind the league leaders.
Wright believes, however, that would not be the case if Guardiola was in charge at Old Trafford.
“If you put the two sides up together and playing at their full capacity, that would be some game,” the former Arsenal ace told ‘The Debate’ on Sky Sports.
“Because when you look at City's team, they are so collectively on the same wavelength. If you look at Man Utd's team, in respect of individuals, I think they are great players and just as good as City's players.
“But they are not a collective, they are not together collectively and if they could put it together in the way they are being coached like Man City, I believe they could be in and around City.
“If they swapped managers, I think United would be doing exactly what City are doing because they have the kind of players that Pep would be able to get a tune out of, without a doubt, because he would not play how Mourinho plays.”
Mourinho’s style has also come under fire, and Wright says that the manner in which his side are playing now must be jarring for some key figures.
“You cannot tell me that the players United have got do not look over there enviously at how brilliant and free they are playing,” he said. “You cannot tell me that is not how Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial all want to play.
“That is how they all want to play because they look like they are having fun as well.”
Man Utd’s last chance of glory lies with the FA Cup; they face Brighton in a quarter-final on Saturday.