Ralf Rangnick says Manchester United must follow the blueprint of arch rivals Manchester City and Liverpool if they want to get back to the top.
Interim United boss Rangnick takes charge of his first Manchester derby on Sunday when the Red Devils face Pep Guardiola's champions and league leaders at the Etihad Stadium.
Rangnick was asked what United must do to get back on a level footing with City and admitted they must look to their rivals to learn where they must improve and learn from.
“City and Liverpool have continuity and consistency on head coach, for past five or six years,” said Rangnick.
“They have very clear identity, how they want to play. I know Jurgen Klopp in person and I know Pep from time in Germany, he also has a clear idea how he wants to play.
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“This is the secret behind their success, they know exactly how they want to play, a corporate identity.
“Not just for new players. This is what all the top clubs have in common. This is something that needs to be developed at Manchester United.
“Every coach has their own idea of football. For me, it's about consistency on the highest possible level and also quality.
“We all agree with Jurgen and Pep, they are in the top five, they’re the best two coaches on the planet.
“It’s pretty easy in football you need to have the best possible people a clear idea of football and stick to that idea and make decisions with that in mind.”
Rangnick assessed the challenges his side will have to contend with when they come up against Guardiola's side on Sunday.
"We know that we are playing one of, if not the best team in the world," he added.
"They have developed well since Pep arrived. The same happened at Bayern Munich and Barcelona. He is one of the best. We know what they are all about.
"It will be about a lot of tactical work, fighting with and without the ball. We have created a lot of chances in the last ten or 11 games.
"We scored four goals at Leeds and should have scored one, two or three goals against Watford. But I would have been more worried if we had not been creating chances. We are also compact when the other team is in possession of the ball.
"I don't know the structure at City. I know about people here. I am focused on getting the best out of the team until the end of the season."
