Ralf Rangnick says Manchester United need continuity off the pitch to find their identity like rivals Manchester City and Liverpool.
United's interim manager is the seventh occupant of the Old Trafford dugout - including caretaker spells by Ryan Giggs and Michael Carrick - since legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
They are searching for another permanent manager once more while trying to secure a top-four finish and progress into the latter stages of the Champions League.
Ahead of their clash with City live on Sky Sports Super Sunday, Rangnick believes the "secret" to the success of their rivals is consistency in the hot seat.
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"What is obvious, not only with Manchester City but also with Liverpool, they've had continuity and consistency on their position of manager and head coach for five or six years," said Rangnick.
"They have a very clear identity, clear idea of how they want to play. I know Jurgen in person and Pep from in Germany when he was at Bayern Munich, he also has a clear idea how he wants to play.
"This idea is the headline for everything that happens in the club, for recruitment, for any new players that they sign or at one stage will sell. This is the secret behind their success that they exactly know how they want to play.
"You can also call it a corporate identity and this is their guideline for everything they do, for new players, staff members, for experts in different areas of the game that have become more important. This is what all the top clubs in Europe have in common and something Manchester United needs to be developed and improved in the next couple of years."
Asked whether he had thought about landing the permanent job at the end of the season, he said: "I have no idea and I haven't had any thoughts about that because my focus is on Sunday, and then the next game against Tottenham, Atletico... and to be honest there is no time and space for me to think about anything else."
Pep: Rangnick's football is exceptional
Rangnick has won eight of his 17 matches in charge, losing twice, and his style has drawn praise from opposite number Pep Guardiola.
"Rangnick is like a father of the pressing, the transitions, playing inside," said Guardiola.
"You see that with Liverpool and Southampton and now Jesse Marsch with Leeds, a little bit with Tuchel but he plays more wider. Most top clubs already here, five or six teams are playing this way.
"Important ones like Liverpool, United, Chelsea, Southampton is doing incredibly well, Leeds now. The work he did in Germany is exceptional, a proper school of football, Leipzig, Austria, New York, all the teams play the same. He came here and you start to see some patterns of what he wants to do."
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