Erik ten Hag has revitalised a club that was in chaos after the opening two games of his tenure ended in defeat against Brighton and Brentford at the start of the season.
The Dutchman has masterminded an incredible turnaround that yielded United’s first trophy in six years following last weekend’s Carabao Cup final victory over Newcastle.
Though the Red Devils were 12 points off the pace, albeit with two games in hand, heading into this weekend’s fixtures, Guardiola believes he has spotted unmistakable signs that United are back.
He told BT Sport: ‘They are back. Some people in this reunion is happy, happier than the other ones. Sooner or later it should happen, you know?
‘I said two or three months ago United is back. For many reasons, their body language when they celebrate goals, the commitment, how they run for each other where in the past before it’s not like that.
‘You feel it that this is United. Sooner or later they should be back. The strangest thing of the last seven or eight years was that they were not there. That was the surprise when I arrived seven years ago.’
United face Liverpool on Sunday in what will represent Ten Hag’s first experience of the Anfield cauldron but the former Ajax boss is confident his emerging team can handle the occasion.
He said: ‘I know these players, my squad, my team, will be prepared to go there and fight and to go there with confidence.
‘We know it’s going to be difficult, we know we will have to suffer and we will have to sacrifice to get a good result.
‘I think our team, our mentality in general is very good. I think we also have many leaders who set the mentality, who set the standards, who control the standards, who correct if necessary.
‘I think we are happy with this process but it can always be better. That has to be the approach.’
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