Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has said he needs more time to build a title-winning team at the Etihad. Defeat by Leicester on Saturday was City's second successive league loss - and the first time they have lost back-to-back league games under Guardiola. City trail league leaders Chelsea by seven points and have won four of their past 15 games in all competitions. Asked whether he was failing, Guardiola said: "Give me time. If you analyse the last month, I have failed." City, who host Watford on Wednesday, have not won at home since their 3-1 victory over Barcelona in the Champions League on 1 November.

Guardiola, who took over at City in the summer, said former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was an example of why the Premier League club needed to be patient. Guardiola described Ferguson, the most successful manager in English football, as his idol Ferguson, who became United boss in November 1986, won 13 Premier League titles as United manager, but did not win his first until 1993.

Guardiola, 45, won 21 trophies during his time in charge of Barcelona and Bayern Munich, And he added: "Sir Alex Ferguson, my idol, didn't win the title for 11 years. Liverpool haven't won it for 25 years. "The last month I have to accept the results have not gone well. But we have to improve what I believe, not change what I believe. When it doesn't work, you have to be strong. "I have to accept the opinions of former players, the media, the fans because we didn't win - but I wish and hope they will give me a little more time.

"Long-term projects do not exist in football. You have to win immediately and if you don't win, you are in trouble. "Then another guy has to be in charge because you have to win. The boss and the chairman are going to decide. "You have to minimise mistakes to win games but I believe in the way I like to play, so I'm sorry, I can't do that (change)."