Pep Guardiola has insisted he would 'rather retire' than set his team up to hit opponents on the counter attack.
City have raced clear of their title rivals playing expansive football - scoring 11 more than closest challengers United in the race for the League crown.
The champions-elect visit United on Sunday aiming to extend their lead at the top of the pile, and will expect to come up against a steely Mourinho defence.
And asked if he would ever consider ditching his favoured possession-based game if it stopped bringing results, Guardiola said he would rather step away from the game.
"If that is going to happen, I’m going to retire," the City boss said. "Because I don’t feel it another way. I could defend more deep but I want to have the ball and I want to play."
But Guardiola said he respects Mourinho highly despite their differences.
He said: "We have faced each other many times in big moments.
"My opinion about what he has done as a manager will never change. I know the way we see the game is different but we love to compete, we love to win games.
"Believe me, it is not a special situation when I beat somebody's teams at all. I want to win but when I lose I accept the defeat and I try to learn from that for the next one. Then we move on.
"I respect a lot of my colleagues, Jose as well. We want to beat each other but what happens on the pitch happens on the pitch. After that it is over."
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