The Truth About Man City And Man United’s Greatest Manager Thomas Frank Gives His Verdict on Pep vs Sir Alex – Which Manager Makes the Cut?
Since taking over the reins at Manchester City, Pep Guardiola has been nothing short of a transformative force in English football. Arriving at the Etihad Stadium in 2016 with a stellar managerial résumé featuring glittering spells at both Barcelona and Bayern Munich, the Spaniard has only further elevated his standing in the game by building one of the most dominant sides in Premier League history.
Guardiola’s brand of high-possession, high-pressing football has not only brought unprecedented success to Manchester City, including multiple Premier League titles, domestic cups, and a historic Treble, but has also redefined how the game is played in England. His tactical innovations and relentless pursuit of perfection have earned him admirers across the footballing world—including from within the Premier League itself.
Meanwhile, on the red side of Manchester, the story has been starkly different. Manchester United, once the uncontested kings of English football under the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, have struggled to find their footing since the iconic Scotsman’s retirement in 2013. The post-Ferguson era has been marked by managerial instability, inconsistent performances, and a lack of silverware compared to their city rivals.
Despite Ferguson’s towering legacy, Brentford manager Thomas Frank has recently added his voice to the ever-ongoing debate over who deserves the title of football’s greatest-ever manager. Appearing on Sky Sports’ “Sticker Book” challenge—where guests make selections from shortlists across various categories—Frank was tasked with choosing between four legendary managers: Pep Guardiola, Sir Alex Ferguson, Johan Cruyff, and Carlo Ancelotti.
Frank paid glowing tribute to all four candidates, reserving particular praise for Ferguson and his astonishing career at Manchester United. “Sir Alex, it must be one of the greatest stories of a manager at one club… the way he transformed the club, the amount of titles he won,” Frank reflected.
However, it was Guardiola who ultimately won Frank’s vote. Speaking with admiration, the Brentford boss highlighted Guardiola’s tactical genius and widespread influence across modern coaching. “Cruyff, of course, was also the mentor to Pep. If he developed the game to one level, I think Pep has taken it even further,” Frank explained. “I think he’s the single coach that has inspired the most other coaches—his skill, his innovative thinking in all phases of the game: building up, pressing, defending… everything.”
When narrowing down his shortlist, Frank admitted that he had to choose between two managerial giants: Ferguson and Guardiola. But in the end, he sided with the Manchester City boss. “I think I’ll go with the ‘coach’s coach,’ because I’m more of a coach myself,” Frank concluded, clearly aligning with Guardiola’s philosophy and methodology.
What Ferguson Said About Guardiola
Interestingly, this isn’t the first time the paths of Ferguson and Guardiola have intersected—at least off the pitch. In his 2015 book Leading, Ferguson revealed that he had once explored the idea of bringing Guardiola to Manchester United as his successor. According to Ferguson, the two had dinner together in New York in 2012, at a time when Guardiola had taken a year-long sabbatical after leaving Barcelona.
“I had dinner with Pep Guardiola in New York in 2012, but couldn’t make him any direct proposal because retirement was not on my agenda at that point,” Ferguson wrote. He admitted he was highly impressed by Guardiola’s achievements and even asked the Spaniard to reach out to him before accepting any other offer. “I asked Pep to phone me before he accepted an offer from another club, but he didn’t and wound up joining Bayern Munich in July 2013.”
Despite his admiration, Ferguson did express some skepticism about whether Guardiola would be able to replicate his extraordinary success from Barcelona once he ventured into English football. Speaking to Sky Sports a year after Guardiola took over at Manchester City, Ferguson noted, “Man City have made a real coup in getting him, but Pep won’t find it easy—English football is not easy.”
He continued, “Every foreign coach that has come to England will tell you that. Arsène Wenger mentioned it after only a few months, and even José Mourinho had his struggles. Pep will be a success, but I don’t think he’ll ever replicate what he did at Barcelona—that was a very high standard. They were the best.”
Fast forward to today, and it’s fair to say Guardiola has lived up to—and in many ways exceeded—those lofty expectations. With his name now mentioned in the same breath as Ferguson, Cruyff, and Ancelotti, and respected figures like Thomas Frank declaring him the greatest ever, Guardiola’s legacy is still being written—but it’s already one for the ages.
