Pep Guardiola stunned by Sir Alex Ferguson’s Premier League Manager of the Month record | OneFootball

Highlights

Pep Guardiola was left stunned after discovering how many Premier League Manager of the Month awards Sir Alex Ferguson won during his extraordinary spell as Manchester United boss.

Ferguson is widely considered to be the greatest manager of the Premier League era, though it's not beyond the realms of possibility that he'll eventually face stiff competition for that particular title from Guardiola. Like Fergie, Pep has now won a remarkable treble with a Manchester-based club, 24 years after it was first done by the Scot and his legendary 1999 team.

Guardiola - who is unquestionably one of the greatest managers in football history, despite the fact he's still only 52 years old - won his fifth Premier League title last season, which is extraordinary when you remember that he only joined Manchester City in 2016. The revered Catalan coach has lifted the Premier League trophy in all but two of his seven seasons in English football.

How many Manager of the Month awards does Guardiola have?

Strangely, though, Guardiola hasn't won the Premier League's Manager of the Month award (at the time of writing) since December 2021. Yep, despite the fact he sealed the treble last season, Pep hasn't been crowned the league's best manager in any month throughout 2022 or 2023, which seems absolutely baffling, doesn't it?

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has won the individual accolade on five occasions since Guardiola was last named Manager of the Month; while Manchester United's Erik ten Hag, Newcastle United's Eddie Howe, and now Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou have all secured it twice. Postecoglou has made history by becoming the first manager to win the award in each of his first two seasons in the Premier League.

It means that Guardiola has been stuck on 11 Premier League Manager of the Month awards since the end of 2021. However, the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich head coach has still won the award more than all but two managers in history - and no prizes for guessing who they are.

Arsene Wenger won it 15 times during his 22-year reign as Arsenal manager between 1996-2018, but it was Ferguson's tally which left Guardiola gobsmacked. Pep suggested that it wouldn't be long before he was challenging Wenger and Fergie, only to learn the latter was streets clear of everyone else.

Guardiola shocked by Sir Alex Ferguson's record

After being told about Ferguson's record in January 2022, Guardiola conceded that even he stood no chance of matching it. A reporter asked the Man City boss: “You’ve won 11 now, Pep - only Wenger and Ferguson have won more than you. So, is that something for you to be proud of?”

The City boss replied with a wry smile: “Be careful, Sir Alex, Arsene… I’m coming…”. The reporter then said: “[Ferguson] won 27, Pep, so not too many…”. Guardiola’s reaction was superb.

“How many?!” he said. “Oh my god! Okay… it belongs to him! I will not chase him for sure.” Watch the funny clip here:

Who is the greatest manager in Premier League history?

While the vast majority of football fans would argue that Ferguson is still the greatest manager in Premier League history after winning the title on 13 occasions, it's Guardiola who boasts the best points-per-match record (2.35 points per match). Ferguson is second on the list with a record of 2.16 points per match, but managed a whopping 810 games compared to Guardiola's 274.

Ferguson and Guardiola are certainly part of the conversation when it comes to the debate over the league's greatest ever manager, while Wenger, Jose Mourinho and Jurgen Klopp would all receive honourable mentions. Roberto Mancini and Antonio Conte picked up more than two points per match during their spells as managers in England's top league, but neither coach is currently challenging the other five for the title of the Premier League's best ever.

Who is the greatest manager of all time?

Again, both Ferguson and Guardiola are serious contenders for the title of the greatest manager in football history. When FourFourTwo published their comprehensive list of the top 100 in 2020, Ferguson came out on top, ahead of Rinus Michels, Johan Cruyff and Bill Shankly. Guardiola was in fifth place, above the likes of Arrigo Sacci and Sir Matt Busby.

However, Guardiola might find himself even higher up the list after leading Manchester City to their first ever European Cup. Moreover, it's possible that Pep will eventually surpass Ferguson as the greatest manager of all time if he continues coaching for the next 10-15 years. You certainly wouldn't bet against him considering everything he's achieved in the game since 2008.

How long will Guardiola stay at Man City?

Guardiola signed a contract extension with Man City in November 2022, keeping him tied down at the Etihad Stadium until 2025. In August 2021, he suggested that he would leave City at the end of his previous deal, which was due to expire in 2023, but the world-class coach is clearly loving his time in English football and had a change of heart.

International football could be an option for Guardiola when he eventually leaves Man City. He was recently linked with the England job and there's no doubt that the Football Association would love to hire him as Gareth Southgate's successor.