ETIHAD — Sir Alex Ferguson achieved The Impossible Dream down the road three years before he arrived on our shores, when, at that point in Manchester City’s chequered history, Pep Guardiola’s remit would have been Any Dream Will Do.
Back then, nobody in their wildest dreams thought anyone could come close to matching Ferguson’s accomplishments at Manchester United. In less than half the time, Guardiola has somehow eclipsed it all.
There are those, of course, who will disagree. Ferguson won 13 Premier League titles to Guardiola’s six. Building multiple trophy-winning sides separates Ferguson from most of his peers. Even if the City boss averages more titles per season.
But what really earns Guardiola the throne in the pantheon of greats, just ahead of modern-day United’s founding forefather, is the legacy he leaves at all levels of the game. Since 2008-09, Guardiola has won 467 matches in Europe’s big-five leagues – over 100 more than any other manager.
It was an emotional day at the Etihad Stadium even before Guardiola’s first sighting. His lieutenant on the pitch, Bernardo Silva, was in tears in the tunnel pre-match, ahead of the captain’s last appearance.
