Roy Keane enjoyed the peak of his career under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, winning numerous trophies. However, he doesn’t consider Ferguson the greatest Premier League manager ever.
Keane’s judgment may be influenced by his contentious exit from Old Trafford in 2005. Despite this, he still placed Ferguson in his top five managers on the Stick to Football podcast.
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5. Arsene Wenger
Keane frequently clashed with Arsenal during his United tenure, as the two clubs had one of the fiercest rivalries in English football.
Wenger won three Premier League titles, but Arsenal’s decline in the latter part of his tenure likely influenced Keane’s ranking.
4. Jurgen Klopp
Klopp revitalized Liverpool, transforming them from an upper mid-table team into a European powerhouse.
In his nine years at Anfield, Klopp won the Premier League title in 2020, as well as domestic cups and the Champions League.
Notably, if just two results of his 491 matches at Liverpool had been different, Klopp could have claimed three league titles, highlighting the fine margins of his tenure.
“I’ve huge respect for him and what he’s done for this club – the personality, the style of football,” Keane said on Sky Sports in May 2024. “They’re back competing at the highest level.”
3. Jose Mourinho
Mourinho has never had the same longevity as the other managers on this list, but his three Premier League titles and unforgettable press conferences made a significant impact.
Despite Keane’s frequent criticisms of Mourinho during his tenure as Manchester United manager, it’s hard to dispute his inclusion in the top five.
2. Sir Alex Ferguson
Keane doesn’t object to his former teammate Gary Neville naming Ferguson as the greatest Premier League manager ever. However, he does take issue with Neville still calling Ferguson “the boss.”
“Why do you call him boss?” Keane asked. “He was your manager of a football club, his contract was with the club and your contract was with the club, why do you call someone boss? Do you call anyone else boss, besides your wife?”
Neville said: “I still call the school teacher who I was brought through Mr. Wright. You’ve been used to calling someone that for twenty-five years. I would never call him Sir Alex, or Alex. For twenty-five years I called him boss.”
“I don’t get it,” said Keane. “He’s not your boss now, is he? He’s another human being, why are you calling him boss?”
1. Pep Guardiola Since 2016, Guardiola has secured six Premier League titles, solidifying his place among the greatest managers of all time.
After an initial year of adjustment, Guardiola has built a series of dominant Manchester City teams that have elevated the standards of top-flight football.
Despite brilliant campaigns from Liverpool and Arsenal, they have struggled to dethrone City. While Keane’s opinion might be influenced by factors beyond pure objectivity, his assessment of Guardiola is difficult to dispute.
