Keane: Guardiola is the Special One, not Mourinho

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is the real “Special One” rather than Manchester United counterpart Jose Mourinho, former club captain Roy Keane has claimed.

Guardiola clinched a seventh win in as many games in charge at the Etihad Stadium when his side dispatched Borussia Monchengladbach 4-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Mourinho famously declared “I think I’m a special one” upon his appointment by Chelsea in 2004, but he suffered his first defeat as United boss last Saturday when City triumphed 2-1 in the Premier League.

And Keane, who expects City to sustain their impressive form throughout the campaign, has been more impressed by Guardiola than the man in charge at Old Trafford.

“Two coaches in Manchester. Mourinho reckons he’s the Special One, to me this guy [Guardiola] is,” he said, speaking as a pundit on ITV.

“We’ve seen City have good starts before and they take their foot off the gas a little bit, but I don’t think it will happen under this guy.”

Keane admires the bold approach taken by Guardiola towards his playing squad, with the former Bayern Munich boss having made it clear than fan favourites Yaya Toure and Joe Hart were not part of his plans.

“He said he’s a challenging coach – it doesn’t look like he messes about,” Keane added. “I wouldn’t like to mess with him.”