Gary Pallister thinks Pep Guardiola's exit could change the balance of power in Manchester. The former Manchester United defender told goal.com that losing Guardiola would shorten the gap to Manchester City, and he pointed to United's recent progress under Michael Carrick as part of that case.
Pallister's main line is simple enough. Guardiola has been the standard for years, and United have not lifted the Premier League title since 2013. City, by contrast, won 20 trophies during Guardiola's 10-year tenure and completed the historic Treble in 2022-23, matching United's 1999 achievement.
Pallister's argument on the Manchester gap
He did not dress it up. "I've said for a while, when Pep goes, I think that'll be a huge shift in Manchester," Pallister said. "He's proven himself to be the best manager around for a number of years now. I think you're losing that bit of magic, as United did when Fergie left."
Pallister also told goal.com: "I think losing Pep Guardiola will shorten the gap between us and Manchester City and the other teams in the Premier League. I think it's going to be more open this year."
That view is backed by the recent league tables. Manchester City finished second with 78 points, Manchester United were third with 71, and United's five-game league run reads WWDWW. City's latest five league results were LDWWD, which is hardly the sort of form that makes the league look closed off.
The point is not that City are suddenly fading. It is that the margin is narrower than it used to be, and Pallister is arguing that Guardiola's departure would remove one of the biggest edges in the division. He has a fair case, especially with United showing enough steadiness under Carrick to make the rivalry feel less lopsided than it did before.
What City look like after Guardiola
There is also the question of what comes after Guardiola inside City itself. Sky Sports described Enzo Maresca's return as his third stint at Manchester City, after work as academy coach in 2020-21 and Guardiola's assistant in 2022-23. They also reported that the squad's average age has dropped from 29 to just over 25, with Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Coventry City as the first three fixtures.
That is a different kind of challenge. City still have structure and talent, but any transition away from Guardiola carries risk because he set the standard so high for so long. Fabrizio Romano has said those close to Guardiola expect him to take time for his family and not restart right away, which fits the wider sense that this is a genuine era-change discussion rather than a routine managerial switch.
Pallister's point, though, is about opportunity as much as decline. If City lose even a little of the edge that Guardiola supplied, Manchester United do not need to become a perfect team to benefit. They just need to stay close enough to make the race uncomfortable again, and the numbers from last season suggest that gap is already smaller than the old derby noise would have you think.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →
