Pep Guardiola was undoubtedly regarded as the Premier League’s best manager at the end of last season, after securing a fourth-straight Premier League title. Is the case different now?
The tide has certainly changed for Manchester City. After defeat at Nottingham Forest last time out, they find themselves in 5th place of the Premier League table: 23 points behind Liverpool and having been knocked out of the Champions League.
Winning the FA Cup and finishing in 4th seems like the best possible outcome for City this season. And inevitably, this mini downfall in 2024/25 has been somewhat joyous viewing for rival fans.
But the bulk of City fans are still behind beloved manager Pep Guardiola. Although there’s been rumours that Man City and Guardiola could part ways, it looks like the Spaniard will oversee a drastic summer overhaul in a few months.
Next season, glory might even be restored at the Etihad.
Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images
Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images
What Jamie Carragher said about Pep Guardiola vs Sir Alex Ferguson in 2023
Across the city, Manchester United look set for a summer rebuild of their own. The Red Devils are even building a new 100,000-seater stadium as they look to bring the glory days back to the red side of Manchester. And it’d certainly bring back the ferocity of the Manchester derby too.
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Speaking in 2023, Jamie Carragher was posed the ever difficult question of who’s the better manager: Guardiola, or legendary former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson? The answer splits opinion, in Manchester and in the footballing world.
Here’s what Carragher said: “For as long as Guardiola is at the Etihad, they will be the side everyone else fears – the best resourced team with the best manager. By adding the European Cup to his City CV, Guardiola has also added weight to the argument he is the greatest coach of all time.”
Whilst Carragher’s opening line might not ring so true now, he went on to admit that Guardiola will always trump Ferguson because he’s proved dominant on more than one country and one league.
Carragher added: “Sir Alex Ferguson’s supporters will always suggest otherwise. The reality is it is not even a debate beyond this country. At two different clubs, Guardiola has created a side which has produced the most perfect football I have ever seen live, first with his Barcelona Champions League winners of 2011 and now City in 2023.”
Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Pep Guardiola now has the chance to completely outshine Sir Alex Ferguson with Man City
No doubt, Ferguson and Guardiola are legends in their own rights. Ferguson has 13 Premier League titles compared to Guardiola’s six, but the latter has multiple league titles in Spain and Germany to his name. And Pep has three Champions League titles compared to Ferguson’s two.
And whilst this current struggle at City brings questions unto Guardiola and whether or not he’s still a top manager, it’s also a chance: it’s a chance for him to regain the top spot and doing so would arguably be his biggest achievement yet.
If City can completely rebuild their side and go on to win another Premier League title, even next season, then it would surely cement Guardiola’s name as the Premier League’s best.
Even if not, the debate over him or Fergie, whilst an intriguing one, only has one answer, and Carragher has already given it.