Jamie Carragher says Alex Ferguson vs Pep Guardiola debate is firmly over

Jamie Carragher says only ‘blinkered’ Manchester United fans consider Alex Ferguson to have been a better manager than Pep Guardiola, believing the debate is now over.

Ferguson has long been the benchmark for the modern era of English football, with 13 Premier League titles to his name over an epic spell in charge of the Red Devils.

Guardiola looks set to end his tally on six as he prepares to step down as Manchester City boss after 10 years at the helm.

The Scot’s achievements came over a much longer period of time, having managed Manchester United from 1986-2013, which is one of the reasons Carragher gives for having Guardiola as the clearly superior boss.

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‘Are we judging the pair’s greatness based on longevity at a single club?’ Carragher asked in The Telegraph.

‘Aged 55, Guardiola has won titles in three major leagues in Europe. If he has the energy to work until he is 71 like Ferguson, he will eventually win more based on his current trajectory.’

The Liverpool legend feels Guardiola’s superiority was clearly demonstrated when he took on Ferguson’s Manchester United in the 2009 and 2011 Champions League finals.

Barcelona won both those matches, the first 2-0 and the second 3-1, with Carragher feeling that the ’09 vintage was Ferguson’s greatest team at United.

‘Those placing Ferguson ahead of Guardiola baffle me. I struggle to agree with a single reason to justify that claim,’ said the former England defender.

‘Anyone suggesting otherwise is so blinkered they seem to have forgotten that when the duo faced off in the biggest club fixtures, Guardiola was the emphatic winner.’

Carragher also says Guardiola leaves a legacy and impact on football that Ferguson cannot come close to matching in terms of how he has changed the game.

He says the Scot is a ‘direct descendant of Sir Matt Busby and his mentor Jock Stein’ while the former Spain midfielder has been ‘driving the bandwagon, not jumping on board.’

‘Just as important is the Catalan maestro’s legacy,’ said Carragher. ‘It is on another level because he has been the greatest football influencer of the 21st century, absorbing a period when Ferguson was at his peak.

‘No coach has inspired so many imitators. Guardiola has rewritten coaching manuals and invented a new football dictionary.’

Guardiola will take charge of Manchester City for the last time on Sunday when they take on Aston Villa and he revealed Ferguson has been in touch to congratulate him on his success in England.

‘I know I had incredible success as a manager and it’s nice to be there. One of the biggest compliments I had was I got a message from Sir Alex Ferguson yesterday and that made me so happy,’ Guardiola told a press conference.

On Ferguson’s message, the Manchester City boss said: ‘Well with his Scottish accent I struggle. It was a voicemail. I will call him back for sure.

‘He congratulated me for the trajectory and for what we achieved. It means a lot to me.

‘It’s not to be humble but he is the greatest in this country. I’m so happy, I miss Johan Cruyff a lot, I’m happy that Sir Alex the greatest could see.

‘I’m pretty sure that Sir Alex will not call us the noisy neighbours again, we are the neighbours, and I’m so happy that he was there to watch us.’