Sport

Jamie Redknapp insists Pep Guardiola is the ‘greatest manager ever’

The former player turned pundit thinks the numbers speak for themselves.

Danny Jones Danny Jones - 22nd May 2023

Following another Premier League title for Manchester City and another major trophy for Pep Guardiola, Jamie Redknapp has dubbed the Spaniard “the greatest manager ever”.

Speaking on Sky Sports‘ punditry panel after Man City lifted the title in their final home game against Chelsea, the former player waxed lyrical about the Catalan coach and his incredible managerial record, with this latest Premier League trophy making it five English league titles alone.

Redknapp then went on to state, “I think he is the greatest ever”, not only for what he’s done for football in this country but across Europe over the course of his career thus far.

Big words, and while many may debate over who that ‘all-time’ title goes to, it’s hard to argue against him being the best coach on the planet right now.

As the 49-year-old former Liverpool and Spurs player went on to add, he said he believes Pep Guardiola “has changed football.”

ADVERTISEMENT

“There’s been some great managers; if you go through history – Arrigo Sacchi, what he did at AC Milan… Johan Cruyff, what he did in terms of playing out from the back”, said Redknapp, “but if you go back to grassroots football, whatever, everyone plays the Pep way: out from the back.

“We thought this was impossible but it’s because of the way he has changed everyone’s perception of the game, the way everyone is so comfortable [on the ball], midfielders coming into different areas, splitting defences.

ADVERTISEMENT

“I think he is, for me, he is the greatest ever. He’s won 11 domestic titles in the 14 years that he’s been a manager, 48 major trophies [including as a player]. You can talk about Sir Alex Ferguson as well, Bill Shankly — but, for me, he has changed football forever.” As for Guardiola himself, he insists he knows what he and his team need to do for them to go down as one of the best of all time.

Redknapp wasn’t shy about praising Pep in person either.

Read more:

Redknapp obviously isn’t the first to call Pep Guardiola the greatest manager ever — even Noel Gallagher made similar comments about his revolutionary impact on football — but City fans will be pleased to hear that his sights are now well and truly focused on the two remaining games.

Guardiola might still be behind Fergie on major honours, with Pep now boasting 33 to the legendary Manchester United manager’s 49, but he is winning trophies at an alarmingly quick rate (33 in 14 years) and will inevitably win many more.

ADVERTISEMENT

With an all-Manchester FA Cup final on 3 June and then another Champions League final just seven days later, they are on the brink of greatness in the form of the coveted treble. The only question is, are they going to pull it off?

You can watch their final home game of the 2022/23 season HERE and see them lift the Premier League trophy down below:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Image — Sky Sports (via Twitter)/Optus Sport (via YouTube)

Sport

Stockport County fans left ‘absolutely gutted’ after Aston Villa recall star player Louie Barry

Danny Jones Danny Jones Louie Barry recalled from Stockport County loan by Aston Villa

Stockport County fans have been left with an early lump of coal in their Christmas stockings this festive period as loanee and first-team favourite Louie Barry has been recalled by Aston Villa.

After the announcement was delivered this past weekend, Barry is set to return to his parent club in January, leaving him with just three games left before he has to say goodbye to the Hatters.

Having impressed not only in his debut campaign with Stockport but going on to hit even greater heights to emerge as their star player this season, he’s quite literally been the match-winner more times than supporters will care to count as they prepare to bid him a reluctant goodbye.

Breaking the news to the Edgeley Park faithful on Sunday evening, the update may have been inevitable but it still came as a no less painful one that has frustrated many who believe it’s a “poor from Villa” and “unfair” both on the player and the club who desperately rely on him.

Having taken his goal contribution tally from 13 in 20 games throughout 2023/24 to having notched 15 goals and three assists in 22 appearances this season so far, there can be no question that Barry has found a comfortable second home at the League One club.

It’s come as a hard one to take for the fans who are all too aware of his potential. One person joked, “Thanks villa that’s just ruined my Christmas, All the best Louie”; another simply said, “Are you taking the p***?”, while a third dubbed him a “County legend”.

Many merely mustered the old adage, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened. Thank you”, but to sum up the overall feeling, they’re simply “gutted” to be losing the super talented youngster.

One person even went so far as to write: “An absolute box office footballer and a pleasure to watch live Up there with Anthony Pilkington as the most talented footballer I’ve ever seen in a County shirt Thoroughly enjoyed every moment of watching him, will follow his career with great interest.”

Even fans of other teams have been sharing their sympathy, with more than one echoing the sentiment: “An absolute shame. Been brilliant for you but his talents do lie at a higher level. Presume he will be loaned to a Championship team for the second half of the season.”

In fact, there were plenty of Villa fans to be found in the comments too, all debating whether or not this will prove to be a “mistake”, with several asking “Why upset his rhythm?”.

Read more:

With the Birmingham-based side sitting in the European places once again in the top flight this season, the assumption is that Barry will most likely be loaned once again only to a Championship club to see at what level his ability is currently at.

Just as County will now be wishing they had, there’ll be plenty looking to snap the 21-year-old up on a permanent deal should they get the chance, with Leeds, Middlesborough and both Sheffield clubs all said to be interested.

On the other hand, with the Villans still in multiple competitions, they could be looking to bolster their squad with more numbers and given the success of youngsters like high-flying Jhon Durán, Morgan Rogers and Jacob Ramsey, they could be hoping to integrate him into the matchday squad.

However, the worry is that if he does stay at Villa Park and try to fight for first-team minutes, he could end up wasting valuable time sat waiting on the bench rather than continuing to thrive as he was at Stockport County. Regardless, the only saying still rings true: never get attached to a loan player…

Do you think Louie Barry was right to be recalled or is it a misstep from Villa?

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — Screenshot via YouTube/Stockport County

Sport

Rúben Amorim’s Man United press conference interrupted by Old Trafford roof leaking – again

Danny Jones Danny Jones Old Trafford roof starts leaking during Ruben Amorim press conference

Manchester United manager Rúben Amorim has been given plenty doses of reality since arriving at Old Trafford but surely there can’t be any more telling than the stadium’s roof leaking into his press conference?

Poetic irony timed to perfection.

Not only did the new head coach have to sit in front of journalists as he tried to wrap his head around another Premier League implosion following the 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth – a team now sat in fifth, it’s worth noting – but he also got to witness the condition the stadium first hand.

And when we say first hand, we mean literally right in front of his face.

No wonder they’re crying out for that new stadium.

It’s by no means the first time we’ve seen videos of Old Trafford leaking, not even close, but they’re usually outside – though there was a clip of the away changing room with rainwater pouring out of the ceiling that appeared online.

In this instance, not only was the leak internal but Amorim’s post-match press conference was actually briefly interrupted as drops of water fell on the desk in front of him.

You can hear reporters asking what it is (they knew full well) before United’s press officer can be heard off-camera asking them to quickly move on. Sports writer Sanny Rudravajhala quipped, “A new meaning to the leaks at #mufc”, in reference to dressing room talk and lineups still being fed to the media.

Make what you will of Amorim‘s expressions in this moment but let’s just say he can’t have been expecting to have to worry about things like this when he accepted the job.

A penny for the Portugueseman’s thoughts when he looked up and saw that leak coming from the ceiling:

Read more:

The fans are fully aware of how much work needs to be done around the club and to Old Trafford, specifically, and co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe had made no bones about expressing the desire to build ‘Wembley of the North’ during his first year at the club.

Although many are deeply reticent to let the iconic Theatre of Dreams go after more than a century of history and sporting memories, scenes like this certainly go a long way to arguing the case for a whole new home ground rather than simply renovating as it appears to be in such a sorry state of disrepair.

But even with a brand-new state-of-the-art footballing arena, it doesn’t do anything to address improving performances on the pitch as even with eye-watering sums invested in the squad over recent years, they still look way off it and serious work needs to be done for them to catch up with the pack.

You can watch the highlights from Man United vs Bournemouth below:

The leaking roof wasn’t the only thing raining down on Amorim as the derby day high was followed by a frustrating festive low.

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Images — BeanymanSports (screenshot via YouTube)

More Sport

Old clip of Fury calling Usyk a small cruiserweight foreigner karma

Sport

An old clip of Tyson Fury talking about Oleksandr Usyk has come back to haunt him – twice

Where to watch Tyson Fury vs Usyk 2 fight in Manchester

City Centre

Where to watch Tyson Fury vs Oleskandr Usyk 2 in Manchester city centre

Fury v Usyk 2 11-minute face-off

Sport

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk separated during face-off after recording-breaking stare-down

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches