Rio Ferdinand tells Robbie Savage “get your coat” after controversial Pep Guardiola claim
Robbie Savage #RobbieSavage
Rio Ferdinand and Robbie Savage clashed on Tuesday night after the latter claimed Pep Guardiola is the best manager in the history of the Premier League.
Guardiola’s Manchester City were crowned champions of England for the third time in four years after Manchester United lost to Leicester at Old Trafford.
The Spaniard now has an incredible record of having won nine league titles in his last 12 seasons as a manager.
City will now face Chelsea in the Champions League final on May 29 with the chance to complete a truly sensational campaign.
The league title was the 32nd of Guardiola’s managerial career, and cemented his place as one of the best ever.
But Ferdinand scoffed at the idea that the Spaniard should be considered better than United icon Sir Alex Ferguson.
Savage said: “Pep improves players and that side is incredible.
“For me, the best manager I’ve witnessed in the Premier League.”
Ferdinand responded by saying: “Sorry, like Chris Sutton said, you should go and get your coat for that.”
But Savage insisted: “Listen, the reason I’m saying that, Sir Alex is obviously the record he has.
“But in terms of overall, at Barca, at Bayern, now at Manchester City.
“The way teams from the Premier League down to grassroots play like Manchester City, I’ve never seen anything like it.
“The way he evolves teams. He’s won trophies with teams he should win trophies with, but if he wins the Champions League for Man City, for me, possibly the best ever.”
Ferdinand added: “I think Pep, I love him, he’s a maverick. This season, what he’s done especially, tactically the way he’s changed his team.
“He’s thickened up his midfield, got more bodies in, played with a false number nine, getting more bodies in the midfield to control the pace of the game, not making it a basketball game, up and down. “It was more about controlling possession, strangling teams.”
The two then went on to argue about City’s possible treble this season – the Champions League, Premier League and Carabao Cup.
Savage said: “He could win the treble.”
Ferdinand joked: “Not the real one though.”