Pep Guardiola agrees with Sam Allardyce’s assertion that he is as good as him as the Manchester City boss launched a defense of experienced English managers.
Embattled Leeds raised eyebrows this week by turning to the 68-year-old Allardyce in a last-ditch attempt to stave off relegation.
Allardyce’s unveiling on Wednesday was similarly surprising as he claimed “There’s nobody ahead of me in football terms – not Pep, not (Jurgen) Klopp, not (Mikel) Arteta”.
The new Leeds boss will get a chance to show that on Saturday afternoon when his relegation-threatened side travel to treble-chasing City.
Allardyce’s comments were put to Guardiola after Wednesday’s 3-0 win against West Ham and elicited a surprisingly positive response.
“He is right,” the City boss said. “I want to be honest. Now look at what happened with, for example, Neil Warnock in Huddersfield.
“Now there’s a tendency for these incredible managers, they have done this Premier League or this competition in a better position.
“It looks like now the young managers are there with the tactics or whatever… so they are really good, they help us to be what we are.
“Look at the managers, Roy Hodgson for Crystal Palace, what they have done.
“They are really good, they have an incredible experience, they know the game perfectly, and if he feels that it is because of this.
“It will be tough because he has the charisma, he will put out the pressure to the players and he knows exactly what to do in this kind of situation in a relegation battle.
“It looks like this type of old manager… I’m honest, so what they have done for the club (is dismissed as) ‘they are old, whatever’.
“Now the people who are 35, 40, 45, we invent football or we create football.
“No, football is already created and these guys belong to that league and helped us to do it and that’s why.
“So, Neil Warnock, Huddersfield was in the last (spot) and now already out of the dangerous positions.
“I could not experience what Harry Redknapp has done in this country.
“There are many, many English managers that have done really, really well.
“You don’t have to be young to be a good manager. As much experience you have, you are good.”
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Pep Guardiola agrees with Sam Allardyce’s big claim as he shouts out Neil Warnock
Sam Allardyce claimed that no manager is ‘ahead of him in football terms’ and Pep Guardiola says he is right, hailing another veteran boss in Neil Warnock.
Big Sam has made a surprise return to the Premier League with Leeds United, being given just four games to save the Yorkshire club from relegation.
The 68-year-old certainly sounds confident about doing so, claiming that even the biggest names in the Premier League are not better managers than him.
‘Far too many people think I am old and antiquated, which is so far from the truth,’ Allardyce told a press conference on Wednesday. ‘I may be 68 and look old but there’s nobody ahead of me in football terms, not Pep (Guardiola), not (Jurgen) Klopp, not (Mikel) Arteta, so it’s all there with me.
‘I share what they do and I do what I do but in terms of knowledge and depth of knowledge, I’m up there with them – I’m not saying I’m better than them – but certainly as good as they are.’
Guardiola will be Allardyce’s first opposite number as Leeds boss when they go to Manchester City on Saturday, and Pep has backed up the former England manager.
‘He’s right,’ said the Spaniard. ‘Look what happened with Neil Warnock at Huddersfield. These incredible managers.
‘It looks like the young managers, with the tactics and whatever… but they are really good, they help us be who we are. They have an incredible experience.’
Guardiola had referenced Allardyce straight after his City side beat West Ham 3-0 on Wednesday night, ahead of them welcoming Leeds to the Etihad on Saturday.
‘Every game is hard. The day was so cold and windy,’ he said. ‘We didn’t play bad but our structure wasn’t great. We didn’t score in the beginning but we pushed on. I’m really pleased with five games left.
‘This was one of our games in hand and we used it well. On Saturday at 3 pm we face Sam Allardyce.’
Warnock has earned praise from Guardiola for his efforts at the foot of the Championship with Huddersfield, where he has dragged the Terriers out of the relegation zone since arriving in February.
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