Pep Guardiola has established Manchester City as one of the most dangerous teams in Europe. The club may not have won the treble this time, but they became the first team to win the Premier League four times in a row. However, with the Sky Blues under heavy scrutiny because of the 115 Financial Fair Play charges against them, are pundits apprehensive about recognizing Pep as one of the best coaches in the league ever? Gary Neville opened up about Guardiola’s comparison with Sir Alex Ferguson after becoming the second most successful manager in the Premier League.

Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast with Jamie Carragher, Ian Wright, and Roy Keane, the former Manchester United right-back felt that Sir Alex is still the GOAT of the Premier League. Neville initially said, “I think the longevity and like 13 Premier League titles,” giving his reason despite agreeing that Pep’s tenure is also long enough, and his reach is close to Fergie’s. However, things turned interesting when Carragher asked whether his opinion would change if Pep won another two titles in two years.

But Neville further replied, “I’m likely to go with Sir Alex anyway just generally, I’m being honest with you, and I think I certainly don’t want to mention the under 15 charges. Until that’s cleared, I think we do have to just have a little bit of a ‘but.'” It appears the charges against the club are hindering Guardiola’s reputation.

Meanwhile, Guardiola ranks second in most Premier League titles with six and matched the Scottish manager with another treble. Additionally, Guardiola has a win rate of a staggering 74%, with 225 victories out of 304 matches. It is significantly higher than that of the legendary Ferguson, who managed a win rate of 65%. Nevertheless, Carragher disagreed with Neville on the issue and took the side of Pep Guardiola on the FFP issue.

Jamie Carragher disagrees with Neville regarding Pep Guardiola

On the other hand, Jamie Carragher feels the charges were against the team and not Pep Guardiola. Additionally, the former Liverpool manager regarded that most of them were before Guardiola arrived in 2016, which shouldn’t affect his credibility. According to reports, around 115 accusations question City’s failure to provide accurate and up-to-date financial information from the 2009-10 season to 2017-18.

Also, the proper information about the players’ and managers’ compensations remains undisclosed. But a few of the charges are also because of the club’s compliance issues.

Moreover, 35 indictments are reportedly against the club for not cooperating with the Premier League’s investigation process from 2018 to 2013. Therefore, the club and the former Barcelona player-turned-manager are under pressure to settle the issue ASAP and ensure they receive the credit they deserve.