‘In my lifetime’: English coaching legend makes astonishing Manchester City claim

Neil Warnock has hailed Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City as the best team he has ever faced off against, with the English cult hero lauding the reigning Premier League champions.

Speaking on the JaackMaate Happy Hour Podcast, the 73-year-old coach was full of praised when asked which team was the most difficult he faced during his managerial career, which has spanned more than 40 years from almost every level of the English footballing pyramid.

As well as naming Guardiola’s City as the best team he has played against, Warnock also tipped the Manchester side to win the UEFA Champions League this season, with the Cityzens one of the favourites to go all the way this campaign.

With Erling Haaland now leading the line, City’s odds of finally winning Europe’s biggest club prize feels like a certainty this season, and for Warnock, this Guardiola side, as well as the one he last faced, are something quite special.

Warnock said: “His team, at the moment, over the last two years, are the best team I’ve ever seen in my lifetime. I’ve never seen anything like it. I was at Cardiff and we played City, we were 0-0 after 25 minutes. We were playing really well.”

The veteran coach added: “I’m thinking, ‘Wow, we are doing well’. And we go in at half-time 3-0 down. I couldn’t even fault the lads, because they were just amazing. They’ve moved football on so much so I really hope they win the Champions league.”

Warnock’s praise of City is perhaps not too surprising given the achievements the English side have managed during the Sheffield-born coach’s career, yet the 73-year-old’s comments are a true testament to just how good and historic Guardiola’s side is.

Indeed, the Catalan coach has achieved numerous records during his tenure in Manchester, with Guardiola the second-most successful manager in Premier League history, and Warnock’s comments reflect just how incredible a job the former FC Barcelona icon has done over the years.