Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has called new Leeds United manager Sam Allardyce ‘delusional’ for comparing himself to Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola.
Allardyce had claimed that none of the Premier League managers had more footballing knowledge than him.
The 68-year-old mentioned Klopp, Guardiola and Mikel Arteta, but Carragher does not think he is in the same ballpark.
In his column for The Telegraph, he wrote: “Love him or loathe him, you cannot help but laugh when you see Allardyce holding court as the chairman and chief spokesman of his own fan club.
“Was Allardyce’s tongue in his cheek when he said he considered himself the equal of Pep Guardiola, Klopp, and Mikel Arteta? I would like to think so.
“Otherwise, it is a toss-up as to whether it is brave or crazy to make such a statement when facing Guardiola and one of the best teams to ever grace the Premier League in his first game.”
Carragher claimed that Allardyce’s reputation would allow him to get away with it and highlighted this was not the first time he had blown his own trumpet.
He pointed to when the former England manager claimed he would only get a top-four club coaching job if his name were ‘Allardici’.
Allardyce has generally positioned himself as an antithesis to ‘modern and progressive’ football. This is a football school in which Guardiola and Klopp are high-ranking teachers.
The new Leeds manager hosts a podcast titled ‘No Tippy Tappy Football with Sam Allardyce’.
Carragher believes that if Allardyce were Liverpool and City boss he would not have won the honours Guardiola and Klopp have.
He argued against Allardyce’s point that he did not get big jobs because he was English, citing Newcastle United’s appointment of Eddie Howe as proof that clubs will go down that route if the manager is the right fit.
However, he agreed with Allardyce that different football styles enhance the game and said it would be boring if everyone played like Klopp and Guardiola.
