Manchester United: Zlatan Ibrahimovic eases Pep Guardiola feud when asked about the best manager of all time

Manchester United’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic has avoided ratcheting up a running public battle with Pep Guardiola by unexpectedly citing the manager of his team’s city rivals in response to a question about the best manager of all time.

Ibrahimovich faces Crystal Palace in south London on Wednesday night, with the home side’s manager Alan Pardew declaring that it has been is life’s ambition to go up against his aggressive threat, though the Swede has mellowed where Guardiola is concerned.

Fabio Capello features in his discussion of the all-time best manager, in United’s in-house magazine, but so does Guardiola. “It’s difficult to say one precise coach,” Ibrahimovic said. “Because you have different experiences with different coaches. I had a great time with the coach I have today [Jose Mourinho] and I had a great time with the coach that is from the opposite team from the same city – I won with him [Guardiola].”

This is a substantial shift from the memorable opening section of his autobiography, I Am Zlatan, in which he described Guardiola as controlling and a “spineless coward” after they clashed at Barcelona. Guardiola offered an acerbic response to this before September’s Manchester derby. “He explained in his book about what he believes,” Guardiola said, in a less than diplomatic response. “Always I was clear, I spoke with him face to face. I never used the media to explain what I wanted from Zlatan on the pitch.”

In the interview, Ibrahimovic also offers a sober assessment of the struggle United - currently sixth and 13 points off top side Chelsea - are facing to deal with the ghosts of the Sir Alex Ferguson era at the club

“We all respect for what has happened before [in the past few years]; they United have been on top but not really on the top, top,” the Swede said. “To be just below the top it’s pretty… not easy, but let’s just say you work for it. From there to get right to the top there is a big difference and that gap is the one we have to find. We have to find a way to play together.”

United’s secured consecutive wins for the first time since September by beating Tottenham on Sunday and manager Mourinho, without man-of-the-match Henrikh Mkhitaryan, says they are in the top three for quality of performances.

Pardew, who has former United forward Wilfried Zaha in form, first met Ibrahimovic 18 years ago at a social event on a scouting trip to Sweden, when the forward was 17. (The Palace manager’s wife, Tina, is Swedish.)

“Coming up against Zlatan is one thing I've not done in my career and I'm looking forward to it," he said. “Can you imagine him here, or at Newcastle or West Ham?” Pardew said. “They'd have loved him. He's an infectious person, he represents the game in the right manner, he's a great talent and he's scored some wonder goals."

Palace have taken four points from their past two games - having previously lost six in succession - but their defensive problems reappeared in the 3-3 draw at Hull on Saturday. "Obviously we need to tighten up," Pardew said. "Our 3-0 win against Southampton was the benchmark and we need to reproduce that against United.