When it comes to the greatest managers in history, it's almost impossible to beat Sir Alex Ferguson.Making his name with a slew of trophies at Aberdeen, the Scot would rise to legendary status with his achievements at Manchester United and spent no less than 27 years at Old Trafford.It's well documented that Ferguson actually struggled during his first few seasons at the club but once the Premier League era arrived, he was collecting medals on an almost industrial basis.By the time Ferguson hung up the hairdryer in 2013, he had elevated United to the most successful club in English football history and bowed out with a record 20th league crown.Say what you like about Ferguson's coaching, man-management and philosophy, it was his serial winning that has made him such a legend and it begs the question: can anyone compare?

Greatest managers in history

Well, there can be no doubting that Pep Guardiola has been the best manager of the last 10 years and if anyone will over-take Ferguson, it's probably the current Manchester City boss.

However, the Spaniard is still a long way behind matching the feats of Ferguson, despite enjoying success at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and now on English shores.

If we look a little further back, then the biggest contenders for the throne would include Arrigo Sacchi, Johan Cruyff, Rinus Michels and Bill Shankly.

Managers by number of trophies

We could list legendary managers until we're blue in the face, but the only way to satisfy everybody is to speak objectively and there's no finer metric in coaching than trophies.

This week, Goal.com decided to look at which managers have won the most silverware across footballing history and it certainly made for interesting reading.

It essentially confirmed that Ferguson is the undisputed number one, coming out on top with 49 major honours and collecting 17 more than his nearest contender.

The full top ten can be seen down below:

Surely Ferguson has got to be accepted as the managerial GOAT, right?

Perhaps one of the most interesting storylines from the list is the battle between Jose Mourinho and Guardiola, which has become closer than ever in recent years.

It now seems inevitable that Guardiola will take control of the rivalry in the coming weeks, assuming that City either seal the Premier League title or win the FA Cup.

On the other hand, it's been rumoured that Mourinho wants a move to clubs like Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain where it would be easier for him to bridge the gap.

Either way, though, both men are amongst some of the greatest coaches in history and the fact they're over halfway to Ferguson's trophy total is impressive in itself.

Who do you think is the greatest manager in history? Have your say in the comments section below.