The greatest...
PREMIER LEAGUE MANAGERS
COUNTING DOWN THE BEST BOSSES
1. SIR ALEX FERGUSON
Sir Alex Ferguson is No.1 in this hit parade, and it’s not even close. Such was his dominance of the top flight at times with Manchester United that it felt like Ferguson basically was the Premier League. After tough beginnings at Old Trafford, he never looked back when getting into his stride in the nineties. After United ended their 26-year title drought in 1993, the floodgates opened and Ferguson was relentless. By the time he waltzed into the sunset in 2013, the Reds had finished top of the English pile a remarkable 13 times. Ferguson’s longevity was extraordinary, and he kept adapting to the times. United were fashioned in his image too. Thrilling. Courageous. Indefatigable. The Scot probably created three great teams – his Double winners of 199394, the Treble side of 1998-99 and his 2007-08 vintage that won the league and European Cup. If you had to suggest a downside, it is that Ferguson could have won more in Europe, with the quality of his players. However, his reign will rightly be remembered as an incredible success. Ferguson was a colossus of the game, a force of nature. Truly, we will never see the like again.
2. PEP GUARDIOLA
Pep Guardiola is one of the most compelling figures in modern football. He has been blessed by having special talent at Manchester City, but has clearly taken players to new heights and has sent out some of the best sides in the history of the game. Tactical master Guardiola has already helped himself to six major trophies in Manchester. His dynamic and exhilarating team that won the league with 100 points in 2017-18 is one of the finest we have ever seen on these shores. City were looking a decent bet for the European Cup this season, before football was halted. And if Guardiola sticks around long-term, he’ll surely close the gap on Ferguson.
3. JOSE MOURINHO
Who else could call themselves the Special One and then go and prove he was just that? Jose Mourinho is the worst behaved of this bunch, but he has been a prolific winner for two decades. Mourinho’s Chelsea teams during his first Stamford Bridge reign were formidable, especially the 2004-05 Premier League winners that only lost one game and conceded just 15 goals. His 2014-15 title with Chelsea should not be forgotten either – there were some top sides around then. Mourinho’s standards have slipped lately, his approach seeming outdated at times and his old foe Guardiola has clearly surpassed him. But winning a League Cup and Europa League during his short spell at Manchester United was hardly the disaster it is sometimes painted as and Tottenham manager Mourinho is a good solid third in this chart.
4. ARSENE WENGER
It was a classic game of two halves for Arsene Wenger at Arsenal. But as much as the second half frustrated, let’s not forget the glories of the first. He arrived to talk of ‘Arsene who?’ but left as one of the giants of English football. He was an innovator, his new approach to training methods and diet adopted throughout the game here. In his first decade came two Doubles and the ‘Invincibles’ of 200304, all achieved with a grace and style that made the Gunners a simply brilliant team to watch. Wenger operated under some financial constraints later on but a nine-year trophy drought was still an obvious black mark against his record. The Frenchman slots into fourth place in my table. A place in the Champions League. Appropriate, don’t you think?
5. JURGEN KLOPP
A terrific manager, the charismatic Jurgen Klopp is probably the most likeable of this famous five. Him and Liverpool are a perfect match and the German already seems destined to go down as a folk hero at Anfield. His 2018-19 season was special, with 97 points in the league and a European Cup. And this campaign has already cemented his excellence, with the Merseysiders on the verge of finally ending a 30-year wait for the league title. If you are annoyed Klopp is not higher than fifth, it is really a matter of timing. He needs a few more seasons and a few more pots in the Liverpool trophy cabinet to rise further up the rankings. Come back to me in five years. I strongly suspect he’ll be safely ensconced in the top three bosses by then.