The 15 best managers of the Premier League era.
In light of recent discussions about the finest players of the Premier League era, here at CaughtOffside we’ve decided to take a slightly different angle – who are the best managers of the Premier League era?
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This is our final list of 15, with each manager’s achievements at English top flight clubs within the Premier League era being the only thing considered:
15) Tony Pulis (Stoke City and Crystal Palace)
The baseball capped one just squeezes onto this list – and rightly so. To stabilise a newly promoted Stoke City team, without huge resources, in the Premier League was one thing, but keeping Crystal Palace up last season was proof of Pulis’ ability as a manager.
14) Glenn Hoddle (Chelsea, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Wolves)
Now a first team coach at QPR under Harry Redknapp, but perhaps better known for his television work, Glenn Hoddle did good Premier League jobs either side of his ill-fated spell as England manager. Even then, it was off-the-field controversies that undid his chances.
13) Mauricio Pochettino (Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur)
The job that Pochettino did at Southampton is perhaps now being underestimated due to the early success of Ronald Koeman at St. Mary’s, but Pochettino turned a side playing naively under Nigel Adkins into one with energy, skill and nous. Can he do similar with Tottenham?
12) Sam Allardyce (Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United)
Apart from his ill-fated spell in charge of Newcastle, Sam Allardyce has perhaps been the most reliable Premier League manager of the last decade for smaller clubs, bringing Bolton up and making them top half regulars before doing solid work with Blackburn and West Ham.
11) Manuel Pellegrini (Manchester City)
As one of very few managers to have actually lifted the Premier League trophy, it is only right that Pellegrini features on this list, but we get the feeling that City’s Chilean boss still has plenty to prove and plenty to win, potentially moving him much higher up.
10) Harry Redknapp (West Ham United, Portsmouth, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur and Queens Park Rangers)
Current QPR boss Harry Redknapp is certainly a character who provides opinion, which is perhaps why he missed out on the England job when clear favourite, but he is an easy pick for this list thanks to his achievements at West Ham, Portsmouth and Tottenham Hotspur, being the only man so far to lead the latter into the Champions League.
9) Sir Bobby Robson (Newcastle United)
The legendary late former England boss Sir Bobby Robson led Newcastle United to perhaps their best spell of the Premier League era during his last managerial job, making the Toon Army regulars in the Champions League and heading some really memorable seasons at St. James’ Park before his retirement.
8) David Moyes (Everton and Manchester United)
Whilst his time as manager of Manchester United can largely be dismissed, it is easy to forget what a fine job David Moyes did in a decade as head honcho at Everton. Capable of organising his side to consistently get results and extract huge value out of the transfer market, Moyes earned his shout at the big time, even if it went pear-shaped.
7) Kenny Dalglish (Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and Liverpool)
Another member of the select club to have a Premier League title to their name, Kenny Dalglish is an automatic pick based on that, even if his latter spells in charge of Newcastle United and Liverpool went awry, lifting the Premier League title with Blackburn Rovers was a fine achievement.
6) Roberto Mancini (Manchester City)
The man who made Manchester City into a genuinely big club, Roberto Mancini was another manager who divided opinions but whose record stands up for itself – an FA Cup win and a Premier League title in charge of a club trying to break into the cartel of big boys.
5) Carlo Ancelotti (Chelsea)
One of the finest managerial minds of his generation full stop, Italian boss Carlo Ancelotti was well respected at Chelsea and led them to two Premier League titles before being abruptly sacked by trigger happy owner Roman Abramovich – a decision that he regretted until the return of Jose Mourinho last summer.
4) Rafael Benitez (Liverpool and Chelsea)
He may have been on the receiving end of numerous jokes, but winning the Champions League with Liverpool is still arguably the finest single achievement any manager has made during the Premier League era. Benitez did an excellent job at Anfield and was unlucky not to come closer to a league title, whilst he also stabilised Chelsea and lifted continental silverware during his short period there.
3) Jose Mourinho (Chelsea)
Outspoken, controversial, enigmatic – there are many words that can be used to described Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, but the most accurate is surely “successful”. Almost everything that he has touched during his career has turned to gold, and that was no different in his first spell at Chelsea – we await the end result of his second crack at Stamford Bridge.
2) Arsene Wenger (Arsenal)
Now the longest serving manager in English football by a mile, Arsene Wenger revolutionised scouting and training methods when he first arrived as an unheard of Frenchman from the J-League and has built up a consistent, successful football club in his image since. Deserves a little more respect than he often gets, despite recent frustrations.
1) Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United)
Sir Alex Ferguson won everything as Manchester United manager and upset everyone possible along the way – he is a character the likes of which we may never see in English football again. It is impossible not to put a man who has won that much, that consistently over that period at the time at the top of this list. A well deserved first place.