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The Ten Best Managers in British Football

By Jimmy Leach

Monday, 18 May 2009

After knocking over the Old Firm in Scotland, he has done what he needed to do and kocked Liverpool off their perch - followed by Blackburn, Arsenal, Chelsea and all the other passing threats to Manchester United's supremacy. A third Champions League victory will quell those who carp at his European records, but his domestic success is unrivalled.

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After knocking over the Old Firm in Scotland, he has done what he needed to do and kocked Liverpool off their perch - followed by Blackburn, Arsenal, Chelsea and all the other passing threats to Manchester United's supremacy. A third Champions League victory will quell those who carp at his European records, but his domestic success is unrivalled.

Many are claiming that Manchester United's latest title triumph is confirmation that Sir Alex Ferguson is the greatest manager to have ever plied his trade on these shores.

To understand the legends that Ferguson is up against we've compiled the greatest ever managers in the history of British football.

Click the image on the right to launch our guide.

If Ferguson can lead United to victory in the upcoming Champions League final, it will see him equal Bob Paisley's record of three European titles and leave few arguments against his standing as the greatest of them all.

But who do you think is the greatest? Which managers should have made our Ten Best list? Leave your comments and suggestions below.







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SAF
[info]subbaman wrote:
Monday, 18 May 2009 at 05:28 pm (UTC)

35 years in the business and counting with 36 trophies (excluding the 8 Community Shields) to show for it. That's like a trophy for each year and more. Truly unrivalled in the trophy haul department not only in British football but in all Europe and even the world probably. Add a third CL trophy come the 27th and he is going to go down in history as the greatest manager of all time, PERIOD.
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Bill Shankly
[info]psi163 wrote:
Monday, 18 May 2009 at 06:15 pm (UTC)
What about FA Cup in 1974????
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Re: Bill Shankly
[info]jleach wrote:
Monday, 18 May 2009 at 09:22 pm (UTC)
'And Newcastle are undressed'.

An FA Cup win that was a victim of over ruthless tidying in the subbing process. Apologies.
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SAF
[info]robbo7 wrote:
Monday, 18 May 2009 at 07:12 pm (UTC)
Fergie for what he achieved at aberdeen would have justified including him in the top 10, but his achievements with utd really are amazing, can't forget shankly and busby both built utd and liverpool from scratch and to paisley and clough great managers, its all subjective but i'd include revie yes the much maligned revie instead of the special one otherwise the top 10 is spot on.
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Re: SAF
[info]jleach wrote:
Monday, 18 May 2009 at 09:25 pm (UTC)
Revie has a strong case, particularly, as you say, up against Mourinho who's achievement were of the buying, not building, variety. But for all Revie's success at Leeds, they won relatively few trophies. There's a good case, though, and perhaps I was swayed by the media portrayal of him a little too much.
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BOBBY ROBSON
[info]daniel72 wrote:
Monday, 18 May 2009 at 10:39 pm (UTC)
Probably taught Mourinho a thing or two, won the UEFA cup with the incredible Ipswich Town side of the late 70s/early 80's, much undervalued as England manager, the best Newcastle manager of the last decade or two.......
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Re: BOBBY ROBSON
[info]jleach wrote:
Tuesday, 19 May 2009 at 09:19 am (UTC)
Bobby was probably unlucky in that he was chasing a very decent Liverpool side, but I'd say a title would be a minimum requirement for entry to the top ten. And best Newcastle manager of the last decade is faint praise indeed.
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Herbert Chapman
[info]montreal_2 wrote:
Tuesday, 19 May 2009 at 01:02 am (UTC)
Surely Herbert Chapman deserves a mention for his achievements at Huddersfield and Arsenal? I reckon he did more than Mourhino... I found this quote from the job posting for Arsenal a bit ironic (thanks Wikpedia)

"Gentlemen whose sole ability to build up a good side depends on the payment of heavy and exhorbitant [sic] transfer fees need not apply."
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Re: Herbert Chapman
[info]jleach wrote:
Tuesday, 19 May 2009 at 09:22 am (UTC)
Very good point...
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No Howard Kendall??
[info]shallowguy wrote:
Tuesday, 19 May 2009 at 03:02 am (UTC)
Surely Kendall's achievements wtih Everton are as good as Mourinho's, especially when comparing the amounts of resources that each of them had at their disposal.
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Re: No Howard Kendall??
[info]jleach wrote:
Tuesday, 19 May 2009 at 09:22 am (UTC)
Kendall's second spell ruined it, I think. Very impressive first time, but Mourinho's record is relatively unsullied as yet.
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pound for pound arsene wenger is the best manager since brian clough
[info]maradona_2009 wrote:
Tuesday, 19 May 2009 at 05:21 am (UTC)
there is no doubt we have had some great managers in the english game but for my money pound for pound arsene wenger is the best he is on par with the great brian clough for my money they share the same vision and phillosophy on how the game should be played
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Re: pound for pound arsene wenger is the best manager since brian clough
[info]northernsaddler wrote:
Tuesday, 19 May 2009 at 11:41 am (UTC)
No they don't - Clough instructed his teams to respect the referee and play by the rules. Wenger turns a blind eye to cheating.
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best football managers
[info]ometepe08 wrote:
Tuesday, 19 May 2009 at 07:27 am (UTC)
Jimmy Sirrel Notts County FC -from 4th to 1st division and stayed up 3 seasons.
Without the big money of some of your list.
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Re: best football managers
[info]jleach wrote:
Tuesday, 19 May 2009 at 09:23 am (UTC)
Ditto Dario Gradi's record
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SACKING fERGUSON
[info]gerard1904 wrote:
Tuesday, 19 May 2009 at 09:02 am (UTC)
It was a great piece of business the day St Mirren sacked Fergie! What was the name of the man responsible and what is he doing today?
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Re: SACKING fERGUSON
[info]jleach wrote:
Tuesday, 19 May 2009 at 09:24 am (UTC)
He came to football from the music industry, having told the Beatles that people don't like guitar music. He joined Microsoft and said the internet was a passing fad...
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Jose?
[info]northernsaddler wrote:
Tuesday, 19 May 2009 at 11:18 am (UTC)
Mourinho - don't make me laugh. He was only here for a few years so can hardly be described as an all time great. No European titles either. Come back in 10 years and maybe a contender should he come back.
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Stan Cullis
[info]fredspoonz wrote:
Tuesday, 19 May 2009 at 01:15 pm (UTC)
Surely Stan Cullis deserves a mention for his achievements with the perenially unfashionable Wolves.

As well as laying the foundations for the European competitions his record for Wolverhampton Wanderers (as player and manager) speak for themselves:

Football League First Division

Winner 1954, 1958, 1959
Runner-up 1938, 1939, 1950, 1955, 1960
FA Cup

Winner 1949, 1960
Runner-up 1939
FA Charity Shield

Winner 1959
Shared 1949 (with Portsmouth), 1954 (with West Bromwich Albion), 1960 (with Burnley)
Runner-up 1958
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Re: Stan Cullis
[info]willwalton wrote:
Wednesday, 20 May 2009 at 08:51 am (UTC)
I'll second that. A glaring omission.
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[info]iseerobots wrote:
Wednesday, 20 May 2009 at 12:11 pm (UTC)
Owen Coyle!
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Ten best British managers
[info]mattthegoalie wrote:
Wednesday, 20 May 2009 at 01:44 pm (UTC)
Agree with those who object to Chapman's omission. But, if it's BRITISH football, what about two Rangers'bosses - Bill Struth 30 trophies (44 if you include wartime wins - 80 if you include Glasgow Cup wins) and Scot Symon (16 trophies).

Re who sacked Fergie at St Mirren. That man is former chairman Willie Todd, now in his eighties and still sorry that he had to sack him.

If, as I have, you've read the transcript of Fergie's unfair dismissal case against Saints (which he lost), then Willie Todd's actions are fully justified - as a club chairman he'd have been in dereliction of duty had he NOT sacked him.

Fergie has a nasty streak which too many sycophantic hacks have whitewashed over.
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Walter Smith
[info]funnyname1 wrote:
Thursday, 21 May 2009 at 11:14 am (UTC)
7 Scottish Leagues, & Scottish FA Cups and 4 Scottish League Cups
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it has to be sir bob
[info]edocamgine wrote:
Thursday, 21 May 2009 at 02:36 pm (UTC)
if your going on pure trophy haul you have to take into account the time scale. Sir Bob's trophy ratio is better that alex ferguson's.

Sir Bob's (every trophy)................ 2.11 trophies per season
ferguson (every trophy)................ 1.55 trophies per season

even if you remove the charity shields, remove fergusons scottish record and just tally english league records, sir Bob always comes out with a better trophy per season record. Plus he was a true gentleman and a true genius so Sir Bob shades it.
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MOURINHO - TOP TEN
[info]dwb1010 wrote:
Saturday, 23 May 2009 at 06:20 am (UTC)
SORRY GUYS BUT THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE HAD STAN CULLIS OF WOLVES INSTEAD OF JOSE. HIS RECORD IN THE 50'S WHEN THEY CONSISTENTLY OUTPERFORMED BUSBY'S MAN UTD WAS A MARVELLOUS FEAT
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Jock Stein
[info]henwin wrote:
Sunday, 24 May 2009 at 06:50 am (UTC)
Of the great managers on this list, Stein was the only one who was successful without being able to buy expensive stars from elsewhere. Subtract the latter from the other teams and they wouldn't have won a great deal. He also achieved domestic dominance in the face of a sectarian bias from the SFA, referees and the Scottish media, and a relatively much wealthier Rangers than today.
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over-rated!
[info]adedownunder wrote:
Tuesday, 26 May 2009 at 03:32 am (UTC)
mourinho should not be in the top ten best managers of all time- anyone could win the premier league if they had enough money for 2 world class players per position!

if this was a top ten biggest characters of all time maybe yes, but as a manager he 's not in the same league as ferguson, wenger, clough, et al! imagine what Arsene Wenger would have done with those millions!
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Re: over-rated!
[info]austincambridge wrote:
Tuesday, 26 May 2009 at 01:31 pm (UTC)
Oh yeah? Watch City next year!
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Mourinho should not be included!
[info]redsue09 wrote:
Tuesday, 26 May 2009 at 12:54 pm (UTC)
How can Jose Mourinho be included ahead of Kenny Daglish and Joe Fagan (who won the treble)!
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10 Greatest Managers
[info]horamite wrote:
Tuesday, 26 May 2009 at 01:56 pm (UTC)
1. Ferguson 1. Busby 3. Ramsey 4. Clough. 5. Revie

6. Wenger 7. Mourinho 8. Shankly 9. Paisley. 10. Chapman
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[info]domliv wrote:
Friday, 14 August 2009 at 10:13 pm (UTC)
Paisley was far greater than Ferguson. He won six English titles in 9 attempts and 3 European cups in 7. He is still the only manager in the history of the tournament to win 3 european cups/champions leagues. Ferguson's record is poor compared to Bob's. Furthermore it was Souness and his erratic management that knocked Liverpool off their perch not Ferguson or Man Utd, He and his club were just best placed to seize the opportunity afforded them by Souness. Long live Sir Bob, the greatest of them all!
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Don Revie
[info]shakeshishead wrote:
Friday, 14 August 2009 at 11:33 pm (UTC)
Mourinho? You're having a laughing aren't you? No Don Revie? Shame on you.
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Genial Joe
[info]originaleskimo wrote:
Friday, 11 September 2009 at 02:02 pm (UTC)
Joe Mercer - the last man to manage a team to the league title using only Englishmen. An amazing achievement even then and it will probably never be matched. Manchester City, the last English league champions.
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Ferguson
[info]guv111 wrote:
Wednesday, 23 September 2009 at 11:30 am (UTC)
Ferguson did a great job at Aberdeen, but he has had almost unlimited cash to splash at man U, so I think he will always be behind those who created big clubs from small acorns. Also, he could easily have lost both United's Champion's League wins, requiring a complacent bayern to capitulate, and John Terry to miss a penalty, respectively.

Ahead of Ferguson are (in order):

Clough (Derby and Forest)
Shankly
Revie

He's also behind Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison, who took Manchester City from the old second division to the League title, the FA Cup, and the Cup Winners' Cup.

Also ahead of Ferguson is Jock Stein for turning a club from Scotland (playing poor opponents week in week out) with local players into European Champions.

Bob Paisley, with less money, also did a better job than Ferguson over a far shorter period of time.
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Dario Gradi
[info]shadowman80 wrote:
Wednesday, 23 September 2009 at 11:55 am (UTC)
Hear me out on this. I fully acknowledge that Bobby Robson (RIP) should have been on this list but I believe that Gradi should have for:

1) Longevity
2) Loyalty
3) Nurture of so much talent
4) Adapting methods over time and not closing off his mind to new techniques.
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(no subject) - [info]tingting789 - Friday, 16 October 2009 at 03:55 pm (UTC) Expand
(no subject) - [info]xiashixiong789 - Friday, 16 October 2009 at 05:15 pm (UTC) Expand

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