This list might be bias (after all I am a Liverpool Supporter) but after carefully studying stats and what they have achieved I came up with my top 10 list of football managers. Yes, L.F.C. is blessed to have the best manager in the world, FACT. The list only includes managers who are serving in this capacity at this time it does not include former managers because we would know who would be No 1 :-)
1) Rafa Benitez :
Rafa is the best manager in the world in my opinion for a number of FACTS.
Pro: Well collected, never loses focus of the game, brilliant scholar of the game. Won the UEFA cup with Valencia, Champions League with Liverpool, won La Liga with Valencia, set to win the Premiership with Liverpool while working on very tight budgets.
Con: Communication in English has got him in trouble a few times. Never cheers.
2) José Mourinho :
Pro: Won the Champions League with Porto, Championships with Chelsea, Porto & Inter.
Con: Big mouth and likes to play ‘ugly’ football.
3) Guus Hiddink
Pro: Great International success on the national levels with Russia, South Korea, Australia & The Netherlands. He also won trophies with PSV, Chelsea & Real Madrid (no Champions League however). Credit for reviving Chelsea in the 2008/09 season.
Con: Failure to control his players, does not look too disciplined. Likes to move around a lot.
4) Marcello Lippi :
Pro: He won the 2006 World Cup and the 1996 Champions League (finishing runner up 3 times).
Con: His experience is limited to Italian teams.
5) Fabio Capello :
Pro: Ability to bring David Beckham down to Earth (twice). Won La Liga with Real Madrid and the Italian Scudetto (Serie A Championship) with Juventus, Roma & AC Milan.
Con: England has not exactly created fireworks ever since he joined. Jumped ship from Juve when they got penalised for the match fixing scandal. England is his first experience at the National level.
6) Giovanni Trapattoni :
Pro: Great International successes with Juventus, Bayern Munich, Inter, Benfica & Salzburg.
Con: Currently manager of Eire and running at a 40% win percentage.
7) Alex Ferguson :
Pro: Has won a few trophies with Manure.
Con: He has a short fuse, likes to throw shoes at players. Many Manure superstars left after fighting with Fergie. Too obsessed with Liverpool. Approaching retirement soon and does not seem to be building a succession. It took him 5 years to bring the first trophy to Old Toilet. No experience managing teams outside the British isles.
8) Carlo Ancelotti :
Pro: Great record with A.C. Milan and did have some success with Roma and an Intertoto cup with Juventus. Appointed manager at Chelsea for the 2009/10 season.
Con: His experience is however currently limited to Italian clubs.
9) Arsène Wenger :
Pro: Won the Premiership 3 times with Arsenal and the French League 1 with Monaco. Can produce some sexy football.
Con: Too much focus on young players, can not win the Champions League.
10) Harry Redknapp:
Pro: Harry is the best English Manager, also known as Harry Houdini he managed to help Portsmouth escape relegation and win the F.A. cup the year after. Won Intertoto cup with West Ham and also brought Spurs back to life after they were flirting with potential relagation.
Con: No international experience, has not won any major trophies.
Others: If Luis Scolari was not such a flop at Chelsea than he will probably be in the top 10.
OK mate, I know that you expected me to bite so I will. Did you get a bad sunstroke in Malta or are you still suffering from jetag?
Your list is simply insane! There would not be one single respected football critic who would even consider rating Rafa BeneathUs as the Number 1 manager in the world!
Why? FACT – Firstly NO international experience whatsoever not even at junior level. He has never taken a team to a World Cup whether it was at 17’s, 20’s, Olympic level or the FIFA World Cup.
2) Won the EUFA Cup FACT – Please tell me how many ordinary managers who have never been heard of again have won that trophy.
3) Won La Liga FACT – By his own admission which is on public record, Rafa did that while BOTH Barca and Real were in a transition period and he took advantage of it.
4) Won the FA Cup with Liverpool FACT – That has become a second rate competition. Manchester United even withdrew from it one year then threw away a semi final this last season because there where much bigger fish to fry.
5) Won the Champions League in 2005 FACT – Rafa had gone to Anfield at the beginning of that season and taken over a team that was put together by Houllier. Liverpool was being absolutely slaughtered 0-3 at half time and only the mother of all miracles and a penalty shootout won him that trophy. How does that make him a great manager?
6) 2008/2009 EPL Season FACT – Any decent manager would have walked away with that title considering the commitments United were faced with in the first half of the season. A seven point lead in January resulted in a four point deficit by May!
7) Set to win The Premiership in 2009/10??? – That is such a huge question mark that nobody can answer yet. It can only be your wishful thinking.
8) Finally, your quote “L.F.C. is blessed to have the best manager in the world, FACT” Antoine, how can you or any other intelligent person claim that statement to be a fact? It defies all logic!
As for your other rankings, I will not waste any more time commenting except to ask, which other manager on your list has won ELEVEN Premierships, numerous FA Cups, 2 Champion Leagues, a treble, two hat tricks of Championships and too many other honours to mention? BeneathUs can not even dream of matching Fergusons record in his lifetime.
Yes Antoine, you invited me to bite to your ridiculous rankings and I have. Anyone with an iota of football knowledge and without a Liverpool bias would not even have BeneathUs in the top 10!
Just one more mate
7) Alex Ferguson :
Pro: Has won a few trophies with Manure
Without even counting, Ferguson has won more trophies than your other 9 top ten managers have won between them!
Tell me, are you SERIOUS about all this?
Frank if I wanted your opinion I would have asked for it.
You got me going now Antoine so here’s another
The only two trophies Rafa has won in his five years at Anfield have both been on penalty shootouts.
Tell me, what influence does ANY manager has got over that lottery?
Too quick for your last comment Antoine!
Is that not the reason why you put up these opinions? Do you not welcome opposite views?
Fair crack of the whip mate
I do not understand why you claim you are a Manure fan and yet you keep posting on this site which is intended for LIVERPOOL SUPPORTERS.
Mr Z: If I weren’t an avid Liverpool supporter I would question your rationale. You are soooo biased. But I love you for it cos you’re so knowledgeable and you support my beloved team. But Arsene doesn’t only promote sexy football. He IS sexy!!