Which Position Makes the Best Manager?
Article by Lucas WhiteheadI have always pondered over which position makes the best manager and I will evaluate managers from every area of the pitch.
Goalkeepers
Dino Zoff
Michel Preud’Homme
Bruce Arena
Dino Zoff
There is a scarcity of Goalkeepers turned managers in the world and there are not many Goalkeepers who have held successful managerial positions but Dino Zoff hasn’t bucked that trend and has done rather well. After his world cup heroics in 1982, Zoff waited six years before becoming manager of Italian giants Juventus. During his stay at Juve, he won two trophies before being sacked, the Coppa Italia and the UEFA cup. Following his departure, Zoff joined Lazio where he held his post for four years before being appointed the club’s president, in 1996 he was appointed manager again before he took the Italy manager’s job in 1998. Italy were runners up to reigning world champions France in the 2000 European championships before the usually quiet and reserved Silvio Berlusconi criticised Zoff publicly leading to his resignation as Head Coach. Zoff’s last hurrah came in 2006 when he rescued Fiorentina from relegation before his sacking.
Michel Preud’Homme
Belgian Preud’Homme is currently head coach at Club Brugge but his previous successes have been at Standard Liege, Gent, FC Twente and Al-Shabab. At Liege, he won the Belgian first division title once before he moved on to Gent and a Belgian cup. He crossed the border to the Netherlands after an Englishman with an Umbrella departed FC Twente for VFL Wolfsburg; he won the Johan Cruyff Schaal and the KNVB cup. A spell in the middle east ensued for Preud’Homme at Al-Shabab where he won the Saudi Premier league. He left Al-Shabab for Club Brugge last month.
Bruce Arena
Brooklyn bruiser Bruce Arena is probably the USA’s greatest ever manager. He kicked off his club managerial career at D.C. United, winning two MLS cups, a supporters’ shield, three MLS eastern conferences, a US open cup and a CONCACAF Champions’ cup. Understandably this haul in three seasons attracted the interest of the USA national side where he won two CONCACAF gold cups. After 8 years, his contract ran out as USA’s manager and he took up the managers’ role at New York Red Bulls and his 17 months there were not fruitful. Just under a year later, he took up the vacant post at LA Galaxy, winning two MLS cups, two supporters’shields and 3 MLS western conferences. He has been MLS coach of the year three times.
Defenders
Sir Alf Ramsey
Jock Stein
Bob Paisley
Sir Alf Ramsey
Beginning at Ipswich, former right back Ramsey guided the provincial minnows from the third division south to the first division, winning the first division in 1962. The FA had sacked Walter Winterbottom and appointed Ramsey in 1962 and four years later the crowd thought it was all over and it was. In 1966, England won the world cup, a feat never repeated. One year at Birmingham in the 1977-78 was his final post as manager.
Jock Stein
Jock Stein was manager of 5 teams, Dunfermline, Hibernian, Scotland and Leeds United. At Hibs and Dunfermline Stein won the Scottish cup once for each side and in 1965 he was appointed Celtic manager. Stein was the first Protestant to manage Celtic and he held two positions at one point as he took the Scotland job for a part-time basis. Jock Stein was manager of the Lisbon Lions. His Celtic side in 1967 became the first British side to win the European cup and he won ten Scottish first divisions, eight Scottish cups, and six Scottish league cups. Abridging his stint at Celtic and his seven years at Scotland was a nine game stint as manager of Leeds to forget. He spent seven years as national manager winning one Rous cup and tragically he died in the job after a match versus Wales at Ninian Park.
Bob Paisley
Bill Shankly’s understudy at Liverpool was Bob Paisley and upon Shankly’s retirement as Liverpool manager, Paisley became manager. Bob Paisley is the only Manager to have ever won three European cups and he did so as Liverpool manager in 1977, 1978 and in 1981. He won six first divisions, six charity shields, three league cups a UEFA cup and a UEFA super cup.
Midfielders
Johan Cruyff
Josep Guardiola
Vicente Del Bosque
Johan Cruyff
The co-pioneer of Total Football and arguably Europe’s greatest ever player. Johan Cruyff first managed at his spiritual home of Ajax. A three year tenure brought three trophies, two KNVB cups and a UEFA cup winners’ cup. He left for another of his former clubs, Barcelona and a profitable eight year period as manager brought eleven trophies, a cup winners’cup, a Copa del Rey, four La Liga titles, three Spanish super cups, a European cup and a UEFA super cup.
Josep Guardiola
A defensive midfielder, Guardiola managed one of the greatest teams in football history, FC Barcelona, and pioneered Tika-Taka football. An amazing four years at the helm brought 14 trophies, three La Ligas, two Copa del Reys, three Spanish super cups, two Champions’ leagues, two UEFA super cups, and two Club world cups. He is currently Bayern Munich manager where he has already won a UEFA super cup.
Vicente Del Bosque
Vicente Del Bosque is an amazing club and international manager, managing Real Madrid and the Spanish national side. Three stints at Real Madrid brought eight trophies, two La Ligas, one Spanish super cup, one Ibero-American cup, two champions’ leagues, a UEFA super cup, and an Intercontinental cup. In 2008, Luis Aragones retired as Spain manager after a European Championship success and Del Bosque took over and gave Spain their first World cup success and a European championship.
Forwards
Brian Clough
Don Revie
Sir Alex Ferguson
Brian Clough
Cloughie. Outspoken. Brash. Intelligent. One of my favourite managers of all time is Brian Clough, even though he failed at my club. Clough’s career was ended prematurely in 1964 after he had torn the medial and cruciate ligaments in his knee two seasons earlier and he took up the manager’s post at Hartlepool United. Clough built foundations for success during his two years as manager of Hartlepool and he was tempted to leave by Derby County chairman Sam longson. When Clough joined Derby they were merely a provincial side stuck in a rut in the second division and Clough turned them into world beaters. Derby won the second division in 1969, they won the First Division in 1972, the Texaco cup in 1972 and the Watney cup in 1970. Short and memorable stints at Brighton and Hove albion and Leeds United separated his six year stint at Derby and his 18 year period as manager of Nottingham Forest. Not dissimilar to Derby, Forest were a mid-table side in the second division and Clough turned them into European champions two times, 18 years brought 12 trophies. One first division title, two European cups in 1979 and 1980, four league cups, a charity shield, a European super cup and an Anglo-Scottish cup.
Don Revie
Clough hated Revie and was often outspoken in this hatred, Revie however was less brash and he preferred to address this criticism with questions. Don Revie is another of my favourite managers due to his thirteen year stint as manage at my club Leeds United. Revie gave Leeds many things, a white strip, legendary players, a recognisable name, a family ethos and a team and name that was feared across Europe. When Revie became manager at Leeds United they were in the second division and were known mainly for one thing only, John Charles. In two seasons, Revie had transformed Leeds from a Yorkshire team to THE Yorkshire team with promotion to the first division. In 1962, Leeds were merely a provincial side and by 1965 we were FA cup finalists losing out narrowly to Shankly’s Liverpool. Leeds underachieved during their glory days however and only brought eight trophies back to Elland Road. Two First divisions, one FA cup, a league cup, a second division, a charity shield, and two Fairs cups. Revie was appointed England manager in 1974 but he couldn’t transform his club successes to ones on the international stage. Sadly, Revie descended into obscurity in the Middle East amidst allegations of bringing the game into disrepute. He died in 1989 and to me he will remain a legend and I do not believe that he brought the game into disrepute.
Sir Alex Ferguson
It pains me to say this, but Alex Ferguson has got to be one of the greatest managers of all time. Ferguson went into management at St. Mirren, winning the Scottish first division (Second division.) Many forget or disregard Ferguson’s successes as Aberdeen manager where he made a name for himself, winning ten trophies, three Scottish premierships, four Scottish cups, one league cup, one UEFA cup winners’ cup and one UEFA super cup. For the 1986 world cup, Ferguson was Scotland manager following Jock Stein’s death. In 1986, 27 years of managing Manchester United began. Six years into his reign, it looked like Ferguson would be sacked as manager only for Mark Robins to save his career with one goal. In the years following this, Ferguson brought 38 trophies back to Old Trafford. Thirteen premier leagues, ten Community shields, five FA cups, four league cups, two Champions’ leagues, one Cup winners’ cup, one UEFA super cup, one intercontinental cup and one club world cup.
Well 1,583 words later and I haven’t made a judgement! Register your comments below with yours!
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