Reflections : Who Is The World's Greatest Manager?

Yes we have had this discussion before but in light of recent events I thought it would be a good idea to pick just 5 names who are still active and examine the strengths and weaknesses of each. While discussing strengths I will try to focus on what makes that person stand out from the rest while when discussing weaknesses I will concentrate of why this person can still not be called the very best. At the end of it I will not draw any firm conclusions and leave it open to discussion. Also please note that this is not about achievements in the last decade or any specific time period. We are looking at the entire careers of these individuals.


1. Sir Alex Ferguson :-

Strengths - 1. a one man show at ManUtd who has taken the club to unprecedented success
2. a very rich trophy haul
3. ability to build new teams from scratch after letting some of the biggest stars leave for various reasons
4. teams are more about players who are bought young and developed under his tutelage than established stars from outside
5. always promotes an attacking style of play

Weaknesses - 1. it might sound harsh but he is a slow learner. He took a long time to get settled at ManUtd and start winning trophies. It's debatable whether anyone in today's times would be afforded that kind of time.
2. took a long time to grasp the European game. For many years he was tactically outwitted in UCL till he finally learnt the ropes but once he did he became as good as anyone.


2. Guus Hiddink :-

Strengths - 1. ability to get maximum returns from minimal resources and often working so called miracles
2. the very best at going to diverse club and international environments, picking up things in double quick time and producing results almost instantaneously
3. can make teams play very stylish football but can sacrifice that readily when winning becomes a priority
4. an excellent tactician who can get the better of just about anyone in the world

Weaknesses - 1. lack of big trophies. His trophy haul is the least impressive of all in this list.
2. his critics say that he is not at his best with the biggest of teams and some even suggest that he is not the best at handling immense pressure with his best performances having invariably come with the smaller teams


3. Marcello Lippi :-

Strengths - 1. the only contemporary coach to have attained the highest echelons of success in both club and international football.
2. a very rich trophy haul in club football
3. an able tactician who can at times surprise opponents with tactics not expected from his team
4. a huge motivator who can promote bonding and team spirit like few can

Weaknesses - 1. although he can at times provide a little style his teams are often accused of being dull
2. known to take a conservative approach and not promote young players as very evident in his second tenure with Italy.
3. often said to not be able to get along with the biggest of star players to the extent of dropping them in favor of group unity


4. Fabio Capello :-

Strengths - 1. arguably the biggest winner of all since he wins where he goes and that includes diverse club environments in different countries.
2. a huge trophy haul
3. a non-nonsense disciplinarian who can set the biggest of stars straight and clean up the most difficult of environments
4. excellent in transfer market

Weaknesses - 1. the number one promoter of ugly, boring football
2. has often had poor relations with his employers leading to some undeserved sackings and rumors which harmed his reputation
3. not so successful in UCL in later years losing out to contemporaries and younger coaches


5. Jose Mourinho :-

Strengths - 1. a trophy haul which seems to be aiming towards matching those of the all time best
2. loved unconditionally by his teams and especially the key players
3. a very strong motivator who can make his team believe they can do the impossible
4. success in diverse environments

Weaknesses - 1. hated by everyone else including opposing teams, the media etc. for his consistent ill-natured comments
2. known to promote substance over style to the extent of often championing ugly football
3. at times tactically outwitted by his contemporaries but certainly not too often
4. in later years has succeeded only in teams with large transfer expenditures and the biggest of stars at his disposal