Ranking the PL Managers 23/24 edition

Welcome back to my blog, and today I will be bringing back a popular article where I rank each Premier League manager according to their track record, tactics, and management styles. Without further ado, let us get right to it.

Championship Standard

Paul Heckingbottom

Rob Edwards

Vincent Kompany

Quite ironically, the managers of all three promoted teams, who have done well in the championship to get promoted, are the only ones in this category.

While Kompany and Edwards still have time to turn their clubs’ seasons around and establish themselves as managerial masterminds, Paul Heckingbottom’s time in the PL is running out. Sheffield United finally won their first game in 11 games last Saturday, but their form so far has been terrible and should continue to be given that their manager’s tactics are quite simplistic and ineffective.

Meanwhile, Edwards and Kompany’s sides are paying the price for their managers’ inability to adapt to the PL and naivety in sticking with their own tactics, despite them clearly not working so far. Both are young managers who should be given time by their boards to sort their tactics out, but so far they have been quite subpar.

Decent

Roy Hodgson

Gary O’Neil

Sean Dyche

Steve Cooper

Andoni Iraola

David Moyes

This category is for managers who have managed to get by in the Premier League; their tactics are not necessarily unique or modern, or their tactics may not be as effective as they would hope them to be, but they still manage to get the job done.

Roy Hodgson, in all honesty, should be at home watching TV all day and walking the dog, but for some reason he is still Crystal Palace manager. Nevertheless, he gets the job done, so he can’t be ranked any lower.

Gary O’Neil has been praised plentifully for his job at Bournemouth, but this season has been a mixed bag for the Englishman as he manages Wolves.

Sean Dyche and David Moyes, meanwhile, have been getting away with playing long-ball, 2000s football in this modern era, which can be quite frustrating, but in the end, if they get the results, the method doesn’t really matter.

Steve Cooper’s Nottingham Forest side, on the other hand, has played some decent football and looks to have improved since last season, but we are yet to see how good they can and should be. Therefore, Steve Cooper remains in this section for now until he can bring out the true potential of this squad.

Finally, newcomer Andoni Iraola has implemented an attractive football style with the Cherries, but so far he has struggled to produce tangible results, which means he can’t be ranked any higher.

Tactical Masterminds

Erik Ten Hag

Mauricio Pochettino

Unai Emery

Thomas Frank

Roberto De Zerbi

Marco Silva

Ange Postecoglu

Erik Ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino have come under scrutiny for their teams’ iffy form and abysmal performances this season, but that cannot take away their managerial ability and potential. Both have similar stories, as both have done well with smaller teams that had limited resources (although Ten Hag was the only one to win silverware BEFORE his major job) before moving on to jobs with high pressure and prestige. While Ten Hag’s Manchester United have been quite terrible in the opening games of the season, that does not erase his good work from last season, and I trust he will turn it around. Meanwhile, Pochettino has made the most of an inexperienced Chelsea squad to get some decent results, but his team has also faltered on certain occasions. However, their win against Tottenham should motivate them and propel their team to success.

Meanwhile, Thomas Frank and Roberto De Zerbi are two foreign managers who have taken smaller teams in the form of Brentford and Brighton to new heights with their phenomenal football style. Both teams play on-the-ground, possession-based football, which is both attractive to watch as well as effective in producing results. RDZ in particular has taken like a duck to water to the PL, taking Brighton to the Europa League last season, in which they have beaten the likes of Marseille and Ajax so far.

Unai Emery has also revived his managerial career with a shrewd move to Aston Villa, where he has utilized a well-built squad established by his predecessor, Steven Gerrard, to lead the Birmingham side to Europe. This season, his side has done well in the Premier League and currently sits 5th in the league, which is quite a feat considering where Villa were a few years ago. Imagine telling a Villa fan that in 2015 they would be in Europe and would be fifth in the league in 8 years. They would think you were clinically insane.

Marco Silva clinches a place in this category through his work at Fulham, where he has played decent football while leading them to new heights. They finished 10th last season, and while they have struggled a bit this season due to the loss of talisman Mitrovic, I am sure Silva will turn it around and steer them to a decent finish.

Finally, Ange Postecoglu is the Premier League’s and Australia’s latest managerial sensation, as he has led his Tottenham side to second in the table so far. They have only lost one game so far and have played extremely attractive and exciting football, which has appeased the Tottenham fans. If Ange keeps this up and wins a trophy, he may surpass Pochettino as Tottenham’s greatest manager of the millennium.

Revolutionary

Jurgen Klopp

Pep Guardiola

Mikel Arteta

Eddie Howe

This category is for managers who have made considerable improvements to either the sport or their teams and have phenomenal achievements and track records.

Mikel Arteta and Eddie Howe are part of this category solely because of their tactical brilliance and the fashion in which they have made their sides one of the best in England. Mikel Arteta has led Arsenal from the lowest of lows, finishing 8th in the PL, to almost winning it last year. While the title race remains in City’s favor this season as well, if Arteta continues to play attractive football that gets results, he could be rewarded with a Premier League title in the near future if or when Pep leaves. Meanwhile, Eddie Howe has led a Newcastle side that was in the relegation zone two seasons ago to the Champions League. That statement alone is justification enough as to why he is in this category, but the Englishman also led Bournemouth from League 2 to the Premier League, another impressive feat. His stellar man-management and attractive style of football ensure he will lead Newcastle into their new era of glory.

Jurgen Klopp is a legend of the sport and Liverpool, as he has led the Reds to new heights in his eight-year tenure as Liverpool manager. He has won everything English football has to offer and has continued to play exciting football built on the revolutionary style of gegenpressing. He has refreshed his side this year with some exceptional signings and should continue to bring success to Liverpool until his departure.

Finally, we finish with Pep Guardiola, arguably the best manager in the PL (though I personally believe SAF will always hold that title). The Spaniard has revolutionized English football and football as a whole, inspiring managers in the league and across the world to play possession-based football like his City side. He has also brought results, winning five PL titles in seven years as well as a Treble. These accolades ensure that Pep is comfortably the best manager in the league and is probably the best manager post-SAF.

That’s it for this article, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Do let me know if you have different opinions on any of the managers, and look out for more exciting (and potentially unseen) articles coming out soon! Till my next article, adios!