Best English Football Managers of all Time: Top 10 Greatest English Football Managers

Managers or coaches are like propellers in the game of football, and English football has been blessed with the best English football managers of all time. With their tactical mind and style of play, these Englishmen have led their teams to the top domestic glory multiple times. However, most of the renowned English managers are from yesteryears, as only a few modern coaches have been able to make any considerable mark as the best English managers in football.

The likes of Bob Paisley, Bill Nicholson, and Sir Alf Ramsey took the level of coaching success to new heights through a trophy-stuffed career. There was a group of talented English football managers in the 2000s, who, apart from their tactical knowledge. These iconic managers used to influence the game just by standing on the side of the white line. They were so good in this business that they created glorious legacies by dominating English football. In this article, we are going to explore the greatest English football managers of all time:

Greatest English Football Managers (Top 10 List)

Check out the list of the top 10 greatest English football manager who have cemented themselves with their notable managerial careers. This list is prepared on the basis of several ranking factors that we have explained below:

Best English Football Managers of all Time: Ranking Factors

Below, we have listed the ranking factors used to accumulate the greatest English football managers list. These ranking factors include experience, trophies, achievements, impact and career tenure.

• Experience: Experience is the first factor; the number of years of experience a manager has in managing clubs or national teams at the highest level.
• Trophies/Achievements: The second factor is the number of notable trophies and titles an English manager has won throughout his career.
• Impact: Then comes the impact, which measures how much of an impact a head coach had on his team during his time at the helm of a team.
• Longevity: Longevity is also being considered when the list was made; it shows how long a career a manager enjoyed at the top level.

Who is the Greatest English Football Manager of All Time?

After going through the list that included the top 10 names and ranking criteria in brief, let's understand in detail the career, achievements, and milestones of these managers and find out who the greatest English football manager ever was.

10. Howard Kendall (1979- 1999)

One of the iconic figures in English football, Howard Kendall, is regarded as one of the legendary figures in the history of Everton Football Club for his unwavering success. He managed over 350 matches at the helm of Everton as head coach, while also spending considerable time in a player-coach role. He even had a spell with Spanish club Athletic Club Bilbao from 1987 to 1989.

Kendall has managed several English teams such as Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers and Sheffield United. However, he showed his true worth with the Toffees, winning 7 major titles. The Merseyside club lifted two English league trophies and an FA Cup under his keen watch. The decorated coach went on to win the English Manager of the Year award twice in his career.

9. Gareth Southgate (2006 – Present)

The ex-Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate has not won anything for England, but his influence on the England national football team was remarkable. After taking over as interim coach, the former Middlesbrough manager took the Three Lions to the 2018 FIFA World Cup semi-finals. In the last two European Championships, Southgate led England to consecutive finals, but unfortunately lost both.

It is fair to say that Gareth Southgate is one of the best English managers currently, having built a formidable squad and united by some of the elite players. His most promising contribution in the Premier League was rebuilding the Middlesbrough team. He couldn’t win a single Premier League title, but his approach towards the development of the team was notable.

8. Tom Watson (1888-1915)

If you want to know who Tom Watson was, then you need to ask a Liverpool fan. The Newcastle-born manager is hailed as the father of tactical implementation and one of the greatest managers in English football. Watson went on to build two era-defining teams in the country. After leading Sunderland to English league glory three times, the footballing genius had arrived at Liverpool in 1896.

Tom became the longest-serving manager at Anfield after spending 19 years as Liverpool's coach from 1896 to 1915. During this period, Watson led Liverpool to their first two league titles and one FA Cup. In the English domestic league era, Watson is widely considered a pioneer. amongst English managers. At the age of 56, Tom passed away on May 6, 1915.

7. Don Revie (1961- 1977)

Don Revie created one of the greatest managerial rivalries in English football in the early 1970s by locking horns with Brian Clough. Revie is still regarded as the greatest manager in Leeds United history. In his stint, he formed a physical and competitive team at Leeds and justified the need for a brutal game in English football.

He led the Yorkshire side to a famous English league glory just a year after the club’s promotion to the top division. With the Peacocks, Revie won the first division titles twice, the League Cup, the FA Cup and the glorious British Home Championship and registered his name on the tally of greatest English football managers.

6. Herbert Chapman (1907- 1934)

Roughly thirty to forty years before the era of Bill Nicholson, one of the best Arsenal managers of all time, Herbert Chapman used to make waves in North London through his tactical ideas. He started making strides towards greatness at Huddersfield, having won an FA Cup and two English league titles. He brought non-English players to the club, which wasn't a common practice back then.

Later, he moved to Arsenal and changed the demography of the club with his visionary mindset, reformed the Gunners, who were fighting to escape relegation at that moment. Arsenal went on to lift three top division trophies and one FA Cup with Chapman at the helm. Totacticians date, Herbert Chapman is hailed as one of the finest tacticans in English football.

5. Bill Nicholson (1958- 1974)

The next on the greatest English managers in the Premier League list is Bill Nicholson. He etched his name in the history book of Tottenham Hotspur after spending 36 years as a manager and a star player. Bill is renowned as the greatest Tottenham manager in history, with 10 major trophies under his regime, marking the most successful era for the Lillywhites.

North London club Tottenham enjoyed their most title-laden era under the stewardship of Nicholson, where they lifted the league title, two League Cups and three FA Cups. He became the first English manager to lead his club to a European title. His impact on the revolution of English football was so great that a street in London was named after him. He later served as club president as well from 1991 to 2004.

4. Sir Bobby Robson (1968-2004)

If a book is written on the list of the best English football managers of all time, then a glorious chapter must be dedicated to Sir Bobby Robson. He is one of the very few managers who has a trophy-laden career, especially with overseas clubs. Robson had immense success outside England after managing Barcelona, FC Porto and PSV Eindhoven.

Sir Bobby Robson is well-known for his longevity in football as he spent 36 long years as a manager, excelling in all criteria. FA Cup, English League title, UEFA Cup (UEFA Europa League), Portuguese title, Dutch League and Copa Del Rey. The knighthood-awarded coach’s name was etched in England’s Hall of Fame for his era-defining coaching career across Europe.

3. Sir Alf Ramsey (1955-1978)

One of the best English football managers of all time, Sir Alf Ramsey is a timeless figure in English football. The coveted manager led a young England team to the country’s first-ever World Cup title in 1966 on home soil. This success followed a semifinal finish in the 1968 European Championship.

Despite being the philosopher of several pragmatic tactical ideas, Ramsey guided Ipswich Town to their first-ever and only English top-flight glory in the 1961-62 season. After all these years, Ramsey remains the only England manager to lead his side to a major trophy, which makes his achievement even more special.

2. Bob Paisley (1974- 1983)

It is a difficult decision to put Bob Paisley in the second position on the list of the greatest football managers in English football. One of the most decorated managers, Paisley's iconic career demands a top spot. He spent his entire managerial career with Liverpool, starting as a team's staff member. He worked as an assistant manager with Bill Shankly and Phil Taylor.

His illustrious career at Liverpool established the Merseyside outfit as one of the most successful English clubs of all time. The bona fide English manager won three European Cups (UEFA Champions League), six top-division trophies and three League Cups as a Red. Liverpool became a brute force in England under his stewardship.

1. Brian Clough (1965-1993)

After a meaningful consideration, we have decided to go with Brian Clough as the greatest English tactician ever. His most underrated achievement must be taking English club Nottingham Forest to two European glories in a row. Clough truly began his managerial exploits at Derby County, where he earned a promotion for the club and won the league title later.

During Clough’s time at Derby, the Second Division of English football also witnessed a meteoric rise. Despite not being associated with any elite team, he enjoyed an exceptional career at the clubs, including the likes of Brighton & Hove, Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and Hartlepool United. Before the name of the Premier League came into effect, Clough won the tournament in every possible way.