Ranking the managers of the PL 2021/22
The Premier League has seen a plethora of managerial talent since its inception in 1992, and this season, we have some of the best managers in the world at the helm of top clubs, while we also have Steve Bruce. Let’s take a look at which tier each manager belongs to.
The five tiers I am ranking the managers in are: Championship quality, Middle of the road, Decent, Underrated masterminds and World-Class.
Championship Quality
Steve Bruce
Daniel Farke
Look, I’m not saying that they are bad managers, just that these managers are more suited for the Championship. Steve Bruce’s style of football is as interesting as watching paint dry, and his team is carried only by the attacking talent of ASM and Callum Wilson. it’s a wonder they haven’t been relegated yet.
Meanwhile, Daniel Farke has proven himself to be a legendary Championship manager, with Norwich walking the second tier whenever they return after their inevitable relegation. However, when it comes to the Premier League, the less said about the dazed bumbling around by the Norwich players, the better.
Middle of the road
Bruno Lage
Arteta
Xisco Munoz
Again, these managers are definitely not horrible managers, except that their tactics don’t really seem to work, or that their teams are too inconsistent. Bruno Lage has brought an exciting style of football to Wolves, but we must not forget that his teams also seem to throw away leads spectacularly, which has led to them having only 3 points after 4 games.
Meanwhile, Arteta should be happy to be in this category after his Arsenal team’s shambolic performances. Their team has all the potential, but still play like headless chickens almost every week. I don’t see a clear and consistent strategy or tactical set-up when Arsenal play, which is worrying for the club’s future.
Xisco Munoz has exceeded expectations at Watford, but I’ve seen too less of him as a manager to rule on whether he deserves to be ranked ‘Decent’. The signs look promising, but there’s probably a high chance he’ll be gone by Christmas.
Decent
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Patrick Viera
Ralph Hassenhuttl
Rafael Benitez
Dean Smith
Thomas Frank
This category is intriguing, since the managers are neither geniuses nor are they normal managers. They’re quite like that one student in class who gets 75 for each subject; quite good, but doesn’t really excel at any one thing.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has split Manchester United fans since day one, with some thinking we should ditch him for Conte, while some think he’s the best man for the job. In general, I feel he has been quite good at Old Trafford. However, at this point, I’m leaning towards the first option, not because we haven’t been getting results. His style of play is frustrating to say the least, and his team selection often gets on my nerves. The team often look edgy during the first 40 minutes, which is quite peculiar for an United team. All in all, he’s done some wonders, but can be frustrating at times.
Patrick Viera has been surprisingly good as Palace manager, but how long will this honeymoon period last? So far, however, he has done quite well tactically, and Palace fans will now be more satisfied with his appointment.
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Personally, I love Ralph Hassenhuttl, but his all-out attacking, vibrant football also leads to the occasional utter destruction of his teams. This can be seen via the two 9–0 defeats Southampton had under him. However, he still is one of the better managers of the PL, just that he hasn’t been consistent enough to go up one rank.
Rafael Benitez is another manager I am in awe of, but the Benitez currently at Everton is sadly only a shadow of his former self. His style can be slow at times, but once his teams get going, they can be unstoppable. He has even nullified Pep’s high block with NEWCASTLE, which shows how good he can be on his day. To summarise, Wonderful tactician, but hardly the manager he was in the 2000s.
Dean Smith has done a decent job at Villa, mostly due to the resources he has had. He’s a sound tactician, but he doesn’t have anything unique about his tactics. Good manager, but nothing special.
Thomas Frank has been impressive during his spell at Brentford, and is a very good Championship manager. However, he hasn’t had a full season in the PL for me to judge him properly. The early signs are positive, which is why he deserves a place here for his tactics alone. How Brentford’s season goes will determine his final ranking as a manager.
Underrated Mastermind
Nuno
Graham Potter
David Moyes
Sean Dyche
Brendan Rodgers
Ok, this category is a controversial one for sure. Rest assured that I have not hit my head, and that I have my reasons for ranking Moyes in this section
Nuno, for me, is a manager who falls underneath the label ‘Mastermind’ rather than ‘Underrated’. The Portuguese has been lauded for his revolutionary spell at Wolves, and has been charged with a rebuilding project at Spurs. While things got off to a good start, the Spurs have lost 3–0 twice in a row, despite his best efforts. Tactically, he’s been a genius, but his ranking could change based on his time at Tottenham.
Graham Potter has begun a revolution at Brighton. The Seagulls were known as Woodwork FC last season, but have finally started converting that high xG to actual goals. His style of football is scintillating, though it could have been better if they hadn’t loaned out stars like Sima. To conclude, exceptional manager for his age.
David Moyes has received so much abuse for his failures at Manchester United and Sunderland that sometimes I forget how good he was at Everton. He was exceptional at Everton, and has been exceptional at West Ham too. Tactically, he doesn’t have the most exciting football, but has satisfied the West Ham fans with the occasional blitz along with consistent results instead.
Sean Dyche, leader, legend, and the definition of a miracle maker. He’s kept up an average Burnley up for so long, exceptionally long for someone with so less resources. He play boring football, to be honest, but that doesn’t matter as long as they remain a PL team.
Brendan Rodgers, another top-class manager. He probably could fit into ‘World-Class’, but his ending at Liverpool holds me back from doing so. His time at Leicester has been more impressive than that spell at Liverpool, especially since he has rebuilt the side with young exciting talent, while also leading the Foxes to a FA cup for the first time.
World Class
Thomas Tuchel
Jurgen Klopp
Pep Guardiola
Finally, we’ve reached the last section of managers, with three managers qualifying as ‘World Class’. These managers are the best of the best, and have an entire world of tactical knowledge.
Thomas Tuchel may be one of my favourite non-Man United PL manager, given the way he has revolutionised Chelsea. His 3–4–3/3–4–2–1 has been highly attacking, while it has also allowed the Blues to concede only one goal this season. The rigid yet flexible formation keeps the opponent in check, while also opening up spaces for Chelsea’s attackers. His time at Chelsea has been an outstanding one, and hopefully he remains at the helm of the club for a long time.
Jurgen Klopp has also had a legendary spell at Liverpool, winning the PL for the Reds for the first time in 30 years in 2020. He also has won the CL, Club World Cup , Super Cup and more, which shows how good he is at winning. His time at Dortmund was a resounding success too, and any club in the world would take Klopp as their manager if they had the chance to. He oversaw the Liverpool rebuild which allowed him to bring in players suited to his press, while also bringing through academy products and making them top class. Overall, an amazing manager.
Pep Guardiola is often discredited for his success due to the resources and players he has had, but there is no denying that his success is more about his phenomenal tactics. He has learnt from the best as a player, and has used his experience as well as his footballing brain to become a Barca, Bayern and Man City legend as a manager, winning multiple trophies. Although he has caused us Manchester United fans a lot of grief through his success at our rivals, there is no denying that he is one of the best PL managers of all time! (SAF will always be the best though)
So, that’s all for this article. Hope you liked this ranking as much as I enjoyed writing it, and do look out for my next article on FIFA songs coming out in two weeks. Till then, adios!
