Ranking the "big six" managers

Jun 18, 2014
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Just wondering in what order everyone would rank the managers of the big 6 teams in the Premier League. Might spark some interesting debate and with a bit of luck a shitfight or two as well.

Mine:

Guardiola
Conte
Mourinho
Klopp
Pochettino
Wenger

I think Guardiola is the clear number 1 right now but you could probably just about put the rest in any order and be able to justify it.

*Insert "where's Sean Dyche" joke*
 

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probably incorrect
Jun 3, 2014
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Guardiola
Mourinho
Conte
Pochettino
Wenger*
Klopp


*keep in mind that at his peak, Wenger was undisputedly better than the others, bar Guardiola of course.
 
Jun 18, 2014
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Guardiola
Mourinho
Conte
Pochettino
Wenger*
Klopp


*keep in mind that at his peak, Wenger was undisputedly better than the others, bar Guardiola of course.

At Wenger's peak, Mourinho was winning the CL with Porto.

But yes, he was undisputedly better than Pochettino, Conte and Klopp. Though it helps that none of them were actually managers at the time.
 
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Jun 18, 2014
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Be surprised if anyone outside of Liverpool fans rate Klopp highly.

So would I, but personally I think he is the most unfairly criticised of the six.

What he did at Dortmund was pretty incredible, akin to what Pochettino is doing now at Spurs but actually getting over the line. Then his first full season here he gets us in to the champions league for only the second time in 9 years and then in to the knockout stage for the first time in 10. We are a miles better football team than when he took over, I really don't get a lot of the flak he gets from opposition fans, he's done a pretty great job since he took over.

That being said, all the others are pretty great as well so he's gotta rank somewhere.
 
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Mourinho. Won it with chelsea. Has utd in a strong position to capitalise on a city slip up. Won the Europa league. Other than not playing pretty or being everyone’s darling, he’s still the best manager to get results

Conte. Has the league win and has them performing fairly well at the moment.

Poch. Lack of silverware hurts, but you feel it’s a matter of time, maturity and some spending that will get Tottenham on the scoreboard. Topping a CL group with Madrid and Dortmund is another step in that direction

Pep is having his first good season at City but it isn’t over. Records in one or two horse leagues can’t be considered in epl

Wenger. All time would be #1 but if we’re talking right now he has arsenal keeping their head above water and not much else.

Klopp. Has built a killer attacking team with defensive deficiencies and a mediocre midfield. Cannot see how Liverpool win the league or the CL with the current state of things
 
Sep 7, 2008
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So would I, but personally I think he is the most unfairly criticised of the six.

What he did at Dortmund was pretty incredible, akin to what Pochettino is doing now at Spurs but actually getting over the line. Then his first full season here he gets us in to the champions league for only the second time in 9 years and then in to the knockout stage for the first time in 10. We are a miles better football team than when he took over, I really don't get a lot of the flak he gets from opposition fans, he's done a pretty great job since he took over.

That being said, all the others are pretty great as well so he's gotta rank somewhere.
Oh sorry, though we meant just in their time in the PL.

Even still, I think Klopp has been very underwhelming since he’s been at Liverpool. You say he’s made champions league but how much of that is to do with the demise of other big clubs? Arsenal are at the lowest point they’ve been for 25 years, Chelsea had that awful season and United were shaky after SAF. He’s made the knock out stage this season but also missed the knock out stage last time in a group that included Ludogorets.

My big issue with him is that defensively, you’re still a shambles. You were when he took over but I really don’t think there’s been much improvement in that regard.
 
Jun 18, 2014
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Oh sorry, though we meant just in their time in the PL.

Even still, I think Klopp has been very underwhelming since he’s been at Liverpool. You say he’s made champions league but how much of that is to do with the demise of other big clubs? Arsenal are at the lowest point they’ve been for 25 years, Chelsea had that awful season and United were shaky after SAF. He’s made the knock out stage this season but also missed the knock out stage last time in a group that included Ludogorets.

My big issue with him is that defensively, you’re still a shambles. You were when he took over but I really don’t think there’s been much improvement in that regard.

Yeah I do mean right now, but it would be silly to ignore what they've done in the past, especially if it wasn't that long ago. I guess the best way to think about it would be if you could have any of them at Leicester what order would you take them? In which case I can see why Klopp would be 5th - Pochettino has definitely outperformed him since he came over.

I don't think it's right to put it down to the demise of other clubs, if anything they're stronger. Didn't Arsenal finish with the highest number of points ever for a side that didn't make top 4? We got 76 points last season which (aside from 2013/14) is comfortably our highest points total in a long time.

That was Rodgers who got knocked out in the group stage. Klopp took over after we finished 6th and got us to the Europa League final. Then last season was his first full season.

Agree on the defence, that's the biggest black mark against him so far. We haven't improved in that area at all since he took over.
 

undefined

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Jun 3, 2014
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At Wenger's peak, Mourinho was winning the CL with Porto.

But yes, he was undisputedly better than Pochettino, Conte and Klopp. Though it helps that none of them were actually managers at the time.
The 2004 Champions League was analogous to the 2016 PL; all the heavyweight competitors choked, leaving the path open for an unlikely result. And the UCL final Wenger made almost resulted in triumph. If Henry didn’t bottle it at the sight of Valdes/Eto’o was called offside for that equaliser, Le Prof would have that accolade. Anyway, going invincible in an incredibly strong league is comparable to the highest possible managerial honours.

Those three you mentioned weren’t managers at the time, though as of now they’ve all spent around 8 years at the helm of clubs in the first division of Spain, Italy, England and Germany. Have any of the three had the success that Arsène did in such a timeframe? No one needs reminding of Wenger’s quick, substantial impact on English football.
 
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undefined

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Jun 3, 2014
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Easy to be rated best manager in the epl if you’re managing a club with half a billion pounds net spend in the last 5 years :tearsofjoy:
A team of champions doesn’t make a champion team. City’s owners go through managers like a hot knife through butter - others have tried but failed to make them a force despite massive perennial transfer expenditure.
 
Oct 5, 2009
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there's a reason why big name managers manage the big clubs. otherwise clubs wouldn't bother with trying so hard to get them.

A team of champions doesn’t make a champion team. City’s owners go through managers like a hot knife through butter - others have tried but failed to make them a force despite massive perennial transfer expenditure.

our owners have hired 3 managers since the takeover...
 

elhadjihenry

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What is the criteria? If I wanted someone at the helm right now, it'd be Pep by a country mile and then some.
Yeah criteria needs to be set to answer this question. If it's who you want in charge of your team right now:

Pep
Conte
Poch
Mourinho
Klopp
Wenger

If it's on all time achievement, then:

Mourinho
Pep
Wenger
Klopp
Conte
Poch
 
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