Probably one of the hardest questions to ask any football fan. Particularly due to the different eras. People should believe the media myth Sir Alex Ferguson is the greatest manager of all time, there have been so many better. But my top ten in no particular order are: 1. Rinus Michels 2. Herbert Chapman 3. Jose Mourinho 4. Jock Stein 5. Bill Nicholson 6. Arriago Saachi 7. Bob Paisley 8. Brian Clough 9. Fabio Capello 10. Guus Hiddink
Well I can't argue with your opinion but no SAF in the Top 10 is beggars belief imo. I'd have him right near the top no question - as much as I dislike the man his achievements at MUFC are incredible.
tbh, for me Fergie is right up there. I love a manager who can create something out of nothing too, he made United the force they are today. I'll go with the ones I am very familiar with: 1. Paisley 2. Clough 3. Fergie 4. Mourinho 5. Hitzfield 6. Stein 7. Michels 8. Van Gaal 9. Busby 10. Hiddink p.s mine are in order
Its not a great leap really Fergie has never managed/bullied abroad unless you count Aberdeen where he inherited a winning team from Billy McNeil and when Fergie left Billy McNeil still had the better win ratio. He has decided to play safe a stay at a club where (unto the American cowboys outfit using them as a cash cow) money was no option and broke the British transfer record no fewer than 11 times. Very successful at managing in Britain wouldn't be in my top ten either. Rinus Michels has to be the best ever, invented total football and managed the dutch team who played it.
I'm too young to really take part in this, however on Fergie being the supposed greatest manager, I have my own probably uninformed view. I would never call Fergie a tactical genius in the same way Mourinho is, but if there's one thing you can say, and that's that he gets the best out of all his players. The whole aura around him comes from his legacy, but it was built on a much less competive game back then (obviously I can only assume because I wasn't around when Fergie was first a manager) so I speculate if he could reverse time and start his career now he wouldn't have the same success. Obviously I know very little about his early years and really it's speculation, but it's just my view on why he's a great but not the greatest. I wonder if anyone else feels the same?
Arguably best team to never win the World Cup alongside 1982 Brazil. When Fergie leaves aside from refs breathing a sigh of relief what will he have done for the game? What legacy will he leave behind? You and I know the answer to that one King Ossie Wenger (in terms of philosophy) and Mourinho (tactically) have done more for the English game than Fergie ever has or will do in my view.
You and me both mate Ferguson being the greatest manager of all time is just a media myth, there have been far better. Capello for instance is slated but won 3 titles on the Spin in Serie A (back when Serie A was the strongest and most competitive), he won Serie A with THREE different clubs as well as winning La Liga twice in two different era's breaking records at the time. Under the stewardship of Bill Nicholson Tottenham were actually a force to be reckoned with, that alone is an achievement IMO. On a serious note though he was the first manager to win the double back in an era where it was much harder to to the number and competitiveness of the games, it's not like now where you can rotate and rest key players. The measure of a great manager is one that can repeat success at different levels. Fergie would not have been able to replicate his success abroad because he is tactically clueless compared to most foreign managers, everybody knows this.
DL I do hope you are enjoying your afternoons fishing. I have a question for you. As you have made clear numerous times you dont rate Sir Alex and you dont rate the Manchester United squad. So considering if we were corrupt a another team would of put a complaint to the FA or FIFA or someone at least just how is it we are top of the table by 6 points? Good luck with your answer
Also many of the managers you have listed may well of won numerous trophies at various clubs but have they built a dynasty at one club, taken one club to the top, kept them there for years on end and made them the best team in the land over a very prolonged period of time? Only a few of those listed have that little honour in their locker.
Fergie is the greatest. Not only did he take lowly Aberdeen to the top he dominated the PL for 20 years. He saw off Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and in the process of seeing off city. How many of those manager listed could have competed and beaten no mark clubs backed by billionaires? If it wasn't for oil money allowing teams to compete with us we'd be strolling to our 8th consecutive PL.
Anyone who thinks that SAF isn't one of the best managers ever is a fool. You can try and convince yourself that he has the FA in his pocket or whatever, but it's just ridiculous to be honest. You say that he has bought titles/inherited great squads, and what exactly has Mourinho done then? He has rebuilt Man Utd several times, and turned them into one of the biggest teams in the world. Btw, I don't think he is the best, and I also think Mourinho is also one of the best too.
FF-Saffa's OK, but I'd give him a better appraisal if only he'd stop supporting Wrigleys and get rid of that bleedin chewing gum!
Inherited large budgets or very good squads for the most part.... which is exactly what Football Fan was stating.
