Every current Premier League club’s greatest ever manager

Football clubs are built on history, traditions, and success. The individual at the forefront of creating those three pillars is the manager. These 20 managers have created all three of these, subsequently becoming the greatest manager at their specific club.

Arsène Wenger brought a ruthless and exciting playing style that English fans were not accustomed to before he arrived. Wenger led Arsenal to their ‘Invincibles’ Premier League winning campaign, two more league titles, and seven FA Cup victories.

Current Villa boss Unai Emery took over at Aston Villa in October 2022, with the club in 16th place and in a relegation dogfight. He reinvigorated Villa Park and led Villa to the Conference League in his first half-season. In 2023/24, he led them to fourth spot and into the Champions League.

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AFC Bournemouth wouldn’t be near the Premier League if it weren’t for Eddie Howe. The current Newcastle boss promoted them from League Two to League One and won the Championship in 2015 to take them through all four divisions, per GiveMeSport.

Harry Curtis managed Brentford for 23 years, from 1926 until 1949. At the Football League 125th anniversary awards, he was voted the club’s greatest-ever manager. He helped the club win the Football League Third and Second Division titles.

Mullery had two spells at Brighton during his managerial career, but his first stint was his most successful one. Between 1976 and 1981, Mullery led Brighton from the third tier to the top flight.

The ‘Special One’ José Mourinho transformed Chelsea in the early 2000s and turned them into an English football powerhouse. Mourinho made Chelsea defensively unstoppable and led them to three Premier League titles, three League Cups, and one FA Cup triumph.

According to Sky Sports, Coppell managed Crystal Palace on four occasions between 1984 and 2000. He led them to the FA Cup final in 1990, two Playoff victories in 1989 and 1997, and came back to try and rescue the club in a financial crisis in 1999. He will always hold a special place in Palace fan’s hearts.

Howard Kendall was the manager of Everton during the club’s most successful spell. In the 1980s, Kendall led Everton to two league titles in 1985 and 1987, an FA Cup in 1984, three Charity Shields, and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1985.

Hodgson joined Fulham in December 2007 when the club was 18th, two points from safety, and had only won two games. The former England manager led the club to successive European spot finishes, a Europe League final in 2010, and the FA Cup quarter-finals twice.

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Legendary football manager Bobby Robson managed from 1969 until 1982 and kept that at the top of English and European football for most of his reign. After 1973, Ipswich only fell below sixth in the league once. They won the FA Cup in 1978 and the UEFA Cup in 1981.

Italian manager Claudio Ranieri only managed Leicester for two seasons. Still, his accomplishment of leading them to the Premier League title just a season after nearly being relegated is one of the most outstanding sporting achievements in history.

Liverpool has had many superb managers in its history, but none have been as successful as Bob Paisley. The Liverpool legend dominated domestically and in Europe in his nine-year spell, winning six First Division titles, three European Cups, and three League Cups.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has staked his claim as the greatest manager in history due to his success in Manchester. The Spaniard has dominated the Premier League like no one has before, securing six Premier Leagues, six domestic cups, and the Champions League.

According to the Premier League website, In 26 years at Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson established United as one of the legendary clubs in the world. Ferguson incorporated youth with experience and built multiple title-winning teams. He won 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, and two Champions Leagues.

Football was obviously different at the start of the 20th Century, but Newcastle's success under Frank Watt is unlikely to be beaten. In a 37-year association with the club, he oversaw four First Division titles and seven FA Cup final appearances, two of which they won.

Brian Clough is Nottingham Forest’s greatest and most influential manager, taking charge of the club from 1975 until 1993. He was promoted from the Second Division and won the First Division in their first season before winning four League Cups and two European Cups successively.

Former Southampton boss Nigel Adkins led the Saints to back-to-back promotions from League 1 to the Premier League, finishing as runner-up in both promotions. Adkins also has the best win percentage of any Southampton manager (54.03%), per Transfermarkt.

Mauricio Pochettino delivered plenty of memories for Spurs fans, but Bill Nicholson delivered silverware success. He led Tottenham to become the first team in the 20th century to win the First Division and FA Cup double in 1961. Spurs became the first British club to win a major European trophy, securing the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1963 against Atlético Madrid.

John Lyall is considered the most outstanding manager to coach West Ham United. Lyall was in charge between 1974 and 1989 and won the FA Cup in his first season. He also reached the finals of the European Cup Winners’ Cup and League Cup, and won another FA Cup in 1980 and the Second Division title in 1981.

According to Wolves Blog, after playing 152 league matches for Wolves, Stan Cullis became manager in 1948 and stayed until 1964, winning two FA Cups and three First Division titles. In 748 games, he won 350, earning him a winning record of 46.8%.

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