Are there a lack of quality English Managers?
The English Premier League has long been lauded as the most competitive league as well as the best in quality in the world. Currently all the managers that you would consider to be the best in the world currently apply their trade in the Premier League.
The English Premier League is undoubtedly the most competitive and entertaining league to follow.
There are only 3-4 teams that you could bet on winning the league in countries like Spain, Italy, Germany and France. Whereas, you wouldn’t be shocked currently if any of the top 6-7 sides lift that beautiful trophy in May.
England’s top division have had 36 English managers collectively lift 58 titles. The last English winner was former Leeds United manager Howard Wilkinson.
Since, England’s top division was rebranded as the English Premier League in 1992, no English Manager has lifted the league trophy of England’s top division.
There have since been foreign managers who have arrived and revolutionised the tactics, habits and culture of the game here in England.
The most Premier League titles have been won by a Scotsman, Sir Alex Ferguson. Arguably the greatest manager of all time.
However, an argument can be made that there is a scarcity in quality of top English Managers.
Comparison to Europe
If we look at the records in Spain between the 99/00 and the 19/20 season on 13 occasions Spanish managers have lifted their top-flight division, with 8 non-Spaniards having won it within this period.
Whereas in Italy, Jose Mourinho is the only non-Italian to win the Scudetto in the past 20 years.
In France, between 1956 and 2017 the French top flight was won by only 4 different foreign managers in that 60-year period.
The story is similar for English managers in Europe’s major European competitions.
The last time an English manager won the UEFA Champions League, was back when the competition was still known as the European Cup, Joe Fagan’s Liverpool side back in 1984.
The last time an English manager won the Europa league, was also when the competition ran under a different title, the UEFA cup was won by Keith Burkinshaw’s Tottenham Hotspur side also in 1984.
English managers have become somewhat a scarcity or anomaly across Europe’s top Leagues with regards to success.
What’s the issue?
English managers on the whole are seen to be unglamorous, rigid in their thinking and hesitant to produce a more exciting philosophy.
So, it’s easy to see why they may be overlooked, particularly for the top jobs, despite holding some respectable records and proven some level of competency in their jobs.
British Managers at top sides
Sam Allardyce and Sean Dyche have both recently commented that if their names were a little more European or South American, they’d get respect they deserve and been viewed more favourably for the top jobs.
Let’s then take a look at the recent job performances of British Managers at the top sides in the Premier League over recent years.
Harry Redknapp could arguable have a case of being the best performer out of the following crop.
Managing Tottenham in the Champions League nurturing some great individual players who’d go on and perform at higher levels as well as keeping Spurs competitive.
Tim Sherwood however seemed a disastrous appointment of the lilywhites, poor performances and no indication of any sort of direction under his management although he did find and debut a certain, Harry Kane.
David Moyes, a recommendation from Sir Alex Ferguson, managed Manchester United for 7-8 months, giving them a half-decent run in the Champions League to the quarter-finals but ultimately leading a title-winning side to a 7th place finish is worthy of losing your job.
Rodgers, spent his time building one of the most entertaining Liverpool sides in recent memory spearheading a title-challenge with a devastating forward line. Ultimately this team slipped up and Brendan had to rebuild his reputation in Scotland.
Which he has done successfully, back to back trebles with Celtic has given him the confidence and experience to come back and mould his current Leicester City side into consistent genuine contenders for anyone of those top 5 positions.
The less said about Hodgson’s time at Liverpool the better but more recently he has given Crystal Palace stability within the Premier League.
The most recent and interesting cases is Frank Lampard. Who succeeded Maurizio Sarri after leading a Derby side from 6th place to 6th place.
A transfer embargo allowed Frank to utilize some of the graduates from the infamous Chelsea Academy to finish 4th. With some impressive attacking displays
An inability to manage his £200m incomings and some poor results meant his second season ended much earlier than he hoped.
Interestingly Thomas Tuchel took over the squad in the winter and without any additions went on to win the UEFA Champions League.
The current bosses in Charge
Man City and Arsenal have a Spaniard in charge, whilst Liverpool and Chelsea both have a German, Man Utd have a Norwegian, Spurs have a Portuguese and Leicester have a Northern Irishmen in Charge.
Each of these managers can be credited with bringing some entertainment value to these big sides. Their individual philosophies have brought something original and certainly left an imprint on the league in recent seasons.
So, where do the best English Managers currently reside? 4 out of 20 clubs have English managers.
Aston Villa’s Dean Smith has worked hard to comfortably reposition them as a Premier League side once again. Even given the Villain faithful hope that they can get back to competing in Europe.
Brighton and Hove Albion boss Graham Potter, is an interesting prospect, as many believe his attractive possession-based style, can work wonders on some of the top teams and I tend to agree.
Burnley’s Sean Dyche, one of the longest serving managers at his club currently in the Premier League. Infamous for his favoured use of the 4-4-2 wing play system direct, defensively strong and dangerous from set-pieces.
Steve Bruce, has had to contend with a turbulent atmosphere but has managed to keep Newcastle playing Premier League football during his tenure. A counter-attacking style embedded in either a system with a back 4 or back 3.
In my opinion 2 out of these 4, have serious potential to manage and compete higher than their current average finishing positions.
Homegrown potential
Dean Smith’s work at Villa is very impressive. His team is entertaining to watch barely conceding goals and going through each of the potential starting XI you could make a case for all these players playing internationally if they don’t already.
Smith’s relationship with the beloved owners has allowed them to manoeuvre with a recruitment strategy that has brought in players to have settled quickly and produced for their club.
A competent squad builder, unphased by the strength of the big 6 or 7 teams. Dean Smith is building a side that have a realistic chance of finishing in a European position.
Dean Smith doesn’t necessarily need to leave as there is a strong project at Villa. Once they finish in those European places and consistently steal some points off the ‘’bigger sides’’, I believe Dean will properly get the recognition he deserves.
Graham Potter is the other manager I think has the potential to manage a bigger side. The football community first took notice of his name when his Östersund side beat Arsenal with an impressive display in the Europa League 17/18 season.
He is very much determined to instil a possession-based philosophy against any opponent. His Brighton side have just lacked that clinical goal threat.
The expected goals and points suggested they should’ve finished a lot higher than they did in 20/21 season. Imagine his slick passing game implemented at a top side with top technicians and more clinical finishers.
Steven Gerrard’s emergence is something that should also be noted. His transformation of trophy-barren Rangers side has been nothing short of phenomenal.
Altering between a 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 with emphasis on goal scoring wide forwards has brought optimism and hope back to the Ibrox.
Final Thoughts
I think for the more established generation of English managers it doesn’t look particularly favourable for them landing top jobs any time soon.
However, the evolution of these younger managers who some have played or coached under foreign managers, have surely picked up a more modern way of playing the game.
The next generation of English managers will be heavily influenced by the more successful sides with attractive brands of football. We will also see them with more distinctive and trademark philosophies that is both aesthetically pleasing and give their fans hope.
This will transcend into the ‘’top sides’’ and as a consequence more English managers in football will be fighting for silverware in the top divisions.
Their first roles may have to come by stepping out of the English League to gain that momentum and confidence to hone their strategies and philosophies.