Euro 2012: Ranking the Managing Jobs of the Euro 2012 Coaches

With just England, France, Ukraine and Sweden to play their final group match game this afternoon, which of the Euro 2012 coaches do you think has been tactically superior?

Who has recognised the dangers and pitfalls of the competition and moved to adjust his approach accordingly?

It's a tough one to call when it comes to the likely winners of this European Championship, but here are the Euro 2012 coaches ranked by their achievements thus far.

16th: Bert Van Marwijk

When your team is the Netherlands, it is unacceptable to go home from a European tournament with three defeats from three games, even if you were placed in the Group of Death.

Netherlands have gone home with zero points, and never really looked like the force they were expected to be.

15th: Giovanni Trapattoni

Also with three straight defeats is Republic of Ireland's Giovanni Trapattoni.

The Irish nation weren't expected to progress from the group stages, but they weren't expected to quit without so much of a whimper either.

Roy Keane has let his feelings be known on the matter.

14th: Franciszek Smuda

Franciszek Smuda quit after co-host Poland's disappointing Euro 2012 campaign.

Two draws and a defeat means that they finished bottom of Group A.

In truth, they had nothing going forward to warrant a change of results.

13th: Erik Hamren

Erik Hamren heavily criticized his players after Sweden's defeat to Ukraine in their opening fixture, but tactically his team played far too loose against England—conceding three goals and crashing out of the competition.

Hamren has one game left to salvage some pride against France, but the result will do little to restore his battered reputation.

12th: Morten Olsen

Morten Olsen's Denmark promised so much after an opening game victory over the Netherlands, but the Group of Death was ultimately too much for the coach to handle.

Two losses ensued, meaning the Danes have packed their bags and are heading home with a modicum of respect.

11th: Dick Advocaat

Whilst Russia didn't have a terrible tournament by any stretch, they in fact would have progressed if Euro 2012 was being played under World Cup rules (goal difference as opposed to head-to-head results). 

Dick Advocaat can perhaps be guilty of underestimating rivals Greece in his final match, and certainly being uninspiring when it came to shaking things up towards the end of their 1-0 defeat.

Russia won one, drew one, lost one and went home.

10th: Slaven Bilic

Similarly to Dick Advocaat, Slaven Bilic went into his final game requiring a result, however, his opponents were current World and European Champions Spain.

Having beaten the Republic of Ireland and drawn with Italy, it was a harsh knockout for the Croatians. after they lost 1-0.

9th: Oleh Blokhin

Oleh Blokhin has given Ukraine a chance of reaching the knockout stages if he can conjure a victory over England later today.

Ukraine are only in this tournament by way of being co-hosts, so any progress they make will certainly be a shock.

England are expected to beat the Ukrainians, who have put up a decent fight in the tournament thus far.

8th: Roy Hodgson

England boss Roy Hodgson only became coach of the national side a month prior to the tournament start date and has put his side in an excellent position.

A draw or victory over co-hosts Ukraine will see England into the knockout stages.

England's recovery from going 2-1 against Sweden in their last game was remarkable.

7th: Laurent Blanc

Laurent Blanc's French team are currently on a 23-match unbeaten run, with two of those games coming within the Euro 2012 finals.

Having won one, and drawn one of his two games, Blanc only has to get a result against the already-condemned Sweden.

6th: Cesare Prandelli

Despite Italy being in a group they were expected to progress from, coach Cesare Prandelli had to overcome Italy's terrible form coming into Euro 2012.

A 1-1 draw in their opening game against the mighty Spain is testament to his tactical nous.

Italy have qualified for the knockout stages by finishing second in their group.

5th: Paulo Bento

Paulo Bento has had to deal with the pressure of being in the Group of Death alongside Germany, Netherlands, and Denmark.

After an opening day defeat to the Germans, Bento got Portugal geared up for two straight victories in order to qualify for the knockout stages—not an easy task when you start with a loss.

4th: Michal Bilek

Czech Republic were doubts to progress after they received a 4-1 thumping by Russia in their second game.

Michal Bilek didn't see it that way though and managed to mastermind a victory against co-hosts Poland and progress to the knockout stages as group winners.

Nobody saw that coming.

3rd: Fernando Santos

Fernando Santos' Greece were on their knees going into their third game of the group stages.

They were playing group leaders Russia who had just come off the back of beating Czech Republic 4-1.

Greece stole a goal and defended as though their life depended on it—eventually running out 1-0 victors.

The result sent Greece into the knockout stages and condemned Russia to a third placed finish.

It was a classic David vs. Goliath match that has got Greece believing a repeat of 2004 is possible.

2nd: Vicente Del Bosque

Of course everybody expected Spain to top their group in Euro 2012, but they have gone about it effectively and smartly.

It would have been easy for del Bosque or his players to be overconfident and sloppy coming off the back of two straight international tournament victories, but Spain have been excellent.

Just one goal has been conceded by them in the finals thus far, and they have notched six goals for themselves.

1st: Joachim Low

Joachim Low's Germany are the only side in the competition with a 100 percent record remaining intact.

Considering they were placed in the Group of Death with Portugal, Denmark and the Netherlands, that's quite an achievement.

Low opted to play the occasionally wasteful Mario Gomez over the legendary Miroslav Klose. The move has been inspired, with Gomez bagging three goals and an assist to date.