Football Managers and Their Boldest Claims

Yesterday Manchester City manager, Roberto Mancini, denied he is facing the sack despite trailing city rivals Manchester United by 12 points in the league.

In fact he went on to claim:

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“I am the best manager in England.”

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That’s a pretty bold claim to make, especially when managers in England include Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and Mick McCarthy.

So here are some managers who also felt they were the best at what they do.

Sam Allardyce

Despite being known as much for playing beautiful football as he is for being a beautiful person, Big Sam Allardyce claimed while he was Blackburn manager:

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"I'm not suited to Bolton or Blackburn, I would be more suited to Internazionale or Real Madrid. It wouldn't be a problem to me to go and manage those clubs because I would win the Double or the league every time. Give me Manchester United or Chelsea and I would do the same, it wouldn't be a problem.”

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I think we all knew when Big Sam got Notts County relegated into the old Division Three in 1997 it was because they just weren’t Real Madrid.

Mark Hughes

In 2011,  the one-man managerial success story, Mark Hughes left the post as manager of Fulham because the club did not match his “ambition for them” after leading them to eighth place in the Premier League and a Europa League qualification place.

In 2012, Hughes got his next managerial job at Fulham’s West London rivals Queens Park Rangers.

QPR were already involved in a relegation dog fight when Hughes arrived in January. But as the season drew on, the dog fight got messier.

Whilst unambitious Fulham finished in the top half of the table, QPR scraped Premier League survival, finishing 17th with a loss to Manchester City on the last day of the 2011-12 season.

It was on that day Mark Hughes would made a very bold statement indeed:

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“We’ll never be in this situation again while I’m the manager."

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Hughes was sacked the following November after failing to win a single league game with QPR all season, who were (and still are) sitting at the bottom of the table.

I think I speak for all QPR fans when I say I’d commit actual murder to be in the situation where we finish 17th in the Premier League again.

Kevin Keegan

I'm not needed to mock this. Just press play and let the magic happen.

Ally MacLeod

When Ally MacLeod was introduced as the new Scotland manager in 1977, he introduced himself by saying:

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“My name is Ally MacLeod and I'm a winner."

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He then claimed Scotland would win the 1978 World Cup, promising the Tartan Army:

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“We will medal.”

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And when asked what he would do after winning the World Cup:

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“Retain it.”

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However, Scotland didn’t win the 1978 World Cup. Argentina did. Scotland didn’t make it past the group stage.

Not a great call, Ally.

Diego Maradona

Maradona’s time as Argentina national coach will be as remembered for his bold claims as it will for anything on field. Prior to the 2010 World Cup, he said:

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"I don't care what you people think about me as a manager. I couldn't care less. I've got my 23 players and I'm ready to die with them."

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A pretty bold claim. And this following the team’s qualification to the same tournament in 2009:

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"To those who did not believe: now suck my **** - I'm sorry ladies for my words - and keep on sucking it. I am either white or black. I will never be grey in my life. You treated me as you did. Now keep on sucking *****. I am grateful to my players and to the Argentinian people. I thank no one but them. The rest, keep on sucking *****."

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I'm not sure if it's actually a claim, but it's very bold.

Jose Mourinho

Of all the bold managerial claims made, one is more famous than any other. One claim has never out-boldended. Do you think a manager alive today has a more renowned bold claim? No way, here's Jose:

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“Please don't call me arrogant, but I'm European champion and I think I'm a special one.’”

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But don't think Mr. Mourinho is a (special) one trick pony. He has many more claims of the bold variety tucked away in his locker. Such as:

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“We have top players and, sorry if I’m arrogant, we have a top manager.”

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“We are on top at the moment but not because of the club’s financial power. We are in contention for a lot of trophies because of my hard work.”

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"If I wanted to have an easy job, working with the big protection of what I have already done before, I would have stayed at Porto - beautiful blue chair, the UEFA Champions League trophy, God, and after God, me.”

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"Chelsea have suffered in the last two years, and it's no coincidence that their decline happened after I left."

 

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Brian Clough

Before Jose, there was a man who felt more at home making a bold claim then he did in his actual home. The late, great Brian Clough, ladies and gentlemen:

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"If I had an argument with a player we would sit down for twenty minutes, talk about it and then decide I was right!"

 

"The river Trent is lovely, I know because I have walked on it for 18 years."

 

"They say Rome wasn’t built in a day, but I wasn’t on that particular job"

 

"I wouldn’t say I’m the best manager but I’m in the top one."

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