Power Ranking Premier League Managers After Weekend 1-3 November
Welcome to the fourth edition of the Premier League Managers' Power Rankings, in which all 20 Premier League managers' performances over the previous fixture—and the 2014/15 Premier League season overall—will be scrutinised and subsequently ranked in descending order.
Unsure of the criteria? This is what I stated in the last matchday ranking:
"The ranking will be based on the manager's overall successes and failures: taking into account the resources available to them, their side's league position and points total, their tactical decisions and playing style, their comments in public... the list is endless.
Their job safety—in terms of board, fan and media satisfaction/pressure—will also be considered.
It is largely based on this season only, with the game week analysed given particular emphasis in terms of any fluctuations in the rankings.
However, past achievements—whether at the manager's current club or a previous one—are always a factor to consider in both of the above criteria. After all, just as with players, it can shape how we view them.
"
Clearly, there is much to consider.
Intrigued? Read on to see which two managers fall into the bottom three this week and if any can challenge the top four...
20: Paul Lambert (Aston Villa)
1 of 20
Last Week: 14th
Differential: -6
Aston Villa’s current run of six consecutive losses is now their worst in 47 years.
For that reason, regardless that they’ve played five of last season’s top six in that run, Lambert drops like a ton of bricks to the bottom after being in the top half only two weeks ago.
It could have been so different this weekend, though: Andreas Weimann scored his third goal of the season to give Villa a deserved early lead over an uninspiring Tottenham side, but Christian Benteke’s sending-off on the hour mark changed the game.
Or did it? Spurs still didn’t really look like scoring until Nacer Chadli’s goal sparked a collapse.
Again, Villa’s stats were concerning: 40 percent possession and one shot on target.
Relegation form.
19: Sean Dyche (Burnley)
2 of 20
Last Week: 19th
Differential: 0
I don’t want to criticise Sean Dyche.
I don’t even want to criticise Burnley.
They’re out of their depth against sides such as Arsenal, and it is difficult to see where the points are coming from.
But their next five fixtures are all against sides currently in the bottom half of the table—before a difficult Christmas period—and if they don’t pick up at least one win from them, they probably won’t until next August.
As Dyche rightly pointed out to BBC, though: "It's not just about one win. We need more than one win, make no mistake."
One, two, three or four, it’s not going to be enough in the end, unfortunately.
18: Brendan Rodgers (Liverpool)
3 of 20
Last Week: 17th
Differential: -1
Had this column existed last season, the Northern Irishman would surely have found himself in the No.1 position more weeks than any other manager in the division.
But it didn’t.
And neither does the Liverpool side of last season any longer.
The style of play is currently much closer to the first half of Rodgers’ first season, when the Reds often dominated possession without truly threatening and defensive errors continually costing them.
Sure enough, Liverpool had 65 percent possession against Newcastle but only looked like scoring once when Philippe Coutinho’s header was superbly saved by Tim Krul, before Alberto Moreno’s brain-dead dallying in the penalty area allowed Ayoze Perez to pounce and snatch the points.
If that felt like deja vu, it was nothing compared to Rodgers’ comments after the game to the BBC that “if you can't score the goals to win the game, you have to make sure you don't concede."
Sound familiar? That would be because he said exactly the same after the home loss to Aston Villa two months ago.
Still, at least the Reds have two nice and easy games against Real Madrid and Chelsea to pick themselves up ahead of the international break.
17: Gus Poyet (Sunderland)
4 of 20
Last Week: 20th
Differential: +3
A big, big win for the Uruguayan and his side, which moves them—and him in this ranking—out of the bottom three.
The 1-3 scoreline flattered Sunderland at Crystal Palace, but despite Wes Brown scoring yet another Sunderland own goal, they looked the stronger side.
Steven Fletcher bagging another brace might be the biggest positive to take moving forward.
16: Harry Redknapp (Queens Park Rangers)
5 of 20
Last Week: 15th
Differential: -1
The Englishman falls a place, perhaps harshly after his side went closer than any outside of Manchester to restricting Chelsea to a point.
Charlie Austin scored with his side’s only shot on target to take his tally to five for the season, and as I stated last week, he belongs at this level.
Worryingly for QPR, though, he has scored 18 more goals than any of their players since the start of last season, which appears an unhealthy reliance.
Redknapp was also misguided to dub the winning penalty "harsh" and a "shoulder to shoulder charge," as per The Express, as Eduardo Vargas’ admirable zest clearly went a little too far in impeding Eden Hazard.
15: Nigel Pearson (Leicester City)
6 of 20
Last Week: 11th
Differential: -4
The Leicester boss falls four places for the second week running after losing 1-0 at home to West Brom.
After the game, he told the BBC: "I have to look back at the game and rue the fact we didn't make enough of some situations. That is how it is going for us at the moment.”
He's right: They have failed to score in four of their last five games and are not keeping clean sheets to pick up at least a point from these games.
Subsequently, they find themselves in the bottom three for the first time this season.
14: Mauricio Pochettino (Tottenham Hotspur)
7 of 20
Last Week: 18th
Differential: +4
The Argentine would likely have been in Paul Lambert’s place but for the late revival which overturned the match.
It shows the fine margins of football, but Pochettino deserves credit for his substitutions in the second half: Erik Lamela, Harry Kane and Andros Townsend all provided added attacking intent, although why the former two did not start was beyond Spurs fans and neutrals alike.
Kane’s last-minute winner might be a turning point in both his and Tottenham’s season.
13: Neil Warnock (Crystal Palace)
8 of 20
Last Week: 7th
Differential: -6
A massively disappointing home loss to relegation rivals Sunderland for Neil Warnock’s Crystal Palace, and as such he is this week’s joint-biggest faller.
His side looked short in the final third despite Wilfried Zaha and Yannick Bolasie’s threat and flair from the wings.
Of course, rather than dare to admit his side were lacking in any area, Warnock chose to point the finger at the referee, as per the Evening Standard: "At the moment, we think everything is going against us. It is disappointing but, hopefully, things will change."
Death, taxes, etc.
Far more bewildering was describing his players as "too soft" despite Mile Jedinak’s late red card taking his side’s overall tally in that regard to three for the season.
12: Alan Pardew (Newcastle United)
9 of 20
Last Week: 16th
Differential: +4
"Alan Pardew: Back From The Dead" as a Newcastle fan's timely banner read a day after Halloween.
Three consecutive league wins, plus a fantastic away win to Manchester City in the League Cup sandwiched in the middle, has relieved much of the pressure on the Englishman and his side.
Newcastle were perhaps a tad fortunate to leave St James’ Park with all three points having appeared more than happy to play for one for much of the match, but they did appear the more threatening side on the counter-attack, a tactic that is giving them plenty of joy at the moment.
11: Roberto Martinez (Everton)
10 of 20
Last Week: 10th
Differential: -1
The Spaniard falls out of the top 10 after a disappointing home draw against ten-man Swansea.
His side looked short of ideas, with the decision to rest Romelu Lukaku perhaps a mistake with Ross Barkley still looking short of match fitness.
Martinez’s reflection that "it was a good clean sheet," as per the BBC, may seem negative, but it’s easy to see where he’s coming from after those crazy losses to Chelsea and Crystal Palace earlier in the season.
There's no doubt they're back on track.
10: Arsene Wenger (Arsenal)
11 of 20
Last Week: 12th
Differential: +2
The Frenchman returns to the top 10 after a routine home win over hapless Burnley.
Arsenal were utterly dominant, enjoying 32 shots and 68 percent possession, although they did take longer than the typically nervy home fans would have liked to make the breakthrough.
Wenger deserves great credit for his usage of Alexis Sanchez—arguably the outstanding player of the season so far—who was always going to guarantee quality for the Gunners but not necessarily this quantity of goals.
9: Mark Hughes (Stoke City)
12 of 20
Last Week: 13th
Differential: +4
How can a manager climb four places despite his side throwing away a two-goal lead at home, you ask?
When the signs of improvement are too strong to ignore.
Stoke had 60 percent possession and 21 shots as they raced to a 2-0 lead before the hour mark against an in-form West Ham side, with Mame Biram Diouf once again on the scoresheet.
However, the defence again proved to be their Achilles heel when placed under pressure, but such general dominance would have been unthinkable under Tony Pulis.
8: Louis Van Gaal (Manchester United)
13 of 20
Last Week: 9th
Differential: +1
Again the Dutchman finds himself gradually crawling up the table despite failing to win, but for all of the over-the-top hype which has surrounded Van Gaal since taking over Man Utd, the signs of improvement are undoubtedly building.
Prior to Chris Smalling’s lamentable sending-off in the 38thminute, his side looked on a par with champions and city rivals Manchester City, with Marouane Fellaini again playing a vitally robust role in midfield.
They were understandably under the cosh thereafter and should have conceded two penalties, but the revival in the final 20 minutes of the game was impressive and an unlikely point almost earned.
7: Steve Bruce (Hull City)
14 of 20
Last Week: 5th
Differential: -2
After two superb away draws at Arsenal and Liverpool, Hull must have fancied blowing Southampton’s house down.
But as Steve Bruce told the BBC: "We huffed and puffed and nothing came of it."
Something is not quite clicking for the Tigers at the moment, and to compound their woes, they are in the midst of a gruelling run of fixtures with Tottenham, Manchester United, Everton and Chelsea on the horizon.
The forthcoming away match to Burnley prior to the international break looks a must-win for both sides, then.
6: Manuel Pellegrini (Manchester City)
15 of 20
Last Week: 8th
Differential: +2
It’s been said many times over the years that, in derby matches, the three points are all that matters.
There is certainly something in that: City could do with a dominant performance to build confidence, but regardless of the late jitters, a win always over-rides everything else.
The returning Samir Nasri, particularly in David Silva’s absence, should provide added quality from wide areas in the coming weeks.
5: Alan Irvine (West Bromwich Albion)
16 of 20
Last Week: 6th
Differential: +1
A big win for West Brom at Leicester—a side likely to be battling relegation along with the Baggies—having drawn their last two games 2-2.
It was the first time Leicester have been beaten at home this season, and while the manner of the winner was fortuitous, there was nothing lucky about a richly-deserved clean sheet.
After a slow start, Alan Irvine’s side now have 11 points from their last six games and look to have more than enough about them to secure their Premier League status for the fifth consecutive season.
4: Garry Monk (Swansea)
17 of 20
Last Week: 4th
Differential: 0
The pragmatic nature instilled in this Swansea side under Monk’s tutelage was there for all to see in a stubborn away performance at Everton, and as such, he keeps his place in the top four.
Drawing 0-0 away to a superior side with 10 men for a sizeable amount of time must be one of the more pleasing results for any coach and that was reflected in Monk’s comments to the BBC—"I'm extremely proud of my team - the way they dug in for such a long period"—even if he did feel the need to once again criticise the referee.
3: Jose Mourinho (Chelsea)
18 of 20
Last Week: 3rd
Differential: 0
The Chelsea boss remains in third place after a narrow home win against a spirited QPR side.
He appeared the Not-So-Happy One after the game, though, criticising the quiet home fans and likening the atmosphere to "playing in an empty stadium," as per The Telegraph.
It is fair to say he is probably the only manager in the league who could get away with such comments, but he has a point in general about declining home atmospheres.
He was equally unhappy with his side’s performance, although he was full of praise for Oscar, whose opening goal will surely be a strong goal of the month contender.
The Brazilian remains a mystery: supremely talented but hellishly streaky.
In both previous seasons, he has started the season in dazzling form only to go missing for the second half of the campaign; Mourinho must ensure that does not happen again.
2: Sam Allardyce (West Ham United)
19 of 20
Last Week: 2nd
Differential: 0
The West Ham manager holds on to second spot by the skin of his teeth after his side showed superb steel to fight back from two goals down at the Britannia Stadium.
In truth, there was certainly an element of fortune about the draw: The Hammers had only 40 percent possession and scored with both of their shots on target.
Stewart Downing scored one and created the other, with his manager once again full of praise for the 30-year-old, per BBC: "We moved him into the middle from the wing, and he made a terrific difference."
On this form, it surely won’t be long before he adds to his 34 England caps.
1: Ronald Koeman (Southampton)
20 of 20
Last Week: 1st
Differential: 0
The Saints go marching on: The 1-0 win at Hull, courtesy of Victor Wanyama’s third goal of the season, was their seventh in eight games.
They have now conceded only five goals—half of the next best defensive record in the league—and have scored more goals than any side bar Chelsea (although that is arguably distorted by the 8-0 win against Sunderland).
Key to their success is their midfield, where Wanyama, Morgan Schneiderlin and Steven Davis provide superb energy both in defence and attack.
Steve Bruce, as per the BBC, said it best: "It is no fluke."
