EPL: Power Ranking the League's 20 Managers
Being a Premier League manager is one of the most stressful, frustrating but ultimately rewarding jobs in professional sport. The constant pressure and criticism is enough to drive any level headed man to the brink of insanity.
Over the years we've seen hundreds of men in suits come through the top flight of English football with varying levels of personality and success. Most are soon forgotten and consigned to the history books, only very few last the test of time and hold on to their jobs.
Of the current 20 men in the hot seats there are a variety of different stories and experiences, from returning heroes to newly enlisted rookies just setting out to prove their Premier League credentials.
So without further adieu, here's my ranking of the current 20 managers in the Premier League.
20. Steve Kean
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It's impossible to judge Kean seeing as he's only held a Premier League job for a matter of weeks. We'll simply have to wait to see how successful he can be at Blackburn.
19. Roberto Martinez
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Martinez is relatively new to the Premier League with this being just his second year.
Last year is therefore our only sample of Martinez's performance and he's had mixed results. He kept Wigan up last season but had to sit through a 9-1 defeat at Totteham, ending up with the worst goal difference in the league.
This year Wigan face another relegation dog fight and Martinez will have to fight to maintain his Premier League status.
18. Roberto Di Matteo
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The suave Italian has tasted nothing but success in his time at West Brom. Di Matteo led the Baggies back to the Premier League and got off to a flying start to life in the Premier League.
Things have slowly cooled off for Di Matteo and they now find themselves one of many teams in the relegation scrap for the remainder of this season.
17. Mick McCarthy
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McCarthy has had a mixed record as a Premier League manager. After failing to save a struggling Sunderland side back in 2003, but then successfully led them back to the big time in 2005. McCarthy once again found it tough in the Premier League and lost his job midway through the season.
After a controversial spell managing the Republic of Ireland, McCarthy took over at Wolves and led them to the Premier League two years ago. He experienced greater success last year, managing to keep Wolves afloat. Wolves have struggled this year despite beating Manchester City and Chelsea and are perched on the edge of danger. If he can keep them up again, he'll be moving up the list.
16. Avram Grant
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Grant has managed three Premier League clubs from high flying Chelsea to relegated Portsmouth.
The Israeli's spell at Chelsea was really a case of what could have been. After replacing Jose Mourinho Grant led Chelsea to a League Cup final, a second place finish in the League and was one John Terry penalty away from bringing the Blues their first European title.
After Chelsea Grant took over at Portsmouth but with a struggling team and financial crisis was unable to save them from the drop.
Despite this, Grant led Portsmouth to the FA Cup final and once again the curse of the penalty struck one more with Kevin Prince Boateng squandering a golden chance to give the underdogs a chance for a huge upset.
Grant is now at West Ham and despite gossips of Board meetings and arranged successors, he still has the hot seat.
For any Grant fans out there, route against West Ham reaching the Carling Cup final, the current trend is that whenever Grant reaches a final, he loses his job.
15. Ian Holloway
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Ian Holloway has been as much of a star in this years Premier League as his high flying Blackpool side.
Despite a team bought with pennies in comparison to some of the big names in England, Blackpool sit in an impressive 12th place.
Holloway's colourful quotes and personality has breathed new life into the normally drab press conferences and the league would be a sadder place without him.
14. Alex McLeish
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McLeish has had great success away from the Premier League with Rangers but has had mixed success since arriving in the Premier League.
The Scot led Birmingham to ninth in the league last year, their highest finish in over 50 years, earning him a new contract at St Andrews.
McLeish has failed to build on last year's success and Birmingham are a candidate to go down this season; he'll have to step it up or go elsewhere if he wants to stay in the top flight at this rate.
13. Tony Pulis
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Pulis' rumbustious Stoke team have climbed up the Premier League table since arriving in 2007. Each season they move further away from the long ball style of football they were stereotyped to be using when they first arrived in the Premier League and subsequently they rise up the table.
Stoke are now a solid middle table team and may continue to rise under Pulis' guidance.
12. Gerard Houllier
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Liverpool fans can only dream of the Houllier's results as manager at the stat of the new millennium. The Frenchman led Liverpool to the cup treble and numerous high placed finishes in the league, but never got to the very top of the mountain.
Houllier is now back in the Premier League with Aston Villa and his signing of Darren Bent may prove to the masterstroke that keeps Villa in the Premier League.
11. Alan Pardew
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After gaining promotion to the Premier League, Pardew's West Ham had an inspired start to their Premier League campaign. The Hammers finished the season in an incredible ninth place, also reaching the FA Cup final.
After losing his job at West Ham the following season, Pardew took over at Charlton but couldn't stop their slide towards relegation.
Pardew is now back in the Premier League with Newcastle and has started well in his career at St James' Park
10. Mark Hughes
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Hughes took a Blackburn team focused on escaping the drop and guided them to a top six finish in a remarkable season that saw them beat Chelsea, Arsenal and doing the double over Manchester United.
Hughes took over at Manchester City in 2008 and got off to a promising start, however with the never ending stream of investment and expectations expanding beyond his control, it was always going to be tough to keep the feet of the fans and board alike on the ground.
After taking over at Fulham, Hughes I'd yet to really get the London side going, stuttering their way to their current position of 14th in the league.
If Hughes can do a Roy Hodgson like revival of Fulham he's most likely to receive a similar promotion.
9. Owen Coyle
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Coyle has achieved great success in England as a manager both with Burnley and Bolton.
After guiding Burnley to the Premier League Coyle's stock continued to rise as he led his team up the table.
After attracting attention from Bolton, Coyle left Burnley and has continued his success at Bolton.
Coyle's taken a Bolton team happy with Premier League survival and they now have aspirations of playing in Europe.
8. David Moyes
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Moyes has done a brilliant job at Everton, growing the team each year culminating in an astounding fourth place finish in 2005, eclipsing rivals Liverpool.
This season has been a struggle for Everton and they've only recently begun to climb up the League table.
Despite a slow start to this season, no one can doubt Moyes' credentials as a Premier League manager.
7. Steve Bruce
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Steve Bruce has consistently been one of the best Premier League over the past decade, firstly at Birmingham, later at Wigan and now at Sunderland.
Sunderland have lost Darren Bent but are still striving forwards towards a Europa League place this year and as long as Bruce is there, you feel that the only way is up.
6. Roberto Mancini
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Mancini may have the toughest job of them all at Manchester City but seems to be dealing well with the pressure of growing expectations. His City team seem to have settled and are now on a level playing with local rivals Manchester United in chasing the Premier League title.
If his team can continue to grow the that elusive league crown could be just around the corner.
5. Kenny Dalglish
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You have to go back a long way to recall Dalglish's greatest success' as a manager. The legendary Liverpool player has replicated his success on the sidelines as he did as a player winning three league titles with Liverpool in the late 80s/early 90s. He went on to replicate this success at Blackburn in 1995, winning the Premier League title.
As we know, Dalglish has recently retaken his post at Anfield and if he can get anywhere near mirroring his previous successes on Merseyside he'll only add to his Liverpool legend.
4. Carlo Ancelloti
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In his short spell at Chelsea the Italian has already led the Blues to a league and cup double. Despite this promising start to his managerial career in England, Ancelotti has struggled following an excellent start to the season.
Ancelotti will have to turn this mini-crisis around at Chelsea to keep his place at the to end of the Premier League.
3. Harry Redknapp
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Redknapp has achieved great success at a number of clubs in the Premier League, starting at West Ham. In 1998 he led them to fifth in the table. He then took over at Portsmouth, leading them to the Premier League. After leaving Portsmouth for Southampton Redknapp was unable to keep the Saints in the top division.
Redknapp then returned to Portsmouth, taking them from relegation crisis to the top half of the Premier League.
Redknapp has since performed the same job at Tottenham and has broken the perceived 'big four' and has turned Spurs into legitimate title contenders.
2. Arsene Wenger
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Wenger has done a terrific job at the helm of Arsenal, leading them to three league titles. Despite a recent trophy drought Wenger's Arsenal appear to be back in the running for Premier League titles once more and if they can keep hold of Cesc Fabregas, will continue to fight for the top prizes for years to come.
1. Sir Alex Ferguson
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It was never really in doubt was it. Ferguson has spent 24 years and counting at Old Trafford leading them to an astonishing 11 league titles as well as two European titles.
Ferguson has managed to retool and rebuild his squad time and time again and is now in position to regain the domestic crown once more, not to mention that with 15 games to go, his team are still unbeaten; trying to replicate Arsenal's 'invincibles' of 2003/04 . If United were to complete this feat it would no doubt add another amazing accomplishment to Ferguson's incredible résumé.
