Arsenal FC Power Rankings: Top 5 Managers in Club History

Arsenal FC are a great club with a rich history and have had some great managers, men who have made a longstanding contribution to the game of football. Overall, they have had revolutionaries, they have had conservatives and they have had some outright failures. Throughout the club's history, styles of play have radically changed since the inception of the team.

The manager best remembered from the early years of the club was Herbert Chapman, one of the great innovators of the football world. He invented the formation WM, which initiated a fundamental rethink of football tactics.

Next came Bertie Mee, the Englishman who succeeded Billy Wright and brought in the second great era at Arsenal. He was ushered in by the emergence of youth talent at the club, which won Arsenal their first European trophy.

After that, there was the Scotsman George Graham, who came in after Don Howe was infamously sacked, leading to widespread protests among the Arsenal fans. He became the new manager of Arsenal, giving them unprecedented success. His highest point was undoubtedly Anfield '89, when Michael Thomas scored a last-gasp winner to give Arsenal the title.

Then came the era of Arsene Wenger, the Frenchman who made Arsenal the world power it is now. He brought in great players the like of Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry dazzling the Highbury crowds.

5. Tom Whittaker

Whittaker was the greatest Manager of Arsenal chronologically after Chapman. He took on the reins of the team after World War II and led them to two league championships, an FA Cup and a Charity Shield.

Source: spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk

4. Bertie Mee

Bertie Mee was a great Arsenal manager. He ushered in the great era of Frank McLintock, Charlie George and George Graham. He is iconic mainly because of the trophies he won with relatively young players. He was part of the uplifting of Arsenal fans after the disappointment of expensive manager Billy Wright.

Trophy Count:

Fairs Cup

League and Cup double

Source: arsenal.com

3. George Graham

George Graham was a Scotsman who played for Arsenal under Bertie Mee. He was known for his defensive and boring style of play at Arsenal that involved using the back pass rule to his advantage. He was known for building the "Famous Four" Arsenal defense of Tony Adams, Steve Bould, Nigel Winterburn and Lee Dixon.

Graham won many trophies during his tenure:

Two League Titles

FA Cup

Two League Cups

UEFA winner's Cup

A shared Chairty Shield

2. Herbert Chapman

In 1930, Arsenal manager and visionary Herbert Chapman won the FA Cup against his old club Huddersfield Town, 2-0. This was the crowning glory of Chapman's reign, where he cemented his legacy in the history of Arsenal and football. He created a side that boasted the likes of Ted Drake, Alex James and Eddie Hapgood among others. His "Invincibles" were to be defeated by Wallsall, a lowly Third Division side costing only £69 in total.

But he made several great tactical contributions to the game and has etched himself in the history of Arsenal football club.

1. Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger is a brilliant manager. He joined Arsenal after Scotsman Bruce Rioch left the club. As soon as he came, he started making monumental changes to the club's personnel, bringing in foreign players and instituting a new pass and move style of play similar to continental teams.

He won the double in 1998 and 2002 as well as going unbeaten in the league in 2004. However, despite winning the FA Cup in 2005, he has won nothing at Arsenal despite bringing the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri to the club.