Bruce, Hodgson or Redknapp: Who is the best English manager in the Premier League?
There are just eight English-born managers in the Premier League and, at this moment in time (September 23, 2009), half of them fill the bottom four places in the table. But is that due to their lack of chances at managing a top club or are they lacking that something extra to be a success at the highest level? Well that’s a debate for another day, what I want to know right now is just who is the best English manager in the Premier League?
Harry Redknapp has restored pride and belief at Tottenham Hotspur and they will be there or thereabouts in the battle for European places come May. Steve Bruce has served his apprenticeship in the game well and looks to be heading for an exciting season at the Stadium of Light, while Roy Hodgson has managed to take unfancied Fulham into Europe. Of course there are other English-born managers in the game like Sam Allardyce at Blackburn, Mick McCarthy at Wolves and Phil Brown at Hull, but just who is the best English managers in the Premier League right now?
Harry Redknapp
The Tottenham Hotspur boss has an army of admirers for his wheeling and dealing in the transfer market at his previous clubs and for his ability to get the most out of average players. His man-management skills are second to none (although I’m sure David Nugent may refute that) and he guided Portsmouth to FA Cup glory in 2008 and led Spurs to the Carling Cup Final last season. He revived Spurs’ fortunes following their awful spell under Juande Ramos and despite being 62 he is tipped by many as a future England manager. Redknapp is realistically the only current English manager likely to break into the “Big Four”.
Roy Hodgson
The Fulham boss deserves great credit for what he has achieved on limited resources at Craven Cottage. The west London side looked to be heading for the Championship before the former Blackburn Rovers and Switzerland coach took charge in 2007 and saved their skin on goal difference on the final day of the season with a win at Portsmouth. The following season Hodgson made a few astute signings and sorted out the defence which enabled the Cottagers to climb the table and clinch a place in the Europa League. Tactically sound, Hodgson is a quality manager, but is he the best?
Steve Bruce
The former Manchester United defender is arguably one of Fergie’s best protégés. He learned his trade in the lower divisions with a host of clubs before achieving his crack at the big time with promotion at Birmingham City. He kept the Blues in the top flight for two seasons before slipping through the trapdoor but managed to win promotion again at the first time of asking. At Wigan he assembled an attack-minded squad and deserves huge respect for turning Titus Bramble from a joke of a defender into a man mountain in defence. In the summer he quit the JJB (now the DW Stadium) for Sunderland and has made an impressive start at the Stadium of Light. With the injection of cash at the club and arrival of some class players at the club, Bruce is thriving on the expectation of the fans and the board.
The other English-born managers in the top flight include:
Mick McCarthy
The Wolverhampton Wanderers boss is doing his best to exorcise the ghosts of his last spell in the Premier League with Sunderland. The former Republic of Ireland boss, who was born in Barnsley, has already picked up seven points from the Molineux club’s first six games and currently sit in 12th place. McCarthy has an eye for young talent and expects his players to give their all when they step onto the pitch. Wolves have not been the whipping boys as some people expected and McCarthy has obviously worked long and hard on the training pitch to achieve that. Keeping Wolves up is his main objective and the early indications suggest that it is well within their grasp.
Gary Megson
If Alesha Dixon from Strictly Come Dancing wants to know what it’s like to have people constantly criticising you then she should have a word with Bolton boss Gary Megson. Despite rescuing Bolton from the mess Sammy Lee left them in, Megson has been a figure of hate for many Bolton fans. He has retained their top flight status but his relationship with the fans has been frosty to say the least. Megson has spent an awful lot of money at the Reebok and promised the fans entertaining football but they are becoming disillusioned with his negative tactics. But is Megson a bad manager or just at the wrong club? Would he have the ability to transform another top flight club or is the Championship his level?
Sam Allardyce
The Blackburn Rovers boss was hailed by many in the game as a potential England manager following his extraordinary spell at Bolton Wanderers but since leaving the Reebok he has struggled to get his methods across. Like Redknapp, Allardyce is a master of getting the best out of players nearing the end of their careers and his scientific approach to the game, training and nutrition is thought to be light years ahead of his rivals. However, his style of play failed to win over the fans at Newcastle United and was axed after just six months, but he has managed to steady the ship at Ewood Park following the terrible run under Paul Ince but they currently sit in the bottom three. Can he replicate the success he achieved at Bolton at Blackburn Rovers?
Phil Brown
Like Allardyce, the Hull City boss was tipped as a future England manager following The Tiger’ amazing start to their first season in the Premier League, but that now looks like being the most bizarre shout in the history of football. The Tigers gained promotion through sheer hard work and an amazing team spirit. This inspired them in the first few games of the season but they soon faded away and were mightily fortunate to retain their Premier League status. Many people have questioned Brown’s decision to reprimand his players on the pitch at Manchester City last Christmas. Hull are tipped to go down this season but it will interesting to see if Brown has the tactical nous to steer them away from danger.
Paul Hart
Finally we have Portsmouth’s Paul Hart who is still searching for his first league win of the season. The former Nottingham Forest boss avoided the drop last season after cleaning up the mess left by Tony Adams, but has made the worst possible start to this season. However, the blame doesn’t solely lie at Hart’s door. The club has been forced to sell its best players and he has had to bring in players who he thinks will do a job for them. Despite losing six out of six, Pompey, apart from the Arsenal game, have not been steamrolled by the opposition. Four of their defeats have been by just one goal margins and if David James hadn’t of flattened Birmingham’s Sebastian Larsson in the last minute at St Andrews they would already have their first point on the board. Hart has a great record of bringing through young players and maybe that’s what he should stick at doing.
The football world paid its respects this week to Sir Bobby Robson, who was arguably England’s greatest manager over the past 40 years. He won trophies at home and aboard and almost guided England to the World Cup Final in 1990. The national team is currently managed by the Italian Fabio Capello but apparently the long term plan for England is to have an English manager in charge. Would you be happy with any of the aforementioned Englishmen in charge of the national side and who do you think is the best English boss in the Premier League?
· Calling all football fans. Who do you think is the best English manager in the top flight right now and why? Why do you think the so-called big clubs are resistant to giving English managers a chance to prove themselves? Are English managers inferior to their European counterparts? Are there any young English managers outside the Premier League who you think will go on to be successful at the highest level? I’d love to hear your views on the subject.
