Ranking the 5 best managers in the Premier League at the moment (2022)
The Premier League has had its share of great managers. From the eminent Sir Alex Ferguson to Arsene Wenger to Jose Mourinho, the English top-flight has featured world-class coaches who have left an indelible mark on the game.
The Premier League is the most widely followed club football competition in the world. The sheer popularity of the league translates to a lot of revenue. Financial pulling power more or less represents clout in the world of football and as a result, Premier League clubs are home to some of the best footballers on the planet.
The Premier League managers are some of the best in the world
Not only are Premier League teams capable of roping in the best players, but the league also has some of the best managers and coaches in the world. There are plenty of wonderful tacticians in the English top-flight.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the best managers in the Premier League right now.
#5 Mikel Arteta (Arsenal)
A flaky start to the 2021-22 season saw Arsenal lose all of their first three Premier League games. It looked for a while like Mikel Arteta had entered the final chapter of his managerial reign at Arsenal. However, he has since done a remarkable job to help turn the season around for the Gunners.
Arsenal do not really have any global superstars on their payroll right now and that's what makes their sitting at fourth in the table quite a commendable achievement. Arteta has also showcased a fair amount of versatility this term, switching up his tactics and occasionally using a 4-3-3 in addition to his favored 4-2-3-1 formation.
Arteta has also brought out the best in some of Arsenal's players and has steadied their ship in an admirable manner. The Spaniard will be hoping to qualify for the Champions League and if he can, he is likely to be handed a fair amount of money to invest in the upcoming transfer window.
🗣 "Mikel Arteta is 100%, is a really good coach."
Jurgen Klopp is in high praise of Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, comparing him to title rivals manager Pep Guardiola https://t.co/rdVhKg0lZi
#4 Bruno Lage (Wolverhampton Wanderers)\
Managerial changes can be difficult to navigate for any set of players. They will need to rework their game and rewire themselves to suit the needs of the new manager's philosophy and style of play. Wolverhampton Wanderers were left to endure the same as Nuno Espirito Santo left them last summer after doing a commendable job over four seasons.
Bruno Lage was appointed as his replacement. Instead of implementing new plans and tactics, the new manager chose to adapt to the situation and evolve instead of putting the players through the strenuous process of learning the ropes again.
He was viewed as a rather low-profile replacement but the Portuguese tactician has made Wolves an even more formidable unit. They are much stronger defensively than they used to be. If their forwards had been sharper this season, Wolves would have comfortably been in the race for Champions League qualification.
His 3-4-3 system has worked well with players in each line knowing exactly what their role is and how to offer support to their teammates. Wolves are presently seventh in the table and have the fourth-best defensive record in the Premier League, having conceded just 23 goals in 29 matches.
#3 Thomas Tuchel (Chelsea)
Thomas Tuchel's first year as Chelsea manager was nothing short of exceptional. He arrived in late January 2021 and immediately transformed the Blues into one of the most defensively formidable sides in Europe.
His three-man defence worked like a charm and his focus on wing play and use of Chelsea's young attackers propelled them to European glory last summer. It was a great example of Tuchel's ability to get his ideas through to his players rapidly.
Chelsea were on top of the Premier League table for an extended period in the first half of the ongoing season. However, a subsequent dip in form has caused Chelsea to settle at third in the Premier League table for now.
There's no doubt that Tuchel, who has worked magic with young talent during his previous stints with Borussia Dortmund and PSG, is the right man for Chelsea. He has already massively improved players like Reece James, Mason Mount and Antonio Rudiger to name a few.
#2 Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)
Pep Guardiola's Manchester City are at the top of the Premier League table right now and have looked indomitable for most of the season. Pep Guardiola is one of the greatest managers of all time. He won the continental treble with Barcelona in the first season of his senior managerial career.
Subsequently, Pep had an immensely successful stint as the head coach of Bayern Munich. He won three consecutive Bundesliga titles and two DFB Pokals between the 2013-14 and 2015-16 seasons. He then arrived at Manchester City in 2016.
At Manchester City, he has world-class players in every position. City is home to some of the most technically gifted players in the world but Pep Guardiola's managerial acumen is the glue that holds them together.
But the jury is still out on how good a team Guardiola can build without the level of financial backing he has enjoyed throughout his managerial career.
He has won three Premier League titles in the last four years at Manchester City and took them to the final of the Champions League as well last term. The former Spanish international is widely regarded as one of the best tacticians of all time.
#1 Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Liverpool are still very much in the Premier League title race this season. They are currently second in the table with 66 points, trailing Manchester City by just four and have a game in hand over the league leaders.
Six years ago, this would have been unimaginable as the club was reeling from the lethargy of years spent marinating in mediocrity. After a revolutionary spell as the manager of Borussia Dortmund, Jurgen Klopp brought his heavy-metal brand of football to Liverpool in 2015.
Unlike the managers of the other Premier League giants, Klopp did not have all the riches in the world to work with. But the German coach's single-minded approach to improving players and eye for underrated talent have helped transform Liverpool into one of the best teams in Europe.
Klopp's 'gegenpressing' system, whereby players try to win the ball back immediately after losing possession, has been a big hit in the Premier League. His tactics are a bit out-of-the-box as well. For example, Liverpool's midfield is all about efficiency and it's the wide players, the full-backs and wingers, who are tasked with providing the creative spark.
Klopp has also made quite a few shrewd signings and during his tenure, Liverpool's transfer business has been top-notch. The former Borussia Dortmund and Mainz 05 manager's direct style of play, use of wide forwards with blistering pace and a false nine have all worked like a charm.
He led Liverpool to the Champions League final in the 2017-18 season before becoming European champions the following season. Klopp also led Liverpool to their first ever Premier League title in the 2019-20 season.
The Merseysiders are mounting a challenge on all fronts this season. They've already won the League Cup after beating Chelsea on penalties in the final last month. They have made it to the quarter-finals of the Champions League and the FA Cup and are still in the Premier League title race. This could yet be a historic year for Jurgen Klopp.
Jurgen Klopp:
"If you reach March in an interesting part of the table, in the quarter-finals, in all the competitions, then it looks like it could be a really good season. Being there, being ready for the fight of your life is a challenge.” #awlive [sky] https://t.co/eYX7bRRaBT