Top 10 tacticians in football history

Some managers etch their names into history because they change the game. It is because of them that we think about football in the way we do. They are the visionaries, the ones who see the sport in a different way and force us to forget all we know about how 11 players should function on a pitch.Here are the top 10 tacticians that changed the game of football.

#10 Arsne Wenger

Arsène Wenger is ranked above managers who have won more and with very good reason.

The Frenchman changed the nature of elite football training, introducing dietary changes and making player lifestyle an important aspect of training. He shifted the focus from the physical to the technical—even basic stamina work involved a ball. 

The results were spectacular. In his first full season, he became the first foreign manager to win the double.

Wenger reached his high point in 2004, when his ‘Invincibles’ won the Premier League without losing a single game. They went on to extend their unbeaten record to 49 games, making them arguably the greatest team in Premier League history.

Led by captain Patrick Vieira, opposing sides had neither the athleticism to cope with Arsenal’s speed in attack nor the guile to break down its well-organized defence.

The Professor, as he is called for having a masters degree in economics, helped oversee the club's move to the Emirates, managing to keep Arsenal competitive through this transition despite having less to spend on players and wages.

This change of scenery made Wenger abandon his 4-4-2 system and instead adopt a more cautious 4-5-1 system that focused on keeping the ball.

Wenger revolutionized not only the Gunners’ game, but also that of English football.