Onto Pep Guardiola, who came to the EPL with a massive record in La Liga and the Bundesliga, including the unique achievement of winning all six trophies available in the calendar year 2009. So we knew he would improve an already strong Man City, but he did manage to get the domestic treble last season, despite the challenge from Liverpool and Tottenham.
Anyway, this subject has come up because a certain Neil Warnock, who has been managing in England for centuries, was asked for his opinion on the best Premier League manager, and this is what he said (as quoted in the Mirror): “Since the Premier League started, if I was picking my top five managers I would put Arsene Wenger at number one, only because he changed the whole outlook on modern footballers.
“He brought so many things in that had never been thought of – the nutritionists, the fitness guys, videos, technology.
“So I think Wenger changed the whole course of it when he came into the Premier League.”
And then he surprisingly named Pep Guardiola ahead of Alex Ferguson in second place. “I saw his teams firsthand last year and I’ve never seen a team with that kind of movement,” Warnock continued.
“David Silva is the best player I’ve ever seen in the Premier League and I think Pep’s just taken it all on board. He’s had a few years so he’s been in front of a few, but I think he’s just amazing.”
“His influence on the parks and the lower down leagues has been fantastic, so I’d put Pep second”.
“I would put Klopp third because I think he’s just beginning and he will get even better.
“But his outlook and everything he has done at the club and the future with the kids – I think he has got another ten years coming forward.
“So I think he’s third at the minute but could easily be number one in a couple of years.
“Fourth, I would probably go with Sir Alex [Ferguson] just in front of Jose Mourinho, because he has done it for longer.
“I just think he was in an era where it was all about man management – it wasn’t down to all the backroom staff – and Sir Alex was probably the best at that.
“Jose Mourinho is close. What I like about him is the way he deals with the media at the most difficult times, but I would still put him number five.”
So, some interesting assessments there from Warnock about Arsene Wenger, so let’s have are own choices now, and please remember, we are only talking about since the Premier League began in 1992….
Admin Pat