Last week the International Football Federation of History & Statistics’ (IFFHS) released it’s ‘manager of the decade’ list.
All the familiar faces were there and there were no glaring omissions but the thing that did catch my eye was the order in which the managers were ranked. Now a list like this will all was be open to be questions but the IFFHS have a system in place to rank managers annually and at the end of the decade using these scores they were able to compile this list:
1. Arsene Wenger (France) 156
2. Sir Alex Ferguson (Scotland) 148
3. Jose Mourinho (Portugal) 135
4. Fabio Capello (Italy) 120
5. Guus Hiddink (Holland) 112
6. Carlo Ancelotti (Italy) 108
7. Luiz Scolari (Brazil) 101
8. Marcelo Bielsa (Argentina) 101
9. Rafael Benitez (Spain) 97
10. Marcello Lippi (Italy) 88
As I said they have a system in place to rank the managers but what system would allow a manager who hadn’t won a trophy in the later half of the decade to be named the best manager of the decade? I do not write to speak ill of Wenger, he is a good manager but from 2000 to 2010, I’m pretty sure there are managers, namely Sir Alex Ferguson, who could and should have ranked higher than him.
If we look at the the decade and compare United’s results and achievements with Arsenal’s it becomes apparent that Wenger was actually the best manager in England over the past decade let alone the world.
United won the league in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008 and 2009; the FA Cup in 2004; the league cup in 2006, 2009 and 2010 that’s just domestically if you add to that the Champions League in 2008 and the Club World Cup in 2008 the sum dwarfs Arsenal’s haul of the league titles in 2002 and 2004 and FA Cups in 2002, 2003 and 2005. Of course Arsenal’s unbeaten season has been taken into account as well as the times they have finished as runner up domestically and in Europe but in a competition to decipher who exactly has been the best manager over the past 10 years it kind of defeats the purpose to reward not actually winning!
I have only mentioned Sir Alex’s achievements in comparison, if we were to then look at say Jose Mourinho’s too it would make for lugubrious reading from an Arsenal perspective considering Mourinho has did the treble twice in the time span being considered (albeit he spent the early part in Portugal, considered a weaker league in terms of European football).
I’m not 100% sure how exactly points are awarded by the IFFHS but I would imagine having to declare a manager who hasn’t won a trophy in nearly 6 years kind of harms their credibility.
Where is the organization based?
Probably its got something to do with the UEFA President! The man who hates England with a passion.
oh and is also french!
Best manager is not based on only winning trophies.You must combine both winning trophies and the clubs financial gains. Wenger is truthfully the best.
Let;s not forget the impact Wenger has made in Arsenal’s youth programme.His philosophy of catch them young and the exciting displays of beautiful and free flowing attacking football.He has done exceptionally well,bringing out relatively unknown players and turning them into one of the world’s best.To name but a few are George oppong Weah,1995 world,European and African footballer of the year.Victor ikpeba one time African footballer of the year,Thiery Henry,Patrick Viera,Dennise Bergkamp,Cesc Fabregas etc.No manager has achieved better in the past decade.
I think to say Fergie hasn’t done similarly is a bit ignorant. Pumping youth into football was something Fergie is known for. He has successfully managed to do so and maintain wining for the most part of the last decade not to mention a champions league crown.
In saying that though I do not discredit Arsen nor do I mean he is a crapy pedophiliac manager because that would just be not (not) true. Congrats to him and his 10-1 losing rugrats.
This surely is a wierd joke!!! The voyer can never be better than Fergie!
Yes because Platini loves Wenger and has never ever ever said anything bad about him.
Presume Uler’s comment is sarcastic, given how often Platini has publicly criticised Wenger like a jealous brat who wants to be the number 1 French hero.
It’s a competition about who has managed their club the best, not won the most. Agree with it or not, they’ll have their criteria and, as a mere example, no doubt the relative economic environment in which each has managed would be reviewed. Say what you like about Wenger, but keeping a team in the final stages of every major competition while sustainably financing a new stadium and having no resources to purchase new players, while also ensuring that, following that period, the club is one of the most financially solid in world football and overhauling the youth system over 14 yearw to make it one of the most revered in Europe – it may not be winning the title every year, and that should NEVER be overlooked, but it’s still one hell of an achievement!
Dawson, even if economics is apart of the criteria, it would be way overvalued if that’s indeed what put Wenger to the top. Furthermore, United’s revenues still exceed expenditures, so the Glazer’s personal debt mounted on the club have nothing to do with Fergie’s management of the team.
For Arsenal to have literally won nothing for half of this timeframe and never acheiving a single thing in the CL really makes the ranking useless.
How can you attribute the financial balance of a team to a Coach or Manager? The only decisions a manager can influence relate to buying players. My little knowledge in finance tells me there are many more decisions made outside the manager which have far reaching consequences on the clubs.
I’ve never understood why Arsenal fans make such a big thing about their financial standing. It’s not like United’s financial problems are a direct result of mismanagement by Sir Alex.
If this was the apprentice then hats off to you, Wenger wins but in a competition to find the best manager in a sport – competing against others to emerge victorious – the fact you save x amount of £s means nothing if you win NOTHING!
If you like accept it or not,the vote was not done by Wenger and Arsenal fans,it’s done world wide.
Has Arsenal not won anything within the decade?You see, you are just being biased.
The award is for a decade achievements, not a one , two or three years achievements.Within ten years,Arsene has achieved success in management which includes,(1) winning trophies (even winning trophies undefeated in away matches in 2001/2002 season and undefeated in a whole season, both home and away matches in 2003/2004 season),(2)vast improvement and positive results in personnel management, (3) improvement in a healthy financial base and (4)Building and moving over to a new well equipped ultra modern stadium.
That is why they are called “MANAGERS”.They are not expected to manage only on the pitch, after all,as MOURINHO said and i quote,”I AM NOT THERE TO TEACH JOHN TERRY HOW TO NOD BALL”,they are there to manage both on and off the pitch.
Arsene Wenger deserves accolades for his achievements, not avarice and jealousy.
So wait are you saying that these achievement compare to Sir Alex’s?
So developing the best player in the world counts for nothing? Building teams counts for nothing? holding a team together whilst the club is in turmoil off field counts for nothing?
Your actual achievements pale in comparison and off field Sir Alex is just as effective. Your point about moving to a new stadium is mute, what was he going to do? Say I’m staying at Highbury? Ad even then you have won nothing since you’ve moved…
dude is your name “Chudi”….do you know what that means in Hindi ?….lol
Normally I would never reply as I never tend to have long conversations with United fans,as it ends up into a huge fight..But this is the first time I don’t mind.
look mate, you got a nice blog over your side, so lets just call it a day “for now !”
BTW : Chudi means *u***r in hindi…lol