2009 Best Premier League Managers
Five Coaches Who Made A Big Difference In Their Team's Season
Sir Alex Ferguson
Ferguson is certainly at his vintage best this season, enraging opponents, their managers and referees alike, but doing so with a Teflon quality that is as indescribable as it is intangible.
He can win his side penalties and free kicks by being on the refs all game, and his psychological warfare has left no greater man than Rafa Benitez of Liverpool a shell of himself prompting the latter’s bizarre rant against Ferguson earlier this year. Since then United have not lost nor conceded a goal. Liverpool have tumbled.
Ferguson is the only manager in the league, aside from Arsene Wenger, that has such respect that a player feels they must impress their manager, and not the other way around.
He rotates his squad flawlessly, purchases new players shrewdly, and his tactic are virtually unquestionable. United are almost home and dry in the league and surging towards England’s first quadruple.
Martin O’Neill
Martin O’Neill is in charge of the surprise team of the season, taking Villa up to third. Such is the magnitude of his accomplishment that his decision to hold on to midfielder Gareth Barry during the summer is no longer viewed as a bad move.
O’Neill was criticized last summer for the handling of the Barry transfer saga, but perhaps he saw what no one else was looking at: An Aston Villa team capable of upsetting the Big Four’s apple cart.
Villa can be one-dimensional on occasion, but the addition of Emile Heskey and the return of John Carew makes the Villans much tougher to play against, as those two link up well with top-scorer Gabriel Agbonlahor and sensational winger Ashley Young.
O’Neill deserves as much credit as possible for building and guiding this young side up the standings. If they stay there is still to be determined, but he’s tough to vote against.
Sam Allardyce
Blackburn Rovers are a disappointment this term. They sit nine places and 16 points back of where they were this time last year. But old management has been sacked, and in their place comes Sam Allardyce – and what a difference he has made.
While the results are not quite synched up with a charge up the standings yet, Allardyce’s Rovers are stringing together a nice run. Until their recent loss to Villa, Blackburn had two wins and four draws from their previous six games – although it is far from perfect, it signals a chance in momentum and attitude at Ewood Park.
They’ve toughened up, consolidated and even started putting the ball in the net. Benni McCarthy and Jason Roberts have enjoyed a purple patch of goals.
It’s starting to come together for Blackburn and they won’t stay in the relegation dog fight for long.
Gianfranco Zola
Zola, like Allardyce, is a mid-season appointment making waves.
Things didn’t start so well for West Ham under Zola, losing the first four. But since then he has guided a balanced Hammers squad up the table to eighth, one place ahead of the richest team in the world. No small feat, it would seem.
Zola has tailored his squad to fit his needs, selling Craig Bellamy for some big money and then re-investing in new talent, while giving Matthew Upson and Scott Parker a great reason to stay and build. He also added some firepower with record-signing Savio Nserko joining, along with Diego Tristan during the transfer window.
Steve Bruce
Things have rarely been this good around the JJB, and Latics fans have Steve Bruce to thank. The wily manager has transformed this rugby town into a stable Premier League football home as well.
Wigan are a very difficult team to play against, with some rather good players. Despite selling off midfielder Wilson Palacios and forward Emile Heskey, Wigan still boast and excellent Egyptian strike force Amr Zaki and Mido the former having been a revelation since arriving on loan. Bruce also added Ben Watson and Charles N’Zogbia, and managed to keep Luis Antonio Valencia despite pressure from other teams.
But Bruce’s greatest achievement comes in making Titus Bramble a respectable defender. While voodoo hasn’t been ruled out, Bruce has woven some sort of magic to turn the former calamity into the heart of a tight-knit defense. Who knew?
Honorable Mention: Ricky Sbragia (Sunderland)
What do you think about this article?
Latest Articles