Top four football managers of all time

A good football manager can make or break a team and must always endure a constant pressure to perform – whether it’s from fans or the media. But while they must be able to produce excellent football results week in week out and make the right transfer decisions, not all coaches will stand the test of time like these four legends of the game.

Sir Matt Busby

Talented on and off the pitch, Sir Matt Busby is one of the most renowned figures in the football world. He played for Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea during his professional career before enjoying great success with Manchester United as manager. Busby led The Red Devils from 1945 until 1965 and took the reins again for the second half of the 1970/71 season.

Under his leadership the team won the league in 1956 and 1957, and were runners-up to Aston Villa in the 1957 FA Cup Final. Despite the Munich air crash, which killed eight of his players, Busby rebuilt United and they became the league champions in 1967 and European Cup winners in 1968.

Bill Shankly

Following an impressive international and club career, Shankly made a name for himself as the man behind the Liverpool team between 1959 and 1974. Bill transformed the squad and is responsible for turning them into the high-achieving team they went on to be for many years to follow.

Determined to mould the young players into an unbeatable side, he took Liverpool from the old Second Division to the top of the First Division (1964) and lifted the FA Cup the following year. He is a Merseyside legend that dominated the football news and gave the city some of the best football results of all time.

Sir Alex Ferguson

Sir Alex Ferguson joined Manchester United in 1986 and – after a slow start – has become the manager behind one of the most successful clubs in English history. He has enjoyed phenomenal success in both England and Europe and has taken his team from strength-to-strength, peaking in 1999 when United won the infamous treble. This involved beating Newcastle in the FA Cup final, being victorious in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich and winning the all-important Premier League title.

Alex Ferguson was knighted two weeks later for his services to football and has continued to succeed. In 2008 United won a second Champions League and went on to win many games at home and away.

José Mourinho

Known as The Special One, José Mourinho is a talented, determined and influential manager who has had major success throughout Europe. After winning the UEFA Cup with Porto and two consecutive Premier League titles with Chelsea, he joined Real Madrid in 2010, signing a four month contract.

Under Mourinho, Real Madrid have had historic wins including an 8-0 win over Levante that led them to win the Copa del Rey final by beating Barcelona 1-0. Mourinho has a great track record and looks set to continue his success.

There have been some talented managers over the years, but these guys have made a lasting impression.