Sir Alex Ferguson

[Al Jolson 3]

Has there ever been a better football manager in the world than this man?

[Escobar 13,676]

Super Ally.

[DougieRFC 36]

Aye Mourinho

[RangersMedia 35,961]

Love or hate Man Utd, SAF is an absolute legend and fantastic personality off the pitch. He epitomises what the game of football is all about.

[JamieD 19,011]

Has there ever been a better football manager in the world than this man?

Hard to say. In terms of longevity, building a dynasty, having success with multiple clubs, you'd have to say no. But then there are question marks over him too. Bob Paisley managed three European cup wins in 9 years. Fergie "only" managed two in 25. He has never won the European cup with a style that blew everybody away and redefined the way we think about football. And we overlook managers from other confederations. There are Latin American managers who have achieved comparable success in their continent.

Plus there are managers before the advent of European football, which we consider the measure of managerial greatness. How would the likes of Bill Struth (most dominent domestic manager in the history of the game as far as I know) have fared in comparison?

[Broxi 11,518]

McCoist

[Goianegra 4,684]

Dunno, not that old.

[Al Jolson 3]

Hard to say. In terms of longevity, building a dynasty, having success with multiple clubs, you'd have to say no. But then there are question marks over him too. Bob Paisley managed three European cup wins in 9 years. Fergie "only" managed two in 25. He has never won the European cup with a style that blew everybody away and redefined the way we think about football. And we overlook managers from other confederations. There are Latin American managers who have achieved comparable success in their continent.

Plus there are managers before the advent of European football, which we consider the measure of managerial greatness. How would the likes of Bill Struth (most dominent domestic manager in the history of the game as far as I know) have fared in comparison?

All good, and pertinent points, JD. Personally, I think that to achieve what he has done tops the lot though due to the changes he's faced in his managerial career. Footballs way different from what the likes of Paisley, etc encountered. He's lived, and been successful, through the most rapid period of change that football's ever seen. And he's still a winner. Plus he's fucked numerous superstar after numerous superstar after another and replaced them easily on most occasions.

[Al Jolson 3]

There is many great managers that nobody has heard of and never had the millions over the years that Ferguson has had the pleasure to use. Tactically I don't think he is the best ever.

The likes Michel, Happel, Guttman, Munoz, Sacchi etc were great managers in their own right, Ferguson will beat most managers on 'trophies' but I feel there is more thinking behind what makes a great manager than honours.

Eh?

[Sgt. Pepper 117]

I fucking love the fact that he's a rangers man.

[TerryTibbs 224]

Aye Mourinho

No

[JamieD 19,011]

Eh?

There are managers that impact on the game in real, meaningful ways that go way beyond mere trophy wins.

[Waste 8]

If he's the greatest ever why is his team not the best ever? They are not even close.

Today they lined up with Anderson and Fletcher in midfield, is that the mark of a great manager? That's shite.

As soon as they meet a proper team like Real Madrid or Barca they will be destroyed, again.

I think this current Man Utd side is very mediocre player by player. They are playing well but in a weak league where the only real opposition is a newly formed Man City side that will take a while to gel. Chelsea are in dire, DIRE(!) (and it pains me watching them growing up watching Zola et al) need of an overhaul and still were worth a point today IMO

[Waste 8]

If Mourinho was still at Chelsea or Arsene had one of his old school sides, this Man Utd side would be 20 points off top by the end of the season. They are top by default. Rooney and Nani are certainly top players but other than that they are so average it's laughable.

[Al Jolson 3]

Well there is some very good tactical managers about such as Unai Emery whom you won't expect to win trophies because he is the manager of a smaller club and in today's era not many of the big clubs like to take gambles on their managers.

Years back managers used to concentrate on their country thus meaning there is not many trophies up for grabs, back in the old days there was not nearly as many teams in Europe.

Rinus Michels is regarded as one of the best managers of all time yet he only has 15 trophies to his name, but his 'total' football style in the 70s or so is what he is remembered on.

The league, era, finances, trophies available and other factors need to be addressed when making a clear decision on who the best ever was, Mourinho has an advantage over SAF because he won the CL with a less favoured club in Porto.

Fergie won a European trophy with Aberdeen.

[JamieD 19,011]

If Mourinho was still at Chelsea or Arsene had one of his old school sides, this Man Utd side would be 20 points off top by the end of the season. They are top by default. Rooney and Nani are certainly top players but other than that they are so average it's laughable.

When Mourinho wins a trophy without a sugar daddy behind him it might be a valid comparison.

The true mark of Ferguson's achievements must focus a lot more on what he did with Aberdeen.

[DougieRFC 36]

No

Aye, see below

If Mourinho was still at Chelsea or Arsene had one of his old school sides, this Man Utd side would be 20 points off top by the end of the season. They are top by default. Rooney and Nani are certainly top players but other than that they are so average it's laughable.

this, how can folk say they've got the best squad in england when pish like fletcher, anderson and berbatov gets on the teamsheet?

[Waste 8]

When Mourinho wins a trophy without a sugar daddy behind him it might be a valid comparison.

The true mark of Ferguson's achievements must focus a lot more on what he did with Aberdeen.

Every time I challenge Ferguson's worth this is the argument I get. And fair enough, it's a valid one and it was a great achievement but at the end of the day he's managing one of the elite clubs of world football and has a pretty shite 11 representing it.

[sdunsmb 43]

SAF will go down as the greatest ever.

To me this fact is pretty clear when you consider the era of footbal that he has managed to have incredible prolonged success in.

[Al Jolson 3]

Every time I challenge Ferguson's worth this is the argument I get. And fair enough, it's a valid one and it was a great achievement but at the end of the day he's managing one of the elite clubs of world football and has a pretty shite 11 representing it.

True. His teams shite. As arsenal and Chelsea have found to their cost. And his worth must be judged on your opinion of his current 11. Disregard everything that's gone before.

[Creampuff 22,628]

Never accomplished what he should have in Europe.

[JamieD 19,011]

Every time I challenge Ferguson's worth this is the argument I get. And fair enough, it's a valid one and it was a great achievement but at the end of the day he's managing one of the elite clubs of world football and has a pretty shite 11 representing it.

Whats shite about it? The "stars" in his team might be uninspiring but his young players (who he'd clearly much prefer to be his settled XI) are playing brilliantly and are the most exciting side in England. They are very young though. Is his current side as good as Barcelona's? No. But has any Barcelona manager ever led a team to be a European giant for as long as Ferguson has? No. None of them.

I don't think it can really be overstated. Whatever Ferguson did with Man Utd (and his achievements ARE remarkable, nobody except Paisley has won more European cups and nobody has won more league titles), he won a European trophy with ABER-FUCKING-DEEN. With a small provincial club he dominated the footballing scene of a country with an established pair of city giants. This is the beginnings of his reputation. The likes of Mourinho have never done and will never do that.

[Waste 8]

SAF will go down as the greatest ever.

To me this fact is pretty clear when you consider the era of footbal that he has managed to have incredible prolonged success in.

But without a second glance I see a certain chap called Josep Guardiola who is on another planet from him. And that's barely skimming the surface. Would the greatest manager of all time play 1 striker against Benfica and struggle to get a point. Would the greatest manager of all time fail to win 14 out of 19 away games last season and allow a dire Chelsea side to come back in the title race and almost win it :broadfoot:

[JamieD 19,011]

Never accomplished what he should have in Europe.

This I will agree with. Whatever Paisley inherited at Liverpool, the fact that he won three of the big ones in so little time and Fergie only won two in so much time will always stack against him. And he has never been convincing with European success. We see the 1999 win as a heroic fightback. Everybody else sees it as a smash and grab. and 2008 was against another (inferior) English team.

[Al Jolson 3]

But without a second glance I see a certain chap called Josep Guardiola who is on another planet from him. And that's barely skimming the surface. Would the greatest manager of all time play 1 striker against Benfica and struggle to get a point. Would the greatest manager of all time fail to win 14 out of 19 away games last season and allow a dire Chelsea side to come back in the title race and almost win it :broadfoot:

Longevity. Look it up in a dick sean 'arry.