Jose Mourinho is one of the greatest managers of all-time, and the Portuguese has helped guide Chelsea to a commanding lead at the top of the Premier League this season. The Blues are well on the way to winning their first title since 2010, and the 52-year-old’s tactics have been a key reason for their domination across England’s top flight this year.
Despite a dominating performance in the league, there have still been rumours that Mourinho could be replaced by Jurgen Klopp this summer – who recently announced that he will leave Borussia Dortmund at the end of the campaign.
The 47-year-old has revealed that he has no intention of taking Mourinho’s job, and it is unlikely that the club would let the ‘Special One’ leave after winning the title. Meanwhile, Klopp continues to be linked with a move to England and is the 8/11 favourite to replace Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester City this summer. We take a look at some of the best managers in football, and discuss how they rank compared to the Chelsea boss.
Pep Guardiola
The Bayern Munich manager remains one of the best managers on the planet and would certainly rank alongside Mourinho as the world’s best. Winning is not enough for Guardiola, who also insists that his teams must play attractive football and keep possession. The Spaniard has won domestic titles in Spain and Germany, while also winning the Champions League twice with Barcelona. Guardiola’s main weakness is the lack of a ‘Plan B’ – which was evident as they were thrashed 4-0 by Real Madrid at home in last year’s Champions League tournament, while losing their first leg of this year’s last-16 clash 3-1 to Porto.
Louis Van Gaal
In terms of man management, Van Gaal must be ranked amongst the best in the world. He insists on playing a Dutch brand of football, but has somehow accommodated a rejuvenated Marouane Fellaini in his starting line-up at Manchester United this season. The 63-year-old has had a glittering career and was in charge of his nation during the 2014 World Cup – where they were knocked out in the semi-finals on penalties. It could be argued that Van Gaal’s biggest weakness is his stubbornness and he struggles to control his emotions during media interviews.
Verdict
Although these managers are exceptionally talented and boast phenomenal winning records, Mourinho is ultimately the best manager in the world. His job as a manager is to win football matches, and the 52-year-old knows that 1-0 victories are equally as important as 5-0 thrashings. The Portuguese very rarely gets his tactics wrong, which is what makes him just a cut above the rest.
