Football Food For Thought / Alsy / 15 August 2008 /

Morgan in the driving seat - Allsy looks at the candidates for the accolade of world's best coach which include Mourinho, Capello and Wenger. But in Allsy's eyes, there's only one winner.

The Premiership boasts superb players but what about the quality of the coaches? If Cristiano Ronaldo is the world's best player, could Arsene Wenger be the best coach? When Arsenal click they produce mouth-watering football but has Wenger won enough to be the best around? During a mere three Premiership seasons Jose Mourinho won a staggering haul of trophies proving that previous success, including Porto's Champions League win, was no fluke.

Perhaps the "special one" is the best or should we consider Sir Alex as he relentlessly eats into Bob Paisley's achievements? What about other European candidates: Capello, Ancelotti, Hiddink and Hitzfeld to name a few while there's also Big Phil, (with a World Cup victory on his CV), to consider?

Since football is the "beautiful game" let's consider the style of play of the main candidates. Capello has the jaw-dropping distinction of winning a domestic league title with all six teams he's managed but his teams are often more functional than thrilling. The same can broadly be said of Mourinho, Hitzfeld, Trapattoni and even Scolari.

Wenger scores high in this category... he didn't invent sexy football but he certainly knows the secret recipe. Form fluctuates but Wenger produces teams that, at their best, offer a fantasy football yardstick. Technique, movement, passing and creativity all come together to awesome effect. Occasionally they'll even take the odd shot at goal after they've completed their geometric passing routines. Ferguson has also produced a few decent sides over the years at Manchester by buying and developing talent but for me Wenger shades this area with a special mention to Guus Hiddink's expansive style of coaching.

Resources matter too. At the helm of such a rich club for so long, Sir Alex has spent more than any of his rivals but it still took years to secure a league title... now he collects them for fun! Normally I'd discount Aberdeen's domestic success in such lofty company but their Cup Winners Cup victory remains an astonishing achievement but it's perhaps shaded by Mourinho's success with Porto. Success in international management should also score highly as you have to play the hand you're dealt meaning another gold star for perennial overachiever Hiddink.

I could write a synopsis longer than War and Peace on this subject but this conundrum contains too many subjective elements. More importantly, as a Liverpool fan, it's painful to rain too many complements down on Wenger, Ferguson and Mourinho. Ultimately press plaudits count for nothing, the definitive way to grade managers is by their trophy collection or some similarly measurable criteria of "success".

A few members of this elite band of schemers should earn you some cash this season but I don't count Wenger among them. In Italy I'd back Mourinho's Inter at [2.36] to dominate and win Serie A but abroad I'd pick Scolari's Chelsea to win the Champions League. They're favourites at [7.0] which appears great value to me but in the Premiership I can't see anyone upstaging Ferguson and would back United for another title at [2.98].

Hiddink has to be judged the Best International Coach but for the overall title of Best Manager three managers stand out - Capello and Trapattoni have breathtaking records of success but Sir Alex Ferguson's tally is untouchable. Capello and Trapattoni gain extra kudos for successful stints at a host of different clubs but Ferguson's haul of 10 league titles for United along with 5 FA Cups, 2 Cup Winners Cups (1 with Aberdeen) and 2 Champions League victories make him bullet proof.

There I said it - Fergie is the best! With youth on their side, Wenger and Mourinho have the opportunity to overtake him but it's no easy task. If he stays interested I believe that Mourinho is the only manager with the drive, talent and position (at the helm of a talented and wealthy Inter Milan) to overtake Sir Alex but who would you rate as number one?

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