Pep, Poc, and Klopp: Ranking the Premier League's top 10 managers
This summer's influx of marquee names poised to make the Premier League switch is matched only by the arrival of high-profile managers to the English top flight.
As Pep Guardiola prepares to take over for Manuel Pellegrini at Manchester City, Jose Mourinho reportedly gets set to take over at rival United, and decorated Sevilla gaffer Unai Emery is rumoured to be first choice for the vacant Everton gig, the Premier League boasts a class of bosses as celebrated as the players they manage.
Assuming Mourinho's appointment is all but certain, here are the Premier League power rankings for the top 10 managers ahead of a season that, on paper, could be the most hotly contested title push in the league's 24 years.
Criteria for assessment
In order to create the power rankings, a crude formula was created to measure three variables: top-flight titles, success in Europe, and Premier League experience. Each manager's exploits both domestically and on the continent are measured, with each gaffer graded out of ten.
| Name | Titles | Europe | England | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Mourinho (United) | 10 | 9 | 10 | 29 |
| 2. Wenger (Arsenal) | 8 | 6 | 10 | 24 |
| 3. Guardiola (Man City) | 10 | 9 | 0 | 19 |
| 4. Klopp (Liverpool) | 4 | 7 | 4 | 15 |
| 5. Ranieri (Leicester) | 3 | 5 | 6 | 14 |
| 6. Koeman (Southampton) | 4 | 6 | 3 | 13 |
| 7. Conte (Chelsea) | 6 | 6 | 0 | 12 |
| 8. Pochettino (Spurs) | 0 | 2 | 8 | 10 |
| 9. Hughes (Stoke) | 0 | 2 | 7 | 9 |
| 10. Bilic (West Ham) | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
1. Jose Mourinho (Manchester United)
Three Premier League titles during two spells with Chelsea, a pair of Primeira Liga titles, two Scudettos, and one La Liga win with Real Madrid, coupled with two Champions League victories and a UEFA Cup with Porto, is enough to put the Portuguese top of the rankings.
2. Arsene Wenger (Arsenal)
While the first half of Wenger's tenure with Arsenal was more decorated than his second decade, he takes second by virtue of perennial Champions League knockout stage appearances, three EPL titles, a record six FA Cups, and success with Monaco - though this may be the most contentious spot in these rankings.
3. Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)
While Guardiola may be a more adaptable and decorated manager than Wenger, the former Bayern Munich and Barcelona boss sits third for his lack of Premier League experience. Six top-flight titles, four domestic cups, and a pair of Champions League victories with La Blaugrana mean the ex-defensive mid is still one of Europe's best.
4. Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool)
Assuming the role of bridesmaid after five consecutive cup defeats with Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp comes in fourth with a wealth of European experience bookended by title success with Die Borussen and a good spell of cups runs with the Merseysiders.
5. Claudio Ranieri (Leicester City)
A top-flight title virgin until shocking the world with Leicester City's ragtag collection of picked-over talents and unknown commodities, Claudio Ranieri offers a wealth of know-how, having managed in every European top league but Germany.
6. Ronald Koeman (Southampton)
Rumoured to be slated for a marquee move to one of the continent's top clubs, Koeman's brilliant season with Southampton, plus three Eredivisie titles with Ajax and PSV and a Copa del Rey with Valencia, narrowly best Chelsea's 13th managerial appointment in the Abramovich era.
7. Antonio Conte (Chelsea)
Slated to take the Chelsea gig after Italy's Euro 2016 appearance, Antonio Conte boasts a treble of Scudettos and a cup with Juventus, along with forays into both the Champions and Europa Leagues. It's likely that Conte characteristically lights a fire under an underwhelming Blues squad, and it shouldn't take long for the former central midfielder to acclimate to the English top flight.
8. Mauricio Pochettino (Tottenham)
Poised to join the pantheon of Europe's best bosses, Tottenham's Mauricio Pochettino makes up for a lack of titles and continental experience through overachieving campaigns with both Spurs and Southampton.
9. Mark Hughes (Stoke City)
With three consecutive ninth-place finishes at the Potters, Stoke City manager Mark Hughes pairs relative successes at the Britannia with top-flight tenures at Manchester City, Fulham, Blackburn, and QPR. The former Manchester United forward also had a brief flirtation with Europe while at the City of Manchester Stadium.
10. Slaven Bilic (West Ham)
Having nearly guided West Ham to the Europa League in his first season at a club on the cusp of change, Slaven Bilic caps off the rankings thanks to spells at Besiktas and Lokomotiv Moscow coupled with short stays in the Europa League.