Best Soccer Formations: The Philosophy, History, Pros and Cons Behind the Numbers
Take a look at the best soccer formations that are synonymous with the sport and have marked entire eras.
A new season of Premier League is underway and while in the previous years there was debate which top national division is the best, the English are clearly ahead now. Due to the issues with El Clasico rivals mostly, although many would say that the EPL was always the best. Regardless of where you stand on the rankings of the leagues, it is interesting to rank the managers who will be leading the teams with so much spending power.
Taking a look at their win ratios and ranking them in descending order, we dive into the records of 16 Premier League managers coming into the new season with experience in the league.
Thomas Frank of Brentford, Patrick Vieira of Crystal Palace, Bruno Lage of Wolves, and Xisco of Watford are coming into the 2021/2022 season as complete newcomers to the top-flight of English football.
These records disregard the outcomes of the first round matches of the current season.
Daniel Farke (Norwich) - 13.2% win ratio
The German Daniel Farke was appointed Norwich City’s manager in May of 2017 and has led the Canaries into the Premier League on two occasions. This current season being his return after being relegated in a year that saw his team win only 13.2% of their 38 games, winning 0.55 points per match. Farke saw his team win five games total, draw six, and lose the rest 27, scoring only 25 goals and conceding 75. Yet, Norwich stayed true to him and he returned them to the top-flight.
Graham Potter (Brighton) - 23.7% win ratio
Even though he is located down low on the list of Premier League managers, Graham Potter acquired quite the reputation amongst those who watched the Seagulls. Brighton side played some of the most entertaining football since the Englishman arrived on May of 2019. In the 76 matches he led the team in the PL, Potter amassed 1.07 points per game. His side's output is quite solid for a team that battles relegation with 80 goals scored and 100 conceded. While being on the cups of some major victories, deserving bragging rights against top four sides, only to lose out on all three points or any due to bad luck or inexperience.
Steve Bruce (Newcastle) - 28.4% win ratio
The man with the second-most Premier League games under his belt out of the 16 managers on this list! Of course, Newcastle is not the first club Steve Bruce led in the Premier League, rather his fifth. Having already led Sunderland, Wigan, Birmingham, and Hull City in the top division. Bruce won 528 points total, in his 468 games before the 2021/2022 season, a ratio of 1.13 points per game.
Sean Dyche (Burnley) - 29.8% win ratio
Sean Dyche is the longest-serving manager in the Premier League, third in the top five leagues, having been in charge of Burnley since October 2012. Dyche only led Burnley in the top flight and the 228 matches saw his side win 68, draw 56, and lose 104 matches, while getting relegated once. The defensive side has a solid output with 224 goals scored and 320 conceded with the charismatic Dyche having a PPG ratio of 1.14.
Dean Smith (Aston Villa) - 32.9% win ratio
Another English manager with a good reputation finds himself lower on the list yet it's evident that Dean Smith's record is on the upward trajectory. Aston Villa being the only club he led in the Premier League, having led the side into the league after his appointment in the October of 2018 at the Championship level. A record of 1.20 points per game, winning 25 games, drawing 16, and losing 37. His side plays attacking football though with 96 scored and 113 conceded.
Ralph Hasenhuttl (Southampton) -35.4% win ratio
Another manager who has quite the reputation on the island despite being placed in the bottom end of the managers on this list, although with a solid win ratio of 35.4%. Another former Bundesliga manager on this list, Ralph Hasenhuttl led the Saints in three different PL campaigns, getting 1.26 points per match across 99 of them. The Austrian won 35 of the games in the top division, drawing 20, and losing 44, whilst seeing his team score 131 and concede 164 goals.
Nuno Espírito Santo (Tottenham) - 37.7% win ratio
The new Tottenham manager didn’t make the fans ecstatic, especially after being linked with Antonio Conte, yet he doesn’t have a bad ratio with Wolverhampton Wanderers, his only PL side so far. Wolves don't have a much worse team than Spurs, with it being a honing facility for top Portuguese talent. Santo's record of 135 goals scored with 138 goals conceded should give Spurs fans hopes even though many clamoured for Potter rather. The Portuguese tactician led the Wolverhampton side in 114 matches, winning 43, drawing 32, and losing 39 matches being the first man on this list with a positive ratio between Ls and Ws. All with a PPG of 1.41.
David Moyes (West Ham) - 39.1% win ratio
The man with the most experience in the Premier League out of all these 16 managers! The bulk of his 583 games were made while running things at Everton, a team which he refused this year in order to continue his second spell with West Ham. Moyes also led Sunderland and Manchester United in his career, with the highest placement being the fourth position in the 2004/2005 season with the Toffees. The Scotsman has 228 wins, 157 draws, and 198 losses, while having his team score 780 goals, and concede 734. Also getting 1.44 points per game.
Mikel Arteta (Arsenal) - 46.6% win ratio
Even though his record with Arsenal seems abysmal, Mikel Arteta is ranked quite solidly. Of course, the stature and financial power of his club aren’t comparable to those clubs led by the men before him. In both of his seasons at the head of the Gunners, one full and one in which he started at the middle, the London club finished at the disappointing eighth spot. A win ratio of 46.6% and points per game ratio of 1.62 won't console Arsenal fans. Arteta won 27 of the 58 matches he led the team on before the 2021/2022 season, drawing 13 and losing 18 games. His goal ratio being 87:60.
Marcelo Bielsa (Leeds United) - 47.3% win ratio
One of the most revered managers in the game, particularly by his colleagues, Marcelo Bielsa just finished his first season in the Premier League. Leeds' grand return saw the side play entertaining football with 62 goals scored and 54 conceded. The team won 18, rarely draw with only five of point-splits, and lost 15 times. All forming a respectable PPG of 1.55.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (Manchester United) - 47% win ratio
Ranked just barely above the heavily criticized Arteta is the man with the new Manchester United contract. Although, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's record suffers from having managed Cardiff back in the 2013/2014 season when the side recorded 12 losses. As a United manager, Ole has a 52.5% win ratio, with the Welsh side it's just 16.6%! Overall, Ole led his side in 115 games, getting 1.67 points per match. Despite his terrible record with Cardiff he has 54 wins, 30 losses, and 31 loss. With his team scoring 192 goals and conceding 148.
Brendan Rodgers (Leicester City) - 48% win ratio
The Northern Ireland representative is on his third Premier League club after leading Liverpool for more than three seasons, and Swansea for exactly one. Rodgers even reached the number two spot in the 2013/2014 campaign yet had to rebuild his reputation at Celtic and now at Leicester. Having the same PPG as Ole at 1.67, although at a much higher number of games at 246. Rodgers' teams won 118 games, drew 57, and lost 71 of his PL duels. He also has an impressive goal difference at 428:304.
Rafa Benitez (Everton) - 49.4% % win ratio
The now disputed new manager of Everton has a better win ratio than the vast majority of his competitors. While also having the third most extensive experience at 340 games in charge at the Premier League level and recording a PPG of 1.72. Most of them as the head of Liverpool, hence the hostility of the Everton fans. Yet, he also led Newcastle and briefly Chelsea. Benitez won 168 of his PL duels, drawing 82, and losing 90. While having an amazing goal ratio of 519:316.
Thomas Tuchel (Chelsea) - 57.9% win ratio
The man with the fewest games in the Premier League, only 19, yet Thomas Tuchel's prowess isn't under question after back-to-back Champions League finals and a triumph in the latter one. The German won 12 of his matches, drew five, and lost three, having his players score 25 goals, concede 13. with a PPG of 2.00.
Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool) - 62.7% win ratio
Jurgen Klopp is one of the managers with the longest active stints in the top five leagues, having led Liverpool since October of 2015. Klopp recorded 220 games in the English top division, getting a long-awaited Premiership title for Liverpool. His PPG stands strongly at 2.11 with 138 wins, 50 draws, and 32 losses. All with a staggering goal ratio of 459 for and less than half fewer at 217.
Pep Guardiola (Manchester City) - 73.7% win ratio
The undeniable leader of the Premier League managers with a win ratio that is impressively close to three-quarters of games played. With Pep being in charge of City since the start of the 2016/2017 campaign he amassed 190 games in the league, winning 140 of them, drawing only 23 and losing 27. His points per game is leagues beyond even Klopp at 2.33 while the goal ratio is a feat for itself: 466:156!
