There will be no prizes for guessing who comes first in this list but who else makes up this list of the five greatest Manchester United managers of all-time?
Manchester United have been blessed by some of the greatest managers to ever grace the game and unfortunately, in very recent times, quite the opposite.
Sir Alex Ferguson’s 26 year spell at Manchester United, winning 38 trophies along the way, will ensure that he secures the number one spot here but who else makes up the top five? We’ll start with perhaps the most surprising name in this list.
5) Jose Mourinho
It’s the most surprising name and it’s also the name that will result in me getting some colourful tweets from supporters. But is it that surprising?
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Despite how it ended, Jose Mourinho is second only to Sir Alex Ferguson in terms of overall win percentage as permanent manager. An impressive statistic given the turbulent nature of the club for the past decade.
Jose Mourinho won two trophies in his first season at Manchester United, an achievement that can’t be matched by any other United boss in history.
He also ‘completed the set’ in Stockholm and is one of just three managers to win a European honour at the club. A man who divides opinion and certainly divided this fanbase but when the facts are laid bare, he’s actually one of the most successful Manchester United managers in history and time has certainly spoken since his departure.
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4) Ernest Mangnall
Whilst Jose Mourinho is one of three managers to deliver European glory at Manchester United, Ernest Mangnall is one of just three to win a league title. Ernest Mangnall won United’s first ever championship in the 1907/08 season. He followed that up a season later by winning the club’s first ever FA Cup, beating Bristol City 1-0 in the final.
His third and final major trophy at Manchester United came in 1911 where he led the team to further league success, edging Aston Villa to the title by a single point.
Mangnall delivered Manchester United’s first ever major honours but his work off the pitch was crucial in the early years. He joined a club in flux and completely transformed it during his nine years in charge. Who knows where United would be today if not for Mangnall, a question that could also be posed for the next man.
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3) Jimmy Murphy
We move on to one of the most important figures in the club’s history and a man who will soon be immortalised at Old Trafford with his own statue. You could write a book on what Jimmy Murphy did in his 25 years at Manchester United but his short stint as manager came in the wake of the Munich Air Disaster in 1958. Jimmy Murphy won’t necessarily be remembered just for his reign as a manager, a spell that lasted just 22 games, but it would be impudent not to include him.
The assistant manager at the time of that fateful flight, Murphy had stayed behind due to his commitments with the Wales National team. Sir Matt Busby called Murphy from his hospital bed and urged him to “keep the flag flying”. Murphy took the reins and led the team to the FA Cup Final and was just 90 minutes away from a European Cup final.
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Manchester United will forever be indebted to what Jimmy Murphy did for the club.
2) Sir Matt Busby
The top two in this list were already set in stone.
Sir Matt Busby was a great manager but more importantly a great man. My Nan had the pleasure of meeting him many moons ago and passed down the story of how ‘down to earth’ he was to my Mum. It’s a story that my Mum still tells today, where Sir Matt ‘sat and talked with them for ages’ which gives you an idea of the impression he left on people.
A man who won back-to-back league titles, survived a plane crash, came back and won the club’s first ever European Cup just 10 years later. You simply can’t write this kind of thing - it’s mythical, beyond belief. Sir Matt Busby is the very definition of Manchester United. A man who will forever be central to this club’s great history.
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1) Sir Alex Ferguson
What is there to say? He’s arguably the greatest manager of all-time.
Every Manchester United supporter who was blessed enough to witness the club dominate English football for almost 20 years owes it to this man and this man alone.
26 years.
13 Premier League titles.
2 Champions League titles.
5 FA Cups.
4 League Cups.
Countless other trophies and accolades.
A historic Treble that had never been done before and hasn’t been done since.
Sir Alex Ferguson won pretty much everything there was to win at Manchester United and almost single-handedly turned the club into a powerhouse.
Manchester United have had a rich history of success and great managers, some who didn’t even make this list such as Tommy Docherty, Ron Atkinson and even Louis Van Gaal.
Supporters will be hoping that the club is at the start of a new dawn and in a few years time, Erik ten Hag’s name will be appearing on lists such as these.
Here’s hoping.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho, Premier League, Football