It is now official: Sir Alex Ferguson is the greatest Premier League manager of all time.
In a comprehensive study by OLBG that assessed the greatest Premier League managers of all time, multiple criteria were meticulously considered. These included factors such as win percentage, total points accumulated, points per game, the total number of games managed, and goal difference.
Claiming the prestigious top spot in this esteemed ranking is none other than the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, boasting an unmatched score of 88.34 out of a possible 100. Sir Alex’s tactical acumen and enduring success at the helm of Manchester United firmly cement his status as an icon of football management. Remarkably, he leads the charts in both total points earned (1,752) and goal difference (+924), underscoring his unparalleled legacy.
Securing the second position is Pep Guardiola, with an impressive score of 82.9 out of 100. The esteemed manager of Manchester City outshone all other Premier League counterparts with his remarkable average points-per-game of 2.35 and an astounding win percentage of 75%.
In the third spot, we find Jürgen Klopp, with a commendable score of 67.79 out of 100. The Liverpool maestro, approaching his eighth anniversary with the team, boasts an enviable record of 2.1 points per game and a formidable win percentage of 62%.
Not far behind in fourth place is the venerable Arsene Wenger, scoring 67.03 out of 100. Wenger’s remarkable 22-year tenure at Arsenal solidifies his position as the manager with the highest number of total Premier League games managed, an impressive 828 in total.
Claiming the fifth position, with a score of 65.03 out of 100, is Jose Mourinho. His illustrious managerial career spanned multiple Premier League clubs, including Chelsea, Manchester United, and a recent stint at Tottenham Hotspur. Mourinho amassed a remarkable 735 points throughout his tenure, overseeing a total of 363 Premier League matches.
This meticulous study not only celebrates the accomplishments of these managerial giants but also provides valuable insights into the storied history of the Premier League and the enduring legacies of these footballing maestros.
The following data was gathered for every Premier League manager: total played, wins, draws, losses, goals for, goals against, win percentage, total points, and points per match. An index was created by normalising each of the stats and multiplying each manager’s normalised stats by the weights for each variable. Managers with fewer than 78 Premier League games (two complete seasons) were omitted so as not to skew the data.
Below is a table of extended results:
| Rank | Name | Index Score / 100 |
| 1. | Sir Alex Ferguson | 88.34 |
| 2. | Pep Guardiola | 82.90 |
| 3. | Jürgen Klopp | 67.79 |
| 4. | Arsene Wenger | 67.03 |
| 5. | Jose Mourinho | 65.03 |
| 6. | Antonio Conte | 64.57 |
| 7. | Roberto Mancini | 64.36 |
| 8. | Mikel Arteta | 54.74 |
| 9. | Carlo Ancelotti | 52.98 |
| 10. | Manuel Pellegrini | 50.86 |
| 11. | Mauricio Pochettino | 50.67 |
| 12. | Andre Villas-Boas | 49.56 |
| 13. | Unai Emery | 49.25 |
| 14. | Rafa Benitez | 47.26 |
| 15. | Kenny Dalglish | 46.11 |
| 16. | Roy Evans | 45.86 |
| 17. | Gianluca Vialli | 45.46 |
| 18. | Gerard Houllier | 44.85 |
| 19. | Claudio Ranieri | 42.52 |
| 20. | Ole Gunnar Solskjaer | 42.02 |
| 21. | Brendan Rodgers | 41.04 |
| 22. | Bobby Robson | 39.94 |
| 23. | David O’Leary | 38.96 |
| 24. | Ronald Koeman | 38.90 |
| 25. | Kevin Keegan | 38.78 |
| 26. | David Moyes | 36.67 |
| 27. | John Gregory | 33.55 |
| 28. | Harry Redknapp | 33.34 |
| 29. | Frank Clarke | 32.34 |
| 30. | Ruud Gullit | 30.86 |
| 31. | Nuno Espirito Santo | 30.82 |
| 32. | Martin O’Neill | 30.64 |
| 33. | Mike Walker | 30.52 |
| 34. | George Graham | 29.63 |
| 35. | Martin Jol | 28.88 |
| 36. | Gerry Francis | 28.82 |
| 37. | Brian Little | 28.51 |
| 38. | Mark Hughes | 27.33 |
| 39. | Thomas Frank | 27.05 |
| 40. | Trevor Francis | 26.84 |
| 41. | Avram Grant | 26.72 |
| 42. | Howard Wilkinson | 26.71 |
| 43. | Sam Allardyce | 26.53 |
| 44. | Frank Lampard | 26.01 |
| 45. | Eddie Howe | 25.86 |
| 46. | Glenn Hoddle | 25.39 |
| 47. | Graeme Souness | 25.37 |
| 48. | Marco Silva | 24.80 |
| 49. | Joe Kinnear | 24.56 |
| 50. | Glenn Roeder | 24.50 |
| 51. | Roy Hodgson | 24.47 |
| 52. | Alan Pardew | 24.21 |
| 53. | Alan Curbishley | 24.07 |
| 54. | Ron Atkinson | 23.04 |
| 55. | Peter Reid | 22.77 |
| 56. | Steve McClaren | 21.40 |
| 57. | Claude Puel | 21.13 |
| 58. | Chris Coleman | 21.04 |
| 59. | Roberto Martinez | 20.88 |
| 60. | George Burley | 20.61 |
| 61. | Tony Pulis | 20.46 |
| 62. | David Pleat | 20.42 |
| 63. | Gordon Strachan | 19.94 |
| 64. | Slaven Bilic | 19.71 |
| 65. | Jim Smith | 19.44 |
| 66. | Joe Royle | 19.40 |
| 67. | Howard Kendall | 19.39 |
| 68. | Stuart Pearce | 18.72 |
| 69. | Graham Potter | 18.66 |
| 70. | Ralph Hasenhuttl | 18.42 |
| 71. | Steve Bruce | 18.39 |
| 72. | Walter Smith | 16.59 |
| 73. | Alan Ball | 16.15 |
| 74. | Sean Dyche | 15.87 |
| 75. | Steve Coppell | 15.83 |
| 76. | Bryan Robson | 15.43 |
| 77. | Brian Horton | 14.72 |
| 78. | David Jones | 13.69 |
| 79. | Owen Coyle | 13.23 |
| 80. | Dean Smith | 12.51 |
| 81. | Alex McLeish | 11.27 |
| 82. | Paul Lambert | 11.12 |
| 83. | Gareth Southgate | 10.73 |
| 84. | Danny Wilson | 10.05 |
| 85. | John Lyall | 9.86 |
| 86. | Chris Hughton | 9.79 |
| 87. | Paul Jewell | 8.10 |
| 88. | Neil Warnock | 6.85 |
| 89. | Graham Taylor | 6.38 |
| 90. | Gary Megson | 5.37 |
| 91. | Dave Bassett | 5.33 |
| 92. | Mick McCarthy | 0.49 |
