ISL 2017: Ranking the head coaches of all 10 clubs

The popular Indian Super League is going through a transitional phase. New rules are in place to be effected in the 2017/18 season of the franchise league, while two more teams will join the ISL bandwagon later this year.

As the ISL undergoes a makeover, its clubs are well into the process of rejigging their squad of players and staff. According to various reports, the deadline for the appointment of head coaches for ISL clubs has passed, and all ten franchises have gone about picking the best possible man to lead their respective clubs to glory in what will be the biggest ISL ever next season.

So, what have all the ISL clubs got? Have they equipped themselves well for the forthcoming season which will be unlike any previous ISL campaign? Let us take a detailed look at the head coaches of all ten franchises and rate them on the basis of their past record, finding out which team got the best head coach.

FC Goa - Sergio Lobera (Win percentage: 41%)

Lobera, like Roca, is a man with experience at Barcelona, having been involved with the Catalan club’s youth team until the mid-2000s. He also had a short, one month-long spell as Tito Vilanova’s assistant at Barca. Lobera has managed teams in Spain and Morocco, and hence, he will be expected to settle well into life in India.

He has already roped in two Iberian midfielders in Bruno Pinheiro and Manuel Arana Rodriguez, which gives a hint about how he plans to tackle the ISL next season. Lobera, 40, is the most successful head coach among all the current ISL head coaches.

Following are the key stats of his managerial career:

Nationality: Spanish

Matches as manager/head coach: 136

Wins: 56

Draws: 36

Losses: 44

Points per game won: 1.50

Win percentage: 41 percent

Tata Jamshedpur - Steve Coppell (Win percentage: 40%)

Steve Coppell was the losing finalist in ISL 2016

Coppell's departure from Kerala Blaster earlier this month meant that one of the most successful ISL head coaches was unattached, and Tata Steel's new franchise based out of Jamshedpur quickly jumped at the chance to hire the ex-Reading manager.

The 62-year-old will have Ishfaq Ahmed in the Jamshedpur dugout beside him this season, a continuation of the partnership that paid dividends for Kerala Blasters last year. Should Tata Jamshedpur mount a surprise title challenge in the forthcoming ISL, Coppell will have a lot to do with it.

Following are the key stats of his managerial career:

Nationality: English

Matches as manager/head coach: 416

Wins: 167

Draws: 107

Losses: 142

Points per game won: 1.46

Win percentage: 40 percent

Mumbai City FC - Alexandre Guimaraes (Win percentage: 39.5%)

Guimaraes was impressive in his debut ISL season last year

Guimaraes will head into ISL-4 with plenty to prove after last season's implosion in the semi-finals. Guimaraes's Mumbai City side were comfortably the best team in league play in ISL-3, only to be ousted by a tactically disciplined Atletico de Kolkata in the playoffs.

Having learnt a few lessons last term, Guimaraes will set out to correct his mistakes from last season and add more dynamic to the Mumbai outfit, who will be without Sunil Chhetri this time round.

Following are the key stats of his managerial career:

Nationality: Costa Rican

Matches as manager/head coach: 172

Wins: 68

Draws: 49

Losses: 55

Points per game won: 1.47

Win percentage: 39.5 percent

FC Pune City - Antonio Habas (Win percentage: 39%)

The fiery Habas is a former ISL champion with ATK

Habas is the only current ISL head coach to have won the title in the past and Pune City will look up to him to steer them past the league phase for the first time ever. Habas's first season at the Balewadi Stadium in ISL-3 didn't go according to plan, in part owing to the four-game suspension he carried over from the previous campaign.

This season, however, the Spaniard will be wiser for his last season's experience in Pune. His title-winning pedigree marks him out as a standout candidate to lift the title next season, and his career record also speaks for itself.

Following are the key stats of his managerial career:

Nationality: Spanish

Matches as manager/head coach: 111

Wins: 43

Draws: 34

Losses: 34

Points per game won: 1.47

Win percentage: 39 percent

Chennaiyin FC - John Gregory (Win percentage: 33.5%)

John Gregory has Premier League experience

Gregory comes in as one of the most experienced head coaches in the ISL. The former Aston Villa head coach has been around the circuit for almost 20 years now and will be expected to help Chennaiyin regain the title they won in 2015. Among all the head coaches for ISL-4, Gregory has managed the second highest number of matches in a long career so far.

Following are the key stats of his managerial career:

Nationality: English

Matches as manager/head coach: 373

Wins: 125

Draws: 100

Losses: 148

Points per game won: 1.27

Win percentage: 33.5 percent

Bengaluru FC - Albert Roca (Win percentage: 33%)

Albert Roca took Bengaluru FC to the AFC Cup final last year

Roca replaced Ashley Westwood in the Bengaluru FC hot-seat last year and took the Blues to their first AFC Cup final which they lost to Iraq’s Air Force Club. Roca has been in sole charge of teams since 1998 and was also involved at Barcelona from 2003 to 2009, working under both Frank Rijkaard and Pep Guardiola. Bengaluru’s involvement in the ISL will hand Roca his first taste of the popular franchise league.

Following are the key stats of his managerial career:

Nationality: Spanish

Matches as manager/head coach: 39

Wins: 13

Draws: 10

Losses: 16

Points per game won: 1.26

Win percentage: 33 percent

Delhi Dynamos - Miguel Angel Portugal (Win percentage: 33%)

Miguel Angel Portugal has replaced Gianluca Zambrotta at Delhi Dynamos

Portugal has replaced Gianluca Zambrotta in the Delhi Dynamos dugout, and the former Real Madrid player and youth team manager will be plying his trade in Asia for the first time in his career.

The Lions played an attractive brand of football under Zambrotta last time out, hence Angel Portugal will have a challenge on his hands to keep his team competitive while playing good football.

Following are the key stats of his managerial career:

Nationality: Spanish

Matches as manager/head coach: 145

Wins: 48

Draws: 45

Losses: 52

Points per game won: 1.30

Win percentage: 33 percent

NorthEast United - Joao Carlos Pires de Deus (Win percentage: 33%)

Joao de Deus is NorthEast United's new head coach

NorthEast United's tryst with Portuguese head coaches is set to continue in ISL-4 with the little-known Joao de Deus being the new man at the helm of the Guwahati-based club.

De Deus comes in with a wealth of experience in Portuguese football, and he is behind only Coppell and Gregory in the list of ISL managers with the most number of matches. That said, De Deus is an unknown quantity in Indian footballing circles, but NorthEast's rivals can take him lightly at their own peril.

Following are the key stats of his managerial career:

Nationality: Portuguese

Matches as manager/head coach: 219

Wins: 72

Draws: 59

Losses: 88

Points per game won: 1.26

Win percentage: 33 percent

Kerala Blasters - Rene Meulensteen (Win percentage: 27%)

Meulensteen (centre) has worked with Sir Alex Ferguson

Meulensteen arrives in India with a big reputation, having worked under Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. The Dutchman will be expected to better Steve Coppell’s record at the club and that would mean winning the ISL title next season. Meulensteen has been in the business of football coaching since the 1990s, but his work experience has largely revolved around working as an assistant manager.

He last took charge of Israeli club Maccabi Haifa after a disappointing spell at Fulham in the Premier League saw him get the boot.

Following are the key stats of his managerial career:

Nationality: Dutch

Matches as manager/head coach: 62

Wins: 17

Draws: 19

Losses: 26

Points per game won: 1.13

Win percentage: 27 percent

Atletico de Kolkata - Teddy Sheringham (Win percentage: 21%)

Sheringham last managed English lower league outfit Stevenage

The former Manchester United star striker is relatively new to football management, having started out in 2015. Being a relatively fresh face, Sheringham has had more downs than ups in his short coaching career so far. That, however, stands to change if he leads ATK to their third ISL title next year.

Following are the key stats of his managerial career:

Nationality: English

Matches as manager/head coach: 33

Wins: 7

Draws: 10

Losses: 16

Points per game won: 0.94

Win percentage: 21 percent