Premier League 2018/19: Top 6 managers by win percentage

Which Premier League manager has the best win percentage?
Which Premier League manager has the best win percentage?

We judge a manager's success in many different ways. Some judge success by the style of football a coach's team plays, some see success only in the form of silverware, while others use statistics to rate how successful a manager is at his job.

This season, the Premier League promises to be compelling, competitive, and closer than ever before. All top 6 teams have expectations of a title challenge and as the opening day edges closer we are all trying to find ways to separate England's elite clubs.

One such way to find an edge for one club or the other is by using manager statistics. In particular, a manager's win percentage can tell you a lot about how much success one can expect from a particular coach.

In this feature, we look at the top 6 Premier League managers and how they compare to each other by career win percentage. We also look at their overall record as a manager and how they have faired at their current club statistically.

In ascending order, from lowest career win ratio to the highest, are the top 6 managers in England for the upcoming season.

All statistics used in this article are courtesy of Transfer Markt.


#6 Mauricio Pochettino - Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur v Leicester City - Premier League
Pochettino has the lowest win percentage of the top 6 Premier League managers

Clubs managed: Espanyol, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur

Overall Record: P439 W197 D106 L136

Career win percentage: 44.9%

Tottenham record: P218 W121 D50 L47

Tottenham win percentage: 55.5%

Mauricio Pochettino is rightly touted as one of the best young managers in the game at the moment. At only 46 years old, the Argentine has a long career ahead of him and is currently displaying his managerial credentials by reinventing a Spurs team who were on the fringes of England's elite prior to his appointment.

Since joining Tottenham, Pochettino has overseen a major stadium move while blooding youngsters and maintaining top 4 status in the league. That is a huge achievement for the former Espanyol and Southampton manager whose high-press, fast flowing tactics makes for extremely entertaining football.

His career win percentage as a manager is somewhat skewed by his previous jobs. At Espanyol, he had a win percentage of 32.9% over three and a half seasons. In context, this is quite a good achievement at a middling La Liga club. Similarly, at Southampton, his win percentage was 38.3%. Again, this figure is quite good when considering the expectations at St. Mary's.

When isolating his statistics at Spurs, it is clear that Pochettino is a top manager. A win percentage of 55.5% during his time in London would place him higher on this list if we were only considering figures from current clubs. Regardless, it is very likely that we will see Pochettino's overall record continue to grow over the coming years.

#5 Maurizio Sarri - Chelsea

Arsenal v Chelsea - International Champions Cup 2018
Maurizio Sarri will manage outside of Italy for the first time this season

Clubs managed: Sansovino, Sangiovannese, Pescara, Arezzo, Avellino, Hellas Verona, Perugia, Grosseto, Alessandria, Sorrento, Empoli, Napoli, Chelsea

Overall Record: P748 W336 D224 L188

Career win percentage: 44.92%

Chelsea record: P1 W0 D0 L1

Chelsea win percentage: 0%

A banker turned manager, Maurizio Sarri has certainly worked his way up to the top. Beginning his managerial career in the lower reaches of Italian football, Sarri managed several clubs in every Italian division from Serie D right up to his promotion with Emploi to Serie A.

His big break came after the Italian kept Empoli in the Italian top flight the season after their promotion. Heavily tipped to go straight back down, Sarri's achievement caught the eye of Napoli and he replaced Rafa Benitez as their manager in 2015. It was in Naples that "Sarriball" was invented, boosting the 59-year-old's reputation as an elite coach.

Due to his many years managing obscure teams around Italy, Sarri's overall win percentage is heavily distorted. The statistics range from an excellent 51.67% win percentage during his first managerial job at Sansovino to a 0% win percentage during his short stints at Avellino and Hellas Verona.

However, his time at Napoli yielded very different figures. During his three years at the club, Sarri enjoyed a superb 65.99% win ratio, coming very close to loosening Juventus's stranglehold on the Serie A title in the process.

While he has only managed Chelsea once so far -the Community Shield loss to Man City - there are high expectations that he can bring his excellent figures from Naples to West London and help the Blues to compete for the league title this season.

#4 Jurgen Klopp - Liverpool

Liverpool v S.S.C Napoli - Pre Season Friendly
Klopp has high hopes of a successful season ahead with Liverpool

Clubs managed: Mainz 05, Borussia Dortmund, Liverpool

Overall Record: P743 W369 D191 L183

Career win percentage: 49.7%

Liverpool record: P155 W81 D44 L30

Liverpool win percentage: 52.3%

The longest-serving manager in Mainz's history, Jurgen Klopp has since gone on to find huge success at two of Europe's biggest clubs. After playing as a defender for Mainz for 11 years, the German was hired as their manager in 2001. He went on to manage them for seven years, leading them to their debut season in the Bundesliga and UEFA Cup in the process.

While Klopp enjoyed a very successful spell at Mainz, his managerial career really bloomed upon his appointment as Borussia Dortmund manager. In three seasons, the 51-year-old led Dortmund to two Bundesliga titles and Champions League runners-up medal. This achievement was enough for Liverpool to seek his services after he departed the Westfalenstadion.

During his time at Mainz, Klopp enjoyed a 40.4% win rate. This includes seasons in both the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga. His win percentage greatly increased during his time with Dortmund, with his 56.3% ratio being the best of his career so far at any single club.

Since moving to Anfield, Klopp has brought a high-paced, pressing "rock and roll" style of football to Merseyside. However, since his appointment in 2015, he is yet to win any trophy. His win percentage at Liverpool is 52.3% - the lowest from current managers who have had more than one season at a top 6 club.

He will certainly look to change that statistic this season.

#3 Unai Emery - Arsenal

Arsenal v Paris Saint Germain - International Champions Cup 2018
Unai Emery faces a big challenge in a new era for Arsenal

Clubs managed: Lorca Deportiva, Almeria, Valencia, Spartak Moscow, Sevilla, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal

Overall Record: P719 W385 D155 L179

Career win percentage: 53.5%

Arsenal record: N/A

Arsenal win percentage: N/A

Unai Emery began his managerial career in the lower division of Spain where he achieved huge success with Lorca Deportiva before moving on to Almeria and then Valencia. It was Los Che that Emery built his reputation as an elite manager, helping them to consecutive third-placed finishes during his time there.

An unsuccessful stint in Russia prompted his return to Spain where the 46-year-old took over at Sevilla. It was here that Emery enjoyed his most successful period as a manager in terms of trophies. He led the club to three consecutive Europa League titles before moving to Paris Saint-Germain with the task of winning the Champions League.

While he did not succeed with his primary objective in Paris, he enjoyed an astonishing 76.3% win rate over two seasons. Of course, this is down to a very weak Ligue 1 but still represents a fantastic achievement.

This figure dwarfs his previous best win rate at Sevilla which stood at 51.7%. Previous to this, Emery enjoyed a steady win percentage of between 46% and 48% at each of his four former clubs.

Now appointed as the man to succeed Arsene Wenger at the Emirates, Emery has a huge task ahead of him. With an Arsenal team lacking in leadership and direction, the Spaniard will need to utilize all of his experience to succeed in his first job in the Premier League.

#2 Jose Mourinho - Manchester United

West Ham United v Manchester United - Premier League
Mourinho has enjoyed an incredibly successful career

Clubs managed: Benfica, União de Leiria, Porto, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester United

Overall Record: P885 W579 D179 L127

Career win percentage: 65.4%

Manchester United record: P120 W74 D25 L21

Manchester United win percentage: 61.7%

Mourinho's recent sour demeanour at Manchester United makes it easy to forget that he is one of the most successful managers in recent history. Having begun his managerial journey in Portugal, Mourinho has managed in some of the biggest leagues around Europe, sweeping titles at almost every club he has managed.

His phenomenal managerial record is evident by his win percentages since taking over as Porto manager. The Portuguese's win rate has dipped below 60% at only one club during this time - his second spell at Chelsea. Besides that, he has enjoyed win ratios of more than 70% at both Porto and Real Madrid.

Mourinho's time at Manchester United has been heavily criticised in the media as he failed to win the Premier League for two consecutive seasons. However, the 55-year-old did win the Europa League and EFL Cup during his first season at Old Trafford and boasts an excellent win percentage of 61.7% over the past two years.

While his methods may not appeal to all tastes, Mourinho certainly knows how to win as is proved by his trophy haul and overall career win percentage. He will surely be determined to avoid the so-called "third-season syndrome" this year and buck his managerial trend by bringing further success to Old Trafford and enhancing his already excellent statistics.

#1 Pep Guardiola - Manchester City

Manchester City v Chelsea - FA Community Shield
Pep Guardiola has the figures to back up claims of his greatness

Clubs managed: Barcelona B, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester City

Overall Record: P560 W403 D95 L62

Career win percentage: 72%

Manchester City record: P114 W78 D19 L17

Manchester City win percentage: 68.4%

Undoubtedly among the best managers of this generation, Pep Guardiola reinvented how football is played during his time at Barcelona. Having worked his way up through the ranks as manager of the Barcelona B team, Pep grasped his opportunity as manager of Barcelona with both hands and hasn't looked back since.

His incredibly successful spell at Barcelona yielded numerous trophies and a win percentage of 72.5% over four years. These astounding figures made Guardiola the most sought-after manager in the world and after a short break, he returned to management with Bayern Munich. Unfortunately, he couldn't recreate the European success he had enjoyed with Barcelona at the Allianz Arena but still left Munich with a 75.2% win rate.

Since joining Manchester City, the Spanish manager has enjoyed great domestic success but has still struggled in European competition. His win ratio of 68.4% with Manchester City doesn't quite match up to his previous figures but it is still the best of all current Premier League managers.

Winning the title at a canter last season has ensured that Man City and Pep Guardiola will place a strong emphasis on winning the Champions League this year. While this switch in priority is completely understandable, it may cause a lack of concentration in the league and lead to the 47-year-old's win percentage falling slightly by the end of this season.

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