'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Managing is one of the toughest jobs in football. The pressure to deliver instant results, coupled with the fickle nature of the footballing world, puts the manager in a spot more often than not. Thus, their importance can’t be overstated enough.
A manager in football is much more vital than a coach in cricket with the former primarily tasked with exploring different avenues and finalising the right course of action.
Though cricket teams can survive without a coach for a while, the same is hardly true for a football team.
Thus, one needs to give credit where it is due and appreciate the hard yards managers put in behind the scenes.
However, as with players, there are some managers who just have a little more star quotient attached to them than others. While those left out of the said list do pretty well themselves, they aren’t always in the limelight.
Hence, in a bid to accord them their rightful place at the forefront, we would take a look at the five most underrated managers across the globe currently.
Honourable Mentions: Pablo Machin (Sevilla) and Gareth Southgate (England)
#5 Eddie Howe (Bournemouth)
The Englishman has been at the helm for the Cherries since 2012 and has scaled seemingly insurmountable peaks with Bournemouth. After taking over from Paul Groves, Howe has overseen the Cherries’ promotion to the Championship and eventually the Premier League.
Though the Englishman faced initial teething problems in Bournemouth’s first season in the top flight, he ensured his team stayed up in the league.
As the seasons have rolled by, Howe has made the Cherries genuine mid-table contenders and is even well-placed for a tilt at a Europa League spot this term.
With a penchant for swashbuckling football, Howe has enthralled the Premier League with his style of attacking play. While the Cherries were earlier adept at keeping the ball, this season he has shown his adaptability by transforming them into a deadly counter-attacking team.
Howe has risen through the ranks rapidly and has earned plenty of plaudits across Europe.
And if he continues his superb growth, the big hitters of Europe could be at his doorstep very soon.
Also see: Fantasy Premier League , Fantasy Premier League Tips, Arsenal Transfer News
#4 Nuno Espirito Santo (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
The Portuguese endured a mixed bag in the initial phases of his managerial career. After procuring an impressive fourth-place finish with Valencia in 2014-15, he found himself at Porto. However, things didn’t pan out as expected and he was fired after ending the 2016-17 season trophy-less.
Yet, since arriving on British shores, the Portuguese has only enhanced his reputation.
In his first season at Wolves, Nuno guided them to the title in England’s second-tier and subsequent promotion to the Premier League.
Though the Portuguese’s charge has substantially been boosted by the funds available to him, one needs a person capable of using the money with aplomb. (Just ask Fulham)
The most impressive aspect though of Nuno’s management has been his inclination to play attacking football. In a season where only a few teams are playing three at the back, the Portuguese has stuck to his guns and produced solid performances week in, week out.
Moreover, he has shown to be tactically astute and seems to have the wood over the ‘big six’.
At this juncture, Nuno is definitely one of the more talented managers in England yet his name rarely features in the said discussion.
On countless occasions, he has shown the characteristics to be among the best and if he continues delivering the goods, he might just get the credit he deserves.
But for now, he surely is the epitome of the underrated manager and easily makes our list.
#3 Roberto Martinez (Belgium)
Martinez’s time in England was sprinkled with its fair share of sweet and sour. At Wigan, he won the FA Cup beating the mighty Manchester City yet found his team being relegated mere days later.
Even for the Toffees, the Spaniard started off promisingly before fizzling out. He was acrimoniously given the boot in May, 2016 after leaving Everton 12th in the standings.
However, his tenure for the Belgian national team hasn’t endured many hiccups till now.
Martinez’s Red Devils were the first to book their place in the 2018 World Cup while they impressed when the tournament started proper too.
Belgium overcame a 2-0 deficit in the Round of 16 before outclassing pre-tournament favourites, Brazil in the quarter-final. Though they came unstuck in the semi-final against France, their victory in the 3rd place playoff ensured they had their most successful World Cup yet.
Under Marc Wilmots, his predecessor, Belgium were guilty of wasting the talent at their disposal. However, Martinez seems to be getting the best out of them with a brand of free-flowing offensive football.
The Belgians are going through their golden generation currently and look primed to launch an assault on the Euro 2020.
And for the Belgians’ sake, they have exactly the right man for the job in Martinez.
Thus, he rounds off the top three of our list.
#2 Lucien Favre (Borussia Dortmund)
The Swiss has slipped under the radar ever since he made his bow as a professional manager. In his stint with Zurich, he won the Swiss Super league twice to supplement the Swiss Cup triumph.
In Germany, he adroitly led Hertha Berlin and Borussia Monchengladbach to fourth-place finishes. Additionally, he also snatched safety from the jaws of relegation in his first few months in charge of the latter.
The current season though has seen him surpass all expectations as his Dortmund side sit pretty at the top of the Bundesliga.
Blessed with an eye to spot upcoming talent, Favre has used it exceptionally to build another entertaining Dortmund team.
Moreover, the Swiss is as shrewd as any in the market and has shown the propensity to unearth raw gems time and again.
Though many might be surprised by Dortmund’s sudden charge, those following Favre would know that the Swiss’ time in the sun was long overdue.
For all we know, Dortmund could well turn into a European superpower under the stewardship of the Swiss maestro.
#1 Ernesto Valverde (FC Barcelona)
The Spaniard arrived at the Camp Nou in the 2017 off-season to replace Luis Enrique. Though he lost the first trophy on offer against arch-rivals, Real Madrid, he quickly put those early fears to rest with a domestic double in 2018.
In the current season too, Barcelona enjoy a healthy lead at the perch of the La Liga and seem destined to progress to the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Moreover, with Real Madrid struggling, one can expect Barcelona to get the better of their eternal counterparts in the Copa Del Rey.
Though Valverde has won a host of trophies in his nascent Barcelona career, he has never really struck a chord with the Camp Nou faithful. One to prioritise a little calculation over creativity, the Spaniard has not gotten Barcelona playing the ‘Barcelona way’ according to some.
Yet, Valverde has been able to silence those doubters with the raw weight of trophies.
Thus, highlighting that the Spaniard is doing exceedingly well despite not having the complete support of some of the fans.
Valverde might yet be leaving Barcelona in the summer as the Blaugrana look for a manager capable of replicating Pep Guardiola’s style of play.
But, surely the Spaniard deserves much more respect than what is being offered.
Thus, without a shadow of a doubt, he takes the top spot on our list.
