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Throughout football history, there have been players and managers who have had a marked effect on the fortunes of their club. Whether, by word or deed, these men will be synonymous with periods of a club’s history and their memory will live long in the annals of the clubs concerned.These personalities were entertaining, purposeful, and yet, had their eye on the target. Some won’t be larger than life to every one’s tastes, while others have been coveted by almost everyone. Let’s take a look at 10 personalities who dramatically changed things at their club:
#10 Kevin Keegan - Newcastle United
Kevin Keegan remains a hero on Tyneside. Both as a player and manager, Keegan was adored by the Geordie masses.
Never was he better appreciated than during his outburst against Sir Alex Ferguson live on TV. His “I would love it” speech has gone down in Premier League folklore and despite not being able to bring the success to the club that everyone craved, the swashbuckling nature of his teams left everyone wanting more.
Even in defeat, Newcastle were entertainment personified. Who can possibly forget the incredible 4-3 defeat at Anfield with Stan Collymore snatching the win for Liverpool in the dying seconds.
Compare that side of Ginola, Ferdinand, Asprilla, Lee and Shearer to the current crop. Arguably there isn’t even an appropriate comparison that can be made. Keegan was within a whisker of bringing the title to Tyneside and his legacy in the black and white half of the north-east will never be forgotten.
#9 Zinedine Zidane - Real Madrid
When Zinedine Zidane arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2001, signing for Real Madrid in a world record €75 million transfer, it heralded the continuation of the “Galactico” era that had begun with the signing of Luis Figo from Barcelona the year before.
His goal in the 2002 Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen is widely accepted as being one of the best goals ever scored in the competition, Zidane connecting with a volley at waist height and drilling the ball left-footed into the top corner.
His second season brought a La Liga title, and one in which Zidane was considered the architect. The FIFA World Player of the Year award followed for a player who was elegance personified.
Such excellence was no surprise to those who watched him week in and week out and a banner unfurled at his final Real home match that read “Thanks for the magic” was completely appropriate.
Much of Zidane’s time on a football pitch was magical indeed, old boy Alfredo di Stefano even noting that “he plays as if he had silk gloves on each foot”.
Zidane’s standing at the club was never better evidenced than when he retired from football after that 3-3 draw against Villareal in 2006. “Zidane 2001-2006” was placed on Real's shirts below the club badge, a tribute that has been afforded no other player in Los Blancos history.
#8 Eric Cantona - Manchester United
Will Eric Cantona be remembered more for his kung-fu kick on a Crystal Palace supporter or his “seagulls follow the trawler” quote than he is for a wonderful Manchester United career? Hardly…
The Frenchman had already inspired Leeds to a league championship within half a season before embarking on a career with the Red Devils that has often seen him referred to as the best player ever to pull on the jersey at Old Trafford.
Cantona didn’t make his debut until December 1992 by which time an under par United side were struggling to keep up with the likes of Blackburn, Norwich and Aston Villa.
It’s fair to say that the impact was instant, with Cantona scoring and assisting throughout the remainder of the season as United eventually strolled to the first Premier League crown, and their first top-flight title in 25 years, by 10 points.
He would go on to win another three titles in the next four years and two FA Cups, all of which he was instrumental in bringing to United. Roy Keane summed up his influence best when he said of his ex-team mate: “Collar turned up, back straight, chest stuck out, Eric glided into the arena as if he owned the place.”
Sir Alex Ferguson who was known never to give effusive praise noted that “The place was a frenzy every time he touched the ball. Cantona illuminated Old Trafford.”
In a team that included Ince, Bruce, Schmeichel, Keane and other household names, Cantona was King. It spoke volumes as to the presence of the man and it’s hard to believe it’s already been 18 years since he kicked a ball in earnest.
#7 Terry Venables - Crystal Palace
Terry Venables has woven a rich and varied tapestry throughout recent football history. Barcelona, England, QPR and Tottenham Hotspur have all been the recipients of his encyclopaedic football knowledge. However, Crystal Palace in the late 1970s remain where “El Tel” enjoyed some of his best successes.
Indeed, the final game of the 1976-77 season remains the favourite memory of his entire football career. Needing to win at Wrexham by two clear goals to give the Eagles a chance of promotion to the Second Division, the score remained at 2-2 in the last minute. Two goals in injury time and a Wrexham loss in their final game in the following week saw Palace go up, and so began an extended period of success.
By the time of Venables’ departure, Palace were fixtures in the top division after another promotion. The youngsters who joined his revolution at the beginning developed into “the team of the 80s” and left a legacy that lasts to this day.
#6 Brian Clough - Nottingham Forest
Has there ever been a club manager in England that has polarized opinion as much as Brian Clough did in his heyday?
The best manager the England national team never had, Clough’s tenure at Nottingham Forest is unlikely to ever be repeated. Alongside assistant manager Peter Taylor, whom Clough had brought with him from Derby County, not only would he enjoy success on the domestic stage, but he would rule Europe for two seasons at the end of the 1970’s and start of the 1980’s.
To place Forest’s European Cup wins into perspective, he took an underachieving team from the second division in 1975 to the top division in 1977 and the league title in 1978, a feat that hasn’t been achieved since.
The European Cup followed 12 months after that with essentially the same team of players and was then retained a further season later. Add the European Super Cup and two League Cups and we begin to get some idea as to the genius of the manager.
What makes one realise how special he was is when you understand that Nottingham Forest haven’t come anywhere close to hitting the same heights since.
#5 Bill Shankly - Liverpool
When Bill Shankly took the managerial position at Liverpool in 1959, he would note that the club was a “shambles”. From the state of the Melwood training ground, to the disrepair that Anfield had fallen into, to the general state of an under-performing side who had been beaten by a non-league Worcester City side in the FA Cup.
Five years of being stuck in the second division needed addressing as did the general malaise amongst the Liverpool working classes that routinely came through the turnstiles in the hope of better times ahead.
Shankly noted immediately that Liverpool was full of “his type of people” which got the locals onside and his partnership with Bob Paisley and Joe Fagan in particular paid dividends. A few tweaks here and there and the Reds were off and running.
Over the course of the next fifteen years, Shankly’s influence could be seen right throughout the club. His final game was a 3-0 FA Cup final win against Newcastle in 1974 and “Shanks” left with the knowledge that the club was in much, much better shape than when he took over, and it paved the way for Paisley to bring about the most successful period in Liverpool’s history.
#4 Arsene Wenger - Arsenal
Back in 1996 when Bruce Rioch had been sacked by the Arsenal board, Arsene Wenger’s subsequent appointment was met with newspaper headlines of “Arsene who?”
The urbane Frenchman was a relative unknown in English football circles, but David Dein was in no doubt that his club had made the correct appointment. It’s worth noting that Wenger had prompted the club to sign Patrick Vieira a full month before he was officially appointed as manager.
Vieira would go on to become the midfield general that Arsenal had lacked for years and despite missing out on Champions League qualification on goal difference in his first season, the style of play that Wenger had introduced was winning plaudits everywhere.
A complete overhaul in all sporting areas of the club, instigated by Wenger, was unheard of at the time, but Arsenal were prepared to accede to the Frenchman’s requests because of the results that were routinely being seen on the pitch. His second season saw the Gunners’ second league and cup double and any remaining doubters were promptly won over.
Almost 20 years later and Wenger still rules the roost in the red half of north London and although the success of his early years has eluded him for a while, there’s still no doubt he remains the man for the job.
#3 Jose Mourinho - Chelsea
When you announce yourself as a “Special One” as the opening gambit for your new club, then you sure as hell need to back up your words with deeds. Fortunately for Chelsea, Jose Mourinho did exactly that upon his arrival in 2004.
Knocked out of the Champions League at the semi-final stage by Luis Garcia’s “ghost goal” for Liverpool, Mourinho nevertheless masterminded a League Cup triumph and Chelsea’s first league title in 50 years.
Compared to Brian Clough for the way in which he held court at press conferences, the Portuguese manager was the full package. Confident, arrogant and brash, he wasn’t to everyone’s taste, but his influence on his Chelsea side was marked.
The Blues became extremely hard to beat, conceding just 15 goals (a Premier League record) and scoring 95 (then another record) on the way to the title. Another title followed, Mourinho’s fourth in a row before a domestic Cup double in what was to be the manager’s final full season in his first period in charge.
After brief sojourns at Internazionale and Real Madrid, Mourinho would return to Stamford Bridge and within two years has returned the Premier League title in fine style. A special one indeed.
#2 Johan Cruyff - Barcelona
Barcelona are beloved worldwide for their style and panache. A style of football that is often replicated but never bettered. The origins of the style we see today can be traced back to Johan Cruyff, who excelled for the Blaugrana, as both a player and a manager.
Taking the Dutch style known as Total Football, Barcelona looked to play to Cruyff’s strengths in the mid 70’s. He would ultimately lead Barca to glory, but it was as manager of the “Dream Team’ in the early 1990’s where his legacy was assured.
Until Pep Guardiola took on board the Dutchman’s mantle in 2008/09, there was no manager more successful than Cruyff. As important as that success was the manner of play for which he himself had become renowned in his playing career.
It won a new generation of fans worldwide and brought Barca its first ever European Cup, as well as four consecutive La Ligas. Guardiola’s Barcelona were seen by many as an extension of Cruyff’s and are certainly the Blaugrana that the locals most identify with.
#1 Alex Ferguson - Manchester United
26 trophies are the best indication of exactly why Sir Alex Ferguson will always be held in the highest esteem by Manchester United.
It’s almost comical to recall that the Scot was a game or two away from being shown the door before embarking on a period of success that will never be matched by any manager at any club. Doubles, trebles, Premier League titles aplenty, Ferguson oversaw them all.
Not only that, he also made a habit of bringing through some of the best young players to have played the game. Beckham, Neville, Scholes, Butt, Giggs are just the tip of a very large iceberg. Ruling with an iron rod was very much his forte but speak to any of his players, bar Roy Keane, and to a man they will speak of him in fatherly terms.
A man who made a real impression and shaped both the private and personal lives of all who worked for him. A true original.
