Scotland the great for managers

I recently read a superb article about the 50 most influential managers in the last 50 years. Something struck me just how many came from Scotland.

There were quite a few Scottish coaches on the list. Two of those changed the history of English football forever.

Influential

Liverpool had the majorly influential Bill Shankly as their boss from 1959 to 1974 and in his time at the club he transformed the club from a second division side to one of the most feared sides in Europe.

He is a Liverpool legend and even fans who never saw his team play know his name and know he was one of the most important people in the history of Liverpool Football Club.

Without Shankly the club could still be languishing in the second tier of English football. He was the clubs greatest ever manager and his influence on the club is still visible at Anfield with a statue and the Shankly Gates. Liverpool will never have a manager who leaves such a lasting legacy as Shankly.

Rivals

At Liverpool’s bitter-rivals Manchester United there is a modern day Scot who has also transformed his club and that boss is of course Sir Alex Ferguson. Before Fergie arrived at Old Trafford the club was going nowhere fast and needed fresh ideas.

However in his second season United finished second in the league and major players such as Steve Bruce, Brian McClair and Jim Leghton arrived. All three played a big part in the clubs rise to the top English football, especially Bruce who of course went on to captain United.

In the coming years Ferguson managed to transform United into the all conquering side they are today. Without Ferguson would Manchester United still be an under-achieving midtable side? Probably but we will never know. The great Scot is still going strong and hoping to surpass Liverpool as English football’s most successful club side with 19 league titles.

If the 68 year-olds side clinch the Premier League title this season it will be Fergie’s 12th league title. A incredible feat for any manager and no future United boss could ever better his achievements. Thanks to Sir Alex United are now a world brand and that’s a fantastic achievement for the Glaswegian.

Success

There are currently four Scottish managers in the Premier League. All four are highly rated but the other three apart are younger managers making their names at their respective clubs. Everton boss David Moyes has done a fantastic job with the Toffee’s turning them from debt-ridden relegation fighters to perennial European challengers.

Hes done his job with his hands tied behind his back, meteorically. He has achieved relative success without big resources. He has squeezed every bit of talent out his players and spent most the clubs money wisely. Moyes may not have won any trophies with Everton but he revived a club who were also previously in a slump, just like Fergie and Shankly before him but on a lesser scale.

The former Preston boss is one of the front runners for Fergie’s job at United when he retires and I’m sure he would do a good job at Old Trafford, but as an Everton fan I hope he stays at Goodison. He is the best manager we have had since the 1980’s and Howard Kendall.

Alex McLeish is yet another Scottish success story. He was a success with Rangers in Scotland before he decided to manage his country. He then moved back into club football to join Birmingham in 2007 and has done a superb job. The side he has built have punched well above their weight in the Premier League this season.

His shrewd signings and knowledge of game have Birmingham sitting in eight spot challenging for a European spot. McLeish has also built his side on a small budget. However with the recent big investment he will now be given well deserved transfer funds to take the club forward.

Owen Coyle’s the least experienced out of the four bosses but he has already built a big reputation. His recent move from Burnley to local rivals Bolton has caused uproar but Coyle sees Bolton as a step up from the Clarets. The 43 year-old built a superb football-playing side at Burnley and took the unfancied Burnley from Championship to Premier League. He will undoubtedly end up at an even bigger club and take his easy-on-eye style with him.

More in the pipeline

Then there are the likes of Craig Levein, Billy Davies and Alan Irvine all good managers outside the Premier League. The production line of Scottish managers never seems to cease. It’s a good job really as two of the giants of English football would not be where they are today if it wasn’t for two stubborn Scot’s.