Where does Rafa stand...

[anfieldanfield]

In the top five managers in World football ?

Please base your decisions on achievements over the past five years, taking into account money to spend/ability of players inherited and prestige of trophys won.

For me,

1) Mourinho

I loathe everything about the man, I really do, but he's unquestionably been the best coach in the world these past few years. Massive success with Porto, on a shoestring budget and back to back titles in two seasons with Chelsea. Pity he's a self obsessed, arrogant, juvenile little c.unt.

2) Benitez

Two league titles in three years in Spain despite the immense financial power of both Madrid and Barcelona meant instant recognition, winning the European Cup against all the odds and in his first season with us merely elevated his status, the FA Cup win last season kept Rafa's record ticking over, a Premiership title this season would surely nudge him to the top of the list.

3) Hiddink

With weak squads, Guus incredibly took South Korea to the semi finals of the World Cup in 2002 and after beating Uraguay in qualifying, took Australia to the last 16 in 2006, meanwhile, he's won the dutch domestic double twice with cash strapped PSV side, and has taken them to the semi finals of the European Cup in 2005, outplaying AC Milan and proving unlucky to crash out. A top manager.

4) Scolari

Won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002, and took a Portugal to the final of Euro 2004 and to a fourth placed position in the 2006 World Cup. Impressive by any standards.

5) Wenger

Won the league title with a side playing the best football the Premiership's ever seen in 2002 and 2004, on a fairly restricted budget, throw in a couple of FA Cup victorys and a European Cup final appearance last May, with an impressively young squad, and his position on the list is fully justified.

Lippi and Rijkaard can consider himself unlucky to finish sixth and seventh, whilst Capello misses out seeing as his league winners medals with Juventus have been deemed 'null and void'.

Thoughts ?

[Red_Polo]

Maureen is behind Rafa IMO

Both have won the UEFA cup, and a CL with unfancied clubs.

Rafa won two La Ligas with a relatively small club and did so up against two massive clubs. Maureen won leagues with one of the biggest teams in the weaker Portuguese league, whilst his titles with Chelsea will always be of less value than Rafa's in Spains for obvious reasons. When it comes to achievments to date I think Rafa has the edge, when it comes to their management/coaching ability, I think Rafa is streets ahead....of almost anyone in the world.

I rate Hiddink very highly too.

[Diego]

In the top five managers in World football ?

Please base your decisions on achievements over the past five years, taking into account money to spend/ability of players inherited and prestige of trophys won.

For me,

1) Mourinho

I loathe everything about the man, I really do, but he's unquestionably been the best coach in the world these past few years. Massive success with Porto, on a shoestring budget and back to back titles in two seasons with Chelsea. Pity he's a self obsessed, arrogant, juvenile little c.unt.

2) Benitez

Two league titles in three years in Spain despite the immense financial power of both Madrid and Barcelona meant instant recognition, winning the European Cup against all the odds and in his first season with us merely elevated his status, the FA Cup win last season kept Rafa's record ticking over, a Premiership title this season would surely nudge him to the top of the list.

3) Hiddink

With weak squads, Guus incredibly took South Korea to the semi finals of the World Cup in 2002 and after beating Uraguay in qualifying, took Australia to the last 16 in 2006, meanwhile, he's won the dutch domestic double twice with cash strapped PSV side, and has taken them to the semi finals of the European Cup in 2005, outplaying AC Milan and proving unlucky to crash out. A top manager.

4) Scolari

Won the World Cup with Brazil in 2002, and took a Portugal to the final of Euro 2004 and to a fourth placed position in the 2006 World Cup. Impressive by any standards.

5) Wenger

Won the league title with a side playing the best football the Premiership's ever seen in 2002 and 2004, on a fairly restricted budget, throw in a couple of FA Cup victorys and a European Cup final appearance last May, with an impressively young squad, and his position on the list is fully justified.

Lippi and Rijkaard can consider himself unlucky to finish sixth and seventh, whilst Capello misses out seeing as his league winners medals with Juventus have been deemed 'null and void'.

Thoughts ?

no mourinho for me, not saying he's bad, but his success at chelski don't count for much, what he did at porto was massive, but winning the league with 300 million to spend is something alot of godd but not great coaches, if he was the best he would've had more success in europe with them...

also he's not a great tacktical manager, his best attribute is motivation and is probably the best motivational manager out there, he can get players fired up and ready to go and thats all he needs with his big budget squad...

i say
1. Benitez - bit biased, but his success is undoubted
2. capello - one of the all time best managers in the game
dont know about the rest tbh, i'll give it more thought....

[anfieldanfield]

No Mourinho, Diego ? Don't be a biased fool.

2003 Portugal league title, UEFA Cup,
2004 Portugal league title, Champions League
2005 Premiership, League Cup
2006 Premiership

[Diego]

No Mourinho, Diego ? Don't be a biased fool.

2003 Portugal league title, UEFA Cup,
2004 Portugal league title, Champions League
2005 Premiership, League Cup
2006 Premiership

not about being a fool, it's just my opinion, and yes i am probably biased cause i hate that ****

but he might make it in to the top 5 but not ahead of benitez and capello, and thats just my opinion like it or not

i don't doubt his record in portugal, to win the european cup is a massive achivement

but i don't rate his success at chelski, as a matter of fact i dont rate the success of the entire football club cause it's tainted...

but he's a good manager don't get me wrong, but imo benitez and capello are ahead of him and probably wenger as well, and ferguson(mabey not now he seems to be loosing it)

[SouthAfricaRed]

No Mourinho, Diego ? Don't be a biased fool.

2003 Portugal league title, UEFA Cup,
2004 Portugal league title, Champions League
2005 Premiership, League Cup
2006 Premiership

The Portugal League is a Two horse race. Benfica or Porto

The Uefa Cup and Champions League is a very good achievement, although Porto won it by diving and playing Negative football.

The Premier League and League Cup is a joke with the money he has spent,

Contrast this with Rafa

La Liga 2002
La Liga 2004, UEFA Cup 2004
Champions League 2005, European Super Cup 2005
FA Cup 2006

All this done with teams on a low budget playing teams with much higher budgets. The Spanish League is much more prestigious than the Portugal one. They were also the First League Titles won by Valencia in a very Long time against Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The Bottom Line is that tactically Rafa is much better than Jose. He's able to change his game plan midway if things arent going his way.

I would rate Jose in the Top 5 but not at number1. I would place Hiddink at Number 2. His success with Australia and at Club Level shows he's a very good manager.

My top 5 would be

Rafa
Hiddink
Jose
Lippi
Scolari

Capello's achievements have been tainted with the scandal that has Rocked Juventus

[Diego]

capello's record over the past years have been tainted by the juve scandal you right

[LFCman]

I don't rate Scolari that high personally. I think his Portugal side play poor Football and the WC in 2002 could of been won by a teenager managing that Brazilian side.

Rafa IMHO is the best. Not only for the results but because of his whole set up. On a tight budget he has a build a side with great spirit, resiliance and the belief that they can win things. We haven't seen anything yet. The Rafalution is only beginning. When the masterpiece is complete then teams will well and truly fear us.

Hiddink is top top class. Definately in the top 3. His whole attitude is that of a winner. He fears no one and favours no one. What he did with us for this WC was incredible. For years Australia had just relied on the likes of Kewell for moments of brilliance but he had us playing as a unit. We'd of made the semis if not for Grosso's dive.

[Rich]

In world football today I'd say it's a three-way tie between Mourinho, Rafa, and Hiddink. All approach the game differently, yet all 3 have had considerable success.

Mourinho - Love him or hate him, he IS the business. His achievements at Porto were fabulous and Ranieri has shown that an unlimited budget doesn't win you the title. He might not have the genius of Rafa in adapting tactics, however he isn't afraid for changing formations and players to get than win. He must also be pretty inspirational in the dressing room, as there is very little back-biting at Chelsea at the moment, and he is an expert in developing the "us against the world" mentality (also a favourite of Sir Alex)

Hiddink - has proved he has the knowledge for picking talent for club sides but also building a team and developing the right tactics for international football. I don't think there are many coaches in the world that seems so at ease in both arenas. Great tactician also. Very surprised that the English FA didn't at last do something right and appoint him at National Manager, the only man for the job in my opinion.

Rafa - well what do we not know about him? Started off slowly, success wise, learning the ropes, so to speak. Proved at Valencia, that the team was more important the super-stars by beating Barca and Real Madrid to two titles in three years - and the small matter of the UEFA Cup!!
Some can argue that he started slowly at LFC, learning the uniqueness of the Premiership, and at times in the league we were pretty poor. However, Rafa has proved that he is always learning, always responding to situations. Last year proved that he had come to grips with the Premiership, what with a record 82 points tally. (Record in the Premiership for LFC, mind) The Champions League and FA Cup wins showed that he could beat any opposition in a one off game (or over two legs if you are being pedantic...) even with supposedly inferior players.

Most of the others managers mentioned are also excellent, however I don't think they are up there with the above three.

[saveferris]

Benitez is easily in the top five, along with Mourinho, Hiddink, Capello, and Wenger but how to distinguish between them is harder because of the nature of their successes.

Mourinho has had undoubted success especially in Portugal when he won the Champions League. His life is made easier by having any player he likes at Chelsea but at the end of the day he deserved to be appointed in that role.

I think Benitez's successes are far greater considering the relative resources he has had compared to his counterparts in the various competitions he has been invovled in. The majority of the time he has won competitions against teams that have better players on paper and himself have players who are not to the standard he would like. In this respect I would place him higher than Mourinho and Wenger.

With Wenger he has an eye for a good player and for those most committed to the cause he will develop them to a high standard.

Its with Capello and Hiddink that the most difficult comparison lies for me. Capello has been a winner everyhwre he has gone and that in itself is a major achievement. Hiddink has the same qualities as Benitez and showed that with PSV. He has also done it at an international stage with both high quality and less fashionable teams.

Although unpopular Ferguson would be close by, he has built a successful team more than once and is probably the most successful manager about right now, although he is going off the boil now i think.

If I was to rank them I would as follows but it would be a close run thing.

1. Hiddink 2. Capello 3. Benitez 4. Mourinho 5. Wenger

[univofchicago]

1. Rafael Benitez

2. Jose Mourinho

3. Guus Hiddink

4. Arsene Wenger

5. Marcelo Lippi

[univofchicago]

re-reading anfield anfield's post, i forgot about scolari!!

scolari would be on my list...probably at the expense of marcelo lippi