Here are the figures for all Liverpool managers from 1959-present (all competitions):
| | | Years | Total | Wins | Win % |
| 1 | Kenny Dalglish | 6 | 307 | 187 | 61% |
| 2 | Bob Paisley | 9 | 535 | 307 | 57% |
| 3 | Rafa Benitez | 5 | 315 | 178 | 56% |
| 4 | Joe Fagan | 2 | 133 | 70 | 53% |
| 5 | Bill Shankly | 15 | 783 | 407 | 52% |
| 6 | Gerard Houllier | 7 | 325 | 165 | 51% |
| 7 | Roy Evans | 5 | 244 | 123 | 50% |
| 8 | Graeme Souness | 3 | 157 | 65 | 41% |
Rafa Benitez is holding his own against some of Liverpool’s legendary managers of the past!
What about other successful managers of the last 50 years?
| | Years | Total | Wins | Win % |
| Alex Ferguson | 23 | 1299 | 762 | 59% |
| Arsene Wenger | 13 | 755 | 435 | 58% |
| Jose Mourinho (Chelsea) | 3 | 185 | 131 | 70% |
| Martin O’Neill (Aston Villa) | 3 | 152 | 61 | 40% |
| Matt Busby | 25 | 1141 | 576 | 50% |
| Brian Clough (Notts Forest) | 18 | 907 | 411 | 45% |
| George Graham (Arsenal) | 9 | 460 | 225 | 49% |
| Don Revie (Leeds) | 13 | 699 | 365 | 52% |
| Bobby Robson (Newcastle) | 5 | 255 | 119 | 47% |
| Kevin Keegan (Newcastle) | 5 | 272 | 144 | 53% |
At Chelsea, Mourinho had was unbeaten in 90% of games, and his win ratio is similarly impressive. As you can see, he is streets ahead of any other manager in the table.
How do Liverpool’s managers compare against other successful managers over the last 50 years?
| | | Years | Total | Wins | Win % |
| 1 | Jose Mourinho | 9 | 419 | 282 | 67% |
| 2= | Bob Paisley | 9 | 535 | 307 | 57% |
| 2= | Alex Ferguson | 35 | 1932 | 1107 | 57% |
| 4 | Kenny Dalglish | 15 | 588 | 322 | 55% |
| 5= | Arsene Wenger | 13 | 1191 | 636 | 53% |
| 5= | Martin O’Neill | 19 | 789 | 420 | 53% |
| 5= | Joe Fagan | 2 | 133 | 70 | 53% |
| 8 | Bill Shankly | 15 | 783 | 407 | 52% |
| 8 | Don Revie | 13 | 699 | 365 | 52% |
| 10= | Rafa Benitez | 14 | 630 | 322 | 51% |
| 10= | Gerard Houllier | 14 | 629 | 322 | 51% |
| 10= | Kevin Keegan | 13 | 509 | 259 | 51% |
| 13= | Roy Evans | 5 | 244 | 123 | 50% |
| 13= | Matt Busby | 25 | 1141 | 576 | 50% |
| 15= | Graeme Souness | 20 | 873 | 432 | 49% |
| 15= | Bobby Robson | 28 | 1351 | 668 | 49% |
| 17 | George Graham | 16 | 862 | 394 | 46% |
| 18 | Brian Clough | 28 | 1319 | 594 | 45% |
Another good showing by Liverpool’s managers!
However, Win percentage is clearly not the ultimate indicator of success. For example, George Graham won the title twice with Arsenal (how could we forget!), but his win ratio is lower than the likes of Kevin Keegan, Roy Evans and Rafa Benitez, none of whom have won the league.
What about career totals? Below is a table showing the entire club career percentages for all the above managers:
| | | Years | Total | Wins | Win % |
| 1 | Jose Mourinho | 9 | 419 | 282 | 67% |
| 2= | Bob Paisley | 9 | 535 | 307 | 57% |
| 2= | Alex Ferguson | 35 | 1932 | 1107 | 57% |
| 4 | Kenny Dalglish | 15 | 588 | 322 | 55% |
| 5= | Arsene Wenger | 13 | 1191 | 636 | 53% |
| 5= | Martin O’Neill | 19 | 789 | 420 | 53% |
| 5= | Joe Fagan | 2 | 133 | 70 | 53% |
| 8 | Bill Shankly | 15 | 783 | 407 | 52% |
| 8 | Don Revie | 13 | 699 | 365 | 52% |
| 10= | Rafa Benitez | 14 | 630 | 322 | 51% |
| 10= | Gerard Houllier | 14 | 629 | 322 | 51% |
| 10= | Kevin Keegan | 13 | 509 | 259 | 51% |
| 13= | Roy Evans | 5 | 244 | 123 | 50% |
| 13= | Matt Busby | 25 | 1141 | 576 | 50% |
| 15= | Graeme Souness | 20 | 873 | 432 | 49% |
| 15= | Bobby Robson | 28 | 1351 | 668 | 49% |
| 17 | George Graham | 16 | 862 | 394 | 46% |
| 18 | Brian Clough | 28 | 1319 | 594 | 45% |
Some surprising results there - O'Neill is joint 5th in the table with Wenger and fagan, with only Mourinho, Ferguson and Paisley ahead of him. And let's not forget, this table represents all the top managers in the English league over the last 50 years. People scoff at the prospect of O'Neill taking over at Liverpool, but over his career, he has proven his ability.
Jaimie Kanwar
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It really is amazing how effective Jose was. I find it amusing when LFC fans knock him, don't they realise that he was an adversary?
ReplyDeleteI also notice that Evans and Busby are close.
Jose M had the resources at his disposal to be successful, nothing else would have done!
ReplyDeleteYes, he had money, but it takes more than money to be successful. You can't just turn up, spend money and hope for the best. You have to buy the right players, use them riught, motivate them properly and *keep* them motivated.
ReplyDeleteSo many people devalue Mourinho's achievements, but there are plenty of managers who had lots of money but never achieved the same things.
i seem to remember foew weeks back, Jamie , you were singing how Martin O'neil should have been our manager and replce Benitez
ReplyDeletewhat do you think now?
in regard to Mourineho, there is no doubt that he was a very good manager, his win in porta was achieved by very little cash however his metod had been very negative. his football style and his vulgar manner does not suit Liverpool
My view has not changed one bit. I still want MON as Liverpool manager. Win percentage is not the ultimate indicator of success. If you look at O'Neill's record at Celtic, it is right up there with the best on the list. I jus looked at his current job. Plus, O'Neill has had the least number of games so far. O'Neill is still my number 1 candidate for the Liverpool job.
ReplyDeleteBut Mourinho got sacked because he stopped winning. Being successful over three years isn't comparable to be successful over a lengthier period.
ReplyDeleteFor example, when Ferguson got the United job, we were in the relegation zone. But if you took Ferguson's best three years in the job, it would paint a different picture.
OK!! but look at it from a different prespective. He bought the best players in each position. It wasn't hard to do that with the money he has. I believe if he replaces Benitez He won't do better or even I think he will be negative compared to Rafa. IMO
ReplyDeleteScott, I don't think that is a fair statement. There were some circumstances that led to his sacking: A. Grant, the purchase of Schevy, which I understand he didn't want, and his inability to win the CL. Also, do you think that Mor, if given more time would have won the CL? A Grant took them to the final the very next year, and I wouldn't say that Grant is a better manager.
ReplyDeleteAlso, given today's economic realities, managers aren't given enough time to produce. With all of the money spent, there is great sense of urgency to produce immediate results. Do you believe that Fergie could remain over 20yrs at Man U if started this season? Do you think other than Fergie, a manager could sell of the team's best player? So I think you really aren't comparing apples to apples.
Finally, imagine if Chelsea never sacked Mor - and I don't believe it was for football reasons- where do you see that team going? I think that they would have become a greater team than they currently are, and would be the team of this decade.
Guest - I can only assume you didn't pay attention to the players TNSSO sold in his last year or so and the replacements he bought. The quality in the Chelsea squad was lower when he left than it was when he arrived. Drogba, A Cole and Essien were the only top quality Jose purchases. Other than that, he signed dross and sold great players, with the squad steadily getting worse.
ReplyDeleteThere were 8 points behind Chelsea and United the day the season was won in Mourinho's last year. Grant's Chelsea and Benitez's Liverpool pushed us far closer than that!
I would like to see Jose's his win % after 1000+ games,
ReplyDeleteHe started with a much better team at Chelsea than Fergie, + inf cash and look at the team he had.
^why stats do not tell the whole story
I don't think he stopped winning. He won 2 cups in his final year he just didn't win the league. I don't think you can overestimate the effect his personality had on that club. They haven't won a league since with the same squad after all, so clearly his methods had more than just a bit to do with it.
ReplyDeleteNo he didn't buy the best players in every position or he would have been signing the likes of Henry/Ronaldhino/Zidane/Figo/ et al. He signed very good players and helped them become even better ones. Bit different and don't dismiss the effect he had on the likes of Lampard, Terry, Cole, Gallas, Gudjohnsen who all found the best form of their careers under him. I don't think that was a coincidence or luck, but directly down to his influence on them.
ReplyDeleteThe denial over Mourinho is laughable. Excuses like 'he started with a better team' and blah blah blah are just lame. he is a top class manager, and anyone looking at things objectively can see that. If he'd alredy had 1000 games you'd probably be saying 'I want to see his o% after 1299 games'.
ReplyDeleteLet's take a look at Mourinho's entire career so far:
G W D L Win %
Benfica 11 6 3 2 55
Leiria 31 17 10 4 55
Porto 123 87 21 15 71
Chelsea 185 131 36 18 70
Internazionale 69 41 18 10 59
TOTALS 419 282 88 49 67
Stats DO tell the whole story. Money etc doesn't matter - when all is said and done, all that matters is result, and Mourinho has got those wherever he has gone.
That's true mate this doesn't reflect too well on the likes of Clough or Busby as they're being judged on 1000 odd games not 2 or 3 hundred.
ReplyDeleteWonder what Benitez and Mourinho's total career records are? Anyone know this?
I'd bet Jose's is still pretty good but Rafa before Valencia was basically sacked by his first 3 clubs. I guess that might lower his stats a little.
Fergie is still exceptional..comparing him to others with that number of games he's still well ahead. And Benitez is just 3% better than Keegan at Newcastle. It's not really head-turning stuff is it?
Scott, I can concede that all of Mor's purchases didn't pan out, but that can be said for everyone. However, I can't agree to your second assertion that the team became weaker. They made it to the CL final and nearly won. Moreover, they made it with a weaker manager.
ReplyDeleteSo, to say that it was a weaker team is a stretch.
True, but in today's immediate result culture, I don't think Fergie would last as well.
ReplyDeleteI'll be updating the post to include career totals in about 20 minutes. There are some interesting results ;)
ReplyDeleteExcellent stuff Jamie thanks! As i suspected Jose's stats hold up pretty well. They really are exceptional when compared to others so anyone who tries to argue that it's only money that has helped him should have a bit of a re-think. It clearly has to be a lot more than that. It amazes me some people still don't think he can manage Liverpool but i'd have no problem with him starting here asap lol
ReplyDeleteHis football style is no way as negative as Benitez. His Porto and Chelsea teams were decent to watch and certainly no worse or negative than any Benitez side. In fact he's shown a much more positive and aggressive approach. I doubt Benitez would have trusted Duff/Robben/Cole to be his wide midfielders. Not defensive enough.
ReplyDeleteHis vulgar manner? He's far more popular with his peers than Benitez..that's a fact. He has charisma..that tends to annoy people who don't have it..
There are a couple of things which call these statistics (at face value) into question. I'll concentrate on the two 'hot topics'. Both of them have some skewing for one very good reason. The competitiveness of the leagues are not assessed.
ReplyDeleteSend any of the top 10 managers to do 4/5 years in Scotland (or any other league dominated by two teams, like in Scotland) and see their win % soar. While I accept that MON is a good Manager I do not believe he is a world class manager.
Now the same can be levelled at the Portuguese league. MOR took on Porto when they were already winning the title year in year out so he quite obviously inherited a squad which would dominate an already weak league. With Chelsea it would be remiss of anyone to discount the obvious spending power they had. MOR deserves respect though for not going down the Man City route and just looking for superstars, instead he bought well at the £15 - £30m range. When you look at his recent win % it drops down to what is I believe his 'normal' win % (in a competitive league without the financial clout of RA) and still 'world class'.
Jaimie from your research can you re-assess and re-post the findings for win %'s in the top European Leagues of England, Spain and Italy only? I suspect MOR will still come out top but you will then be nearer to comparing 'apples with apples'.
...Is the correct answer. Bring us Mourinho! :)
ReplyDeletegood point. i think MON is a decent manager, but his stats are deffo boosted by a stint at celtic. if rafa had a few seasons at rangers or celtic his stats would be through the roof. don't think MON would have the ability to do much at liverpool.
ReplyDeleteI'm just looking at the players in the squad when Mourinho took over compared with the players when he left. The players were of a higher quality when he got the job and he added very little to that squad in terms of quality, despite all the money spend. Hopeless in the transfer market and that was with just three years. Even with another three years worth of buying and selling, I wonder just how many Sidwell/Ben Haims etc. he would have bought... and how many Robbens/Gudjohnens he would have sold.
ReplyDeleteIn Mourinho's first season as manager they finished top with 95 points. In Mourinho's last season as manager they finished 8 points behind United on the day the title was won, on 85 points. Pretty conclusive proof that the team was in fact worse. 10 points worse. And I mean real fact, not Rafa fact.
Porto were the second best team in Portugal by ONE POINT when he took over. Chelsea were the second best team in England and in the top four in Europe (CL semis) when he took over. Inter were Italian Champions.
ReplyDeleteHow is it lame to suggest that a manager who inherits a good team will have a better win % than a manager who inherits a crap team? I would say it's simple common sense.
If Chelsea were in the relegation zone when he got the job, would he have won 70% of his games? Of COURSE not. It's not rocket science.
"Money etc doesn't matter"
ReplyDeleteKind of reminds me why I don't visit this site much. Says it all, in one idiotic sentence.
Benitez has become a victim of his own success - you're ungrateful and don't deserve him.
I suspect that you, Jamie, have about as much credentials to comment on premiership management as some of the media cockroaches and ex managers like Souness - who all but ruined the club.
This site is as bad as the tabloids - still gives you a bit of attention doesn't it...ffs.
O-Neil stats are inaccurate as most of those games were at Celtic who don't player in the most demanding league in the world.
ReplyDeleteHilarious. No, they are not inaccurate. It might surprise you know that the relative strength of a league has nothing to do with factual stats like how many games were played/lost etc.
ReplyDelete