Football
10 Most Successful Managers in English Football History
Ranking the Managers with the Most English Top-Flight League Titles
Sir Alex Ferguson//Getty Images
Is there anything more desired by those involved in English football than the Premier League (formerly First Division) title? Legendary manager and top-flight winner Brian Clough once described the top-division league title as “the one you have to have every single aspect of football management to win”.
Many managers have attempted to land the most coveted prize in English football, but ultimately, few have succeeded. Those who have guided their teams to top-flight success are a rare breed.
In this article, we’re going to be celebrating the most decorated managers to ever grace the top division of the English game, looking at what they achieved and how they did so.
The Pantheon of Title Winners: Most English League Championships Won
Since the dawn of England’s top division, back in the late 1800s, we’ve seen quite a few different managerial types succeed, from those who played a pragmatic, defensive approach, to those deploying a more free-flowing flamboyant style. Based on the number of titles won, a select few of those to have won the top English league as a manager stand alone.
Winning England’s top league prize is hard enough, but to win it multiple times is even harder. See below for the 10 managers who’ve won more titles than anyone else.
The Pantheon of Title Winners
| Manager Rank | Titles Won | |
| 1st | Alex Ferguson | 13 |
| 2nd | Bob Paisley | 6 |
| 2nd | George Ramsay | 6 |
| 2nd | Pep Guardiola | 6 |
| 5th | Tom Watson | 5 |
| 5th | Matt Busby | 5 |
| 7th | Frank Watt* | 4 |
| 7th | Herbert Chapman | 4 |
| 7th | Kenny Dalglish | 4 |
| 10th | Stan Culis | 3 |
| 10th | Bill Shankly | 3 |
Alex Ferguson
Held by many as the greatest manager ever to do it on English shores, Alex Ferguson currently stands as the most successful top-flight manager in terms of league titles, winning no fewer than 13.
Only ever taking charge of one club in the English top division, Ferguson, following a successful managerial spell with Aberdeen, turned up at Old Trafford in 1986, though his impact wasn’t immediate, and it would take a little while before the Scotsman would position very highly in the history of English football managers.
During the late 1980s, Ferguson set about laying the groundwork at Manchester United, before building on what turned out to be quite solid foundations in the early 1990s. Under Ferguson, United’s first league success came during the 1992-93 season, when the Red Devils were crowned champions for the first time in 26 years. More success would soon follow, with Ferguson scooping four more league titles before the end of the 1990s.
The following decade also proved to be fruitful for the manager who is easily the most decorated in English football history, with Man United winning the Premier League in 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008 and 2009.
Ferguson added two more league title trophies to his cabinet before calling time on a glittering career when his team were once again crowned as the top-flight champions at the end of the 2012-13 season.
Known for not just his ability to put together title-winning teams, Ferguson gained a reputation as a manager capable of getting the very best out of players considered as being nowhere near the most gifted in the game, while he also had an eye for spotting future superstars early on in their development, with many players who were first given their big-stage chance by Ferguson going on to be global stars of the game, such as David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo.
If we’re going by the number of titles won alone, then nobody even gets close to Alex Ferguson, who for many, especially Manchester United fans, will always be the best manager to ever grace the English game.
The Six-Title Club
If Alex Ferguson stands alone, then there’s a little group of managers just below in the pecking order. A trio of multiple winners.
George Ramsey
The first of the three members currently in the six-title club is George Ramsay, who rose to a position of footballing prominence during the early years of the game. The Scotsman, who was first a player, only ever managed one club. Having played for Aston Villa for the entirety of his six-year playing career, Ramsay went on to manage the Birmingham club for a staggering 42 years, during which he won six league titles, the first of which was secured in 1894, eight years after the former forward took charge.
By 1897, Villa had secured two more league titles under Ramsay, with two more being added by the turn of the century. It would be a decade before the men from Villa Park ruled the English game again, but when they did, Ramsay was still the man to mastermind the success.
In addition to being one of the most successful managers in English top-flight history, George Ramsey is widely regarded as a pioneer of passing football. His Aston Villa side became known for their short, quick pass-and-move style, which played a key role in the club's dominance during the late 19th century.
Pep Guardiola
Joining George Ramsay in the six-title is a manager who needs no introduction to modern-fay football fans. Dominating the Premier League with his Manchester City team in recent times, Pep Guardiola is easily one of the most successful managers to earn his living in the English game, while he’s also considered one of the greatest managers on the wider stage, winning numerous titles with European giants Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
Having made his managerial name by leading Barcelona to major trophy success, winning three LaLiga titles, two Copa del Rey trophies, as well as winning the UEFA Champions League (formerly European Cup) twice, Guardiola took the Premier League plunge in 2016 following three successive Bundesliga title wins with Bayern Munich.
Right from the word go, Guardiola brought his suave passing game and ultra tactical approach to the Premier League, turning the Citizens into a well-oiled title-winning machine, securing his first league success in 2018, before following up with more league titles in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Bob Paisley
Another member of the six-title club, Bob Paisley, who had previously been a long-time Liverpool player, dominated the English top division during the mid-to-late 1970s, winning his first league title as manager of the Merseyside club back in 1976, before adding another title the following year.
Paisley’s Liverpool were very much the team to beat during the late 70s and early 80s, with the Reds winning the league in 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983, while it was Paisley, building on the great work done by Bill Shankly before him, who helped pave the way for further Liverpool success, with the club winning many more titles during the following years.
Of those in the six-title club, Bob Paisley is particularly unique. Why? Well, Paisley is one of the very, very few people to have won the top-flight title in England as both a player and a manager.
Foundational Figures
There are a few foundational figures of the English game, managers whose early success inspired those of late generations.
Matt Busby
Many of the relatively recent top-flight winning managers have stood on the shoulders of the early giants, one of which was Matt Busby, who some years after Ernest Mangnall brought the First Division title to Old Trafford, rebuilt Manchester United and turned them into serial winners, securing five league titles between 1952 and 1967.
Following the last of his five league successes with Man United in 1967, Busby, who is thought of as the first “tracksuit manager” and who is also one of Man United’s most popular first division winning managers, would enjoy one last dance on the continent, with his team going all the way to European Cup glory in 1968.
Tom Watson
Before Matt Busby, many years before in fact, came Tom Watson, who along with George Ramsay is considered as an early managerial pioneer, winning five league titles, with two different clubs.
Having played locally during the very early days of the game, Tom Watson became the manager of Sunderland in 1888, before winning what is now the Premier League in 1891. Watson and Sunderland retained their title in 1892, before once again reigning supreme in 1895.
The success of Sunderland meant Watson had established himself as a key figure in the game, and after three league wins with the Black Cats, the Newcastle native took charge of Liverpool in 1896. In 1901, Watson became the first man to lead the Reds to a league title, before claiming a second in 1906.
Herbert Chapman
A promising player during the early years of the game, Herbert Chapman took to the field for more than two decades, representing clubs such as Sheffield United, Notts County, Grimsby Town and Tottenham Hotspur. Unfortunately, as a player, major success eluded Chapman, but that all changes when the Yorkshireman hung up his boots.
After managerial spells at both Northampton Town and Leeds United, Chapman really began to make his mark from the dugout as Huddersfield Town boss. Having taking charge of the Yorkshire club in 1921, Chapman masterminded league-title success in both 1923 and 1924, before taking over Arsenal, where he continued to turn promising teams into title challengers, winning the league in both 1931 and 1933.
Chapman’s legacy includes revolutionising Arsenal as a club by drastically improving training methods and introducing things such as physiotherapy. Clearly, we’re talking about one of the top English football managers of all time.
Modern Era Icons
Many of the best managers the game has seen have long since had their time in the sun, but we shouldn’t overlook the fact that some of the modern-era managers have done great things too.
Arsene Wenger
It would be wrong to talk about modern era icons, without going over the fantastic achievements of former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who served as the Gunners boss for 22 years.
Wenger came to the Premier League off the back of a brief stint in Japan, which followed by winning both the French league and cup with AS Monaco.
Very quickly, the Frenchman established his ideas, building an Arsenal side that became known for its stylish passing game and all-round attractive football, which brought league success in 1998, followed by further league wins in 2002 and 2004, making him one of the most successful football managers in England.
During his time at Arsenal, Wenger earned a reputation for uncovering hidden gems. In other words, he signed relatively unknown young quantities that often turned out to be world class players, such as Cesc Fabregas.
Jose Mourinho
Bursting onto the scene as a young, exuberant and big-talking manager, who famously sprinted down the Old Trafford touchline as his FC Porto team knocked Manchester United out of the 2003-2004 renewal of the UEFA Champions League, Jose Mourinho is every inch a modern era icon.
Known for his straight-talking and arrogant approach, Mourinho has certainly delivered the goods over the years, whilst at the same time providing lots of entertainment.
Mourinho cut his managerial teeth by coaching under some top managers, such as Bobby Robson, before making it on his own, first in his native Portugal with FC Porto, before domestic and continental success brought him to the Premier League, where he took over Chelsea at the beginning of the 2004-2005 campaign.
It didn’t take the “Special One” long to succeed in England either, with his team quickly becoming known for its ability to frustrate teams and grind out results, even in the biggest games. Mourinho won back-to-back Premier League titles with Chelsea in his first two seasons in charge, before departing the club in 2007, before joining Inter Milan, where he would win many more trophies, including the UEFA Champions League.
Mourinho returned to Stamford Bridge briefly in 2013, following a successful spell at Real Madrid, adding a third Premier League title to his haul in 2015.
Kenny Dalglish
A man synonymous with footballing success, Kenny Dalglish is easily one of the most successful managers of not just the modern era, but of all time.
The Scotsman was not only a superb leader in the dugout, but also a top-tier player, who enjoyed a hugely successful career with both Celtic and Liverpool, winning everything there is to win at club level.
Unlike manager players, Dalglish didn’t wait until he retired as a player to go into management, with the natural leader stepping in as player-manager at Liverpool in 1985, a position he held for several seasons, winning the league in 1986 and 1988, before winning it for a third time in 1990 having hung up his boots by then.
Dalglish’s finest managerial hour was still to come, though. After leaving Liverpool, ahead of the 1991/92 season, the three-time top-flight winning manager made a little bit of a rogue move and joined Blackburn Rovers, who were in the second division. Rovers had recently received a chunky cash injection from new owner Jack Walker, and with a proven winner in the hot seat, Walker had eyes on top-division glory, which was duly delivered in 1995, making the Liverpool legend a four-time league winner.
Like Paisley when it comes to the six-title club, Kenny Dalglish is unique amongst the modern-era icons in the sense that he has won England’s top league title as both a player and a manager. Dalglish also has his very own place in English football history as the only man to ever be with the league on multiple occasions as both a player and a manager. Now that’s some achievement.
Conclusion
Each manager featured in this list deserves a special place in history. Many of them laid the groundwork for what is happening at the forefront of English football today.
The life of Alex Ferguson, whose achievements in terms of league titles will likely go unmatched for decades, and the other elite managers above are a rare breed, there’s no doubting that.
As the sometimes underrated yet still legendary Brian Clough, who won two top-flight titles with Derby County and Nottingham Forest, rightly suggested, you need every aspect of football management to win the first division title. There’s no winging it, there are no flukes, not when it comes to top-flight league titles. In other words, winning the league title, now commonly referred to as the Premier League title, is an outstanding achievement. Winning it multiple times, as those featured in this article have, is truly the mark of managerial greatness.
Having written for a wide variety of websites and publications, including popular UK betting newspaper The Racing & Football Outlook, Bradley has produced a wealth of sports betting articles, covering topics such as betting guides, value betting tips, match previews, match reports, stats and analysis pieces and news. Bradley is also passionate about creative writing, and he also enjoys travelling and working in different places, becoming a digital nomad in early 2024.