England’s national football team has never been that stacked before. Not only do they have incredibly talented players – but they also have quite a decent group of top-notch managers, too. However, we cannot compare the English coaches to the national team because the level of quality is incomparable.
In this article, we will cover the best English football managers now. Some might be struggling, but looking at their age, they might still pull it off, and we should not write them off. The coaches on the list will not have a rank because it is not fair to compare the managers who are not in the same league, competition, and career position.
Top English Managers Now – Michael Carrick
Michael Carrick is the current manager of Championship club Middlesbrough. As a player, he has built his career while playing for Manchester United. He spent 12 years in Manchester. M. Carrick played as a central midfielder, and his defensive and passing abilities were so good that many famous managers used him as an emergency centre-back – Alex Ferguson, Louis van Gaal, and José Mourinho.
His career path is promising because he almost took his team to the Carabao Cup semi-final. M. Carrick’s side won the first leg against Chelsea at home 1-0. However, everything ended not as expected or wanted. On the 23rd of January, two weeks later, since the first game between the two, the Boro could not find an answer and lost an opportunity to make it into the finals – they lost 6-1 on aggregate.
The biggest visible strengths are creativity, more attacking options, and possession. Everyone notices and understands that M. Carrick can become one of the best coaches in the world. He was extraordinarily exemplary on the pitch, but with his experience and IQ – he can be an even better coach. The most essential details about M. Carrick:
• Age – 42
• Preferred formation – 4-2-3-1
• Current team – Middlesbrough
• Contract – until 2025
• Experience – 274 games – as an assistant or as a manager.
Top English Managers Now – Will Still
Will Still is one of the youngest managers to coach a professional club. He was born in Belgium, Braine-l’Alleud. He has both Belgian and English citizenship. A 31-year-old always wanted to live a life connected with football. In 2014, the Englishman landed his first role in professional football. He became the Belgian’s side Sint-Truiden video analyst.
One year later, he received an outstanding opportunity and moved to one of the biggest clubs in Belgium – Standard Liege. Nevertheless, when the team’s director sacked the manager and his assistants, W. Still had to find another career station.
Will Still – What Happened Later?
After that, he worked in the Belgian city of Lier and coached an already-dissolved club – Lierse S.K. However, W. Still did not give up and encountered another opportunity in his native country. He joined Beerschot, where he was an assistant for more than two years.
He wondered until he received a chance to become an assistant manager for Stade Reims. After the club fired Óscar García – he was the only left option for the club. On the 13th of October 2022, W. Still earned himself his first real head coach contract. He is one of the prominent prospects in the managerial football world – not only on this list. The most important details about W. Still:
• Age – 31
• Preferred formation – 4-2-3-1
• Current team – Stade Reims
• Contract – until 2025
• Experience – 229 games – as an assistant or as a manager.
Top English Managers Now – Sean Dyche
Even though Sean Dyche is now a manager of Everton – many of us still remember him as the head coach of Burnley. He joined the Merseyside team on the 30th of January 2023. The experienced coach arrived with a trusted coaching staff – the same from his successful stretch at Burnley.
Since S. Dyche took over the spot, Everton has massively improved in many categories. One to note is the highest direct speed category. This measurement informs how fast a team gets the ball upfield – in the attack. Everton’s face changed not only offensively but also defensively.
• Abdoulaye Doucouré is one of the best-pressing players in the league.
• Everton is in the TOP 5 in the tackles category (543).
Everton is in the 16th position, and the relegation zone is close. Nevertheless, according to the odds, Everton will probably stay in the top-flight football division. The most crucial details about S. Dyche:
• Age – 52
• Preferred formation – 4-4-1-1
• Current team – Everton
• Contract – until 2025
• Experience – 625 games – as an assistant or as a manager.
Top English Managers Now – Gary O’Neil
Gary O’Neil is yet another new coach of this English football managers generation. He returned to the Premier League after a problematic period with Bournemouth. He is now in charge of Wolves, the club he joined last summer – on the 9th of August. The funny thing is that former coach Julen Lopetegui left his post three days before the start of the new season. We can state that G. O’Neil inherited a drained and dispirited squad whose next destination must have been relegation.
Nonetheless, with improved intensity and self-esteem – the 40-year-old has raised the quality to guarantee they can stay in a competitive Premier League. The Wanders are in the 10th position now, which means they can still reach that European spot. As in the previous year, the Wolves maintained counter-attacking capabilities and fast tempo rhythm, and it helped them slaughter some big teams:
• Spurs 1-2 Wolves
• Chelsea 2-4 Wolves
• Wolves 2-1 Chelsea
• Wolves 2-1 Spurs
• Wolves 2-1 Manchester City
The most noteworthy details about G. O’Neil:
• Age – 40
• Preferred formation – 4-2-3-1
• Current team – Wolves
• Contract – until 2026
• Experience – 162 games – as an assistant or as a manager.
Top English Managers Now – Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate is one of the top national team coaches in the world. He is the only manager from this list who coaches a national team. However, lately, there have been rumours that England is creating a plan B that consists of an idea to hire a foreign strategist, but it is not confirmed yet.
G. Southgate began his duty on the 28th of September 2016. The manager’s contract expires in December, but there is a possibility that G. Southgate can remain the coach of the Three Lions. There are speculations that everyone is happy with the latest results, but everything depends on the outcome of the European Championship. If he stays and operates until the next big football event, the 2026 World Cup, it would be a symbolic year as he would celebrate his decade-long anniversary. G. Southgate’s results with England:
• 4th place – FIFA World Cup 2018
• Runners-up – EURO 2020
• Quarter-final – FIFA World Cup 2022
Gareth Southgate – Own Approaches
His beliefs and methods sometimes generate misapprehension because he utilises players who do not execute well at the club level. For example, Jordan Henderson or Harry Maguire still play standard minutes despite not being in the best career stages. Nevertheless, he is one of the most suitable coaches to lead England national football to a long-awaited victory. The most indispensable facts about G. Southgate:
• Age – 53
• Preferred formation – 4-3-3
• Current team – England Men’s National Team
• Contract – until 2024
• Experience – 275 games – as an assistant or as a manager.
Top English Managers Now – Eddie Howe
Newcastle’s fairytale is about to finish, but Eddie Howe is still a manager to keep track of on your football radar. E. Howe needs to pick up the form because the coach seat is getting hotter with each. The media is already speculating about possible replacements, and one of the names to pop up is the Portuguese international – José Mourinho.
Regardless, Alan Shearer acknowledges that he deserves the chance to get back to winning ways. Newcastle United did an exceptional job last season to finish fourth in the Premier League, secure the Champions League spot, and fight in the Carabao Cup final game. The most significant aspect that led Newcastle to an expected success last season was a healthy team. This year, the situation was different.
• The team did not have a starting line-up goalkeeper Pope.
• Joelinton, Sven Botman, Callum Wilson and new addition Harvey Barnes had some injury problems.
• Star signing Sandro Tonali received a 10-month ban due to betting infractions.
E. Howe remains the top-tier manager and can still things turn around. Even if they will not finish in the top places this year – the sky is the limit for this team. Main info about E. Howe:
• Age – 46
• Preferred formation – 4-3-3
• Current team – Newcastle
• Contract – (-)
• Experience – 658 games – as an assistant or as a manager.