Football

Top 5 Arsenal managers of all time

Arsenal have been in the top tier of English football since 1919 and they’ve had a number of managers over the years. Here we bring you a countdown of their top five.

  1. Tom Whittaker

Whittaker was a former Arsenal player, making 64 appearances for the Gunners between 1919 and 1925 before injury forced him into retirement. He joined the backroom staff as a physio under Herbert Chapman in 1927 before taking over the reins from Chapman’s successor, George Allison in 1947. He won two league titles, but success became harder to come by and he struggled to attract top stars to the club, including Stanley Matthews.

Trophies:             First Division (1947/48, 1952/53), FA Cup 1949/50

Games Managed:            429

Time in Charge:                1947-1956

Memorable Achievement:          Winning the league in his first season in charge.


 

  1. Bertie Mee

Mee originally joined Arsenal as a physio in 1960, but found himself in the managerial role just six years later. He asked for a get-out clause to return to his physiotherapist’s role if it didn’t work out and he recruited Dave Sexton and Don Howe as assistants to make up for tactical shortcomings. He reached two League Cup finals in 1968 and 1969 with a talented crop of youngsters, but lost both of them, before guiding Arsenal to their first European trophy and first of any kind in 17 years by beating Anderlecht in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1970. He became the first Arsenal manager to win a League and Cup double when they won on the last day of the season, away at White Hart Lane.

Trophies:             First Division 1970/71, FA Cup 1971, Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 1970

Games Managed:            540

Time in Charge:                1966-1976

Memorable Achievement:          Guided Arsenal to their first double win in 1971.


 

  1. George Graham

A former Arsenal player, Graham returned to North London as manager in 1986 following three years in charge of Millwall. He turned Arsenal into one of the dominant teams of the late 1980s and 1990s and was renowned for building a team with a strong defence. Tony Adams debuted under him, whilst Graham also bought David Seaman to the club. Ian Wright also arrived during his tenure and went on to become Arsenal’s record goalscorer.

Trophies:             First Division (1988/89, 1990/91), League Cup (1986/87, 1992/93), Charity Shield 1991, FA Cup 1992/93, UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup 1994

Games Managed:            460

Time in Charge:                1986-1995

Memorable Achievement:          Beating Liverpool 2-0 on the final day of the season and winning the league in 1990/91.


 

  1. Herbert Chapman

Arsene Wenger is considered as revolutionary, but Herbert Chapman paved the way for Arsenal to have the history that it has. He introduced new tactics and training methods into the English game, championed floodlighting, introducing European competitions and even numbered shirts. He was also responsible for the red and white Arsenal shirt and the introduction of an underground station stop bearing the club’s name. On the pitch, he managed the club to two league titles and an FA Cup, before dying of pneumonia in 1934, aged just 55.

Trophies:             First Division (1930/31, 1932/33) FA Cup 1929/30

Games Managed:            403

Time in Charge:                1925-1936

Memorable Achievement:          Revolutionising the English game and introducing Arsenal’s traditional shirt colours.

A photo posted by Dan Chapman (@danmanofchap) on


 

  1. Arsene Wenger

Arsenal’s current manager is their most successful of all time, winning three league titles and a record number of FA Cups. When he arrived in 1996, he was largely unknown by both the public and the players, but he proved innovative, with new techniques relating to sport science and nutrition. Success followed on the pitch, winning a league and cup double in his first season. He played an instrumental role in the move away from Highbury to the Emirates. Now 20 years into the job, he’s seen as a revolutionary icon to English football.

Trophies:             Premier League (1997/98, 2001/02, 2003/04), FA Cup (1997/98, 2001/02, 2002/03, 2004/05, 2013/14, 2014/15), Community Shield (1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2014, 2015)

Games Managed:

Time in Charge:                1996-Present

Memorable Achievement:          Guiding Arsenal to an unbeaten league season in 2003/04. The team became known as the “Invincibles”.

A photo posted by samuel bubii (@samuelbubii) on

Words by @dominictrant