Best England managers - ranked
- England have had 15 permanent men's managers in their history
- Gareth Southgate became the third manager to bring up 100 games in charge of Three Lions
- Legends such as Sir Alf Ramsey and Sir Bobby Robson enjoyed iconic spells in charge
By Max Cooper
The poisoned chalice. The impossible job. The unclimbable mountain. The England manager's role has been nicknamed many things, but 'cushty long-term project' is not one of them.
For every manager, however, the chance to lead the Three Lions in a major tournament on the global stage and achieve the glory so many have failed to throughout history simply cannot be turned down.
Such is the nature of the job, rarely does the same manager stick around for too long, but who has achieved the most success in the England dugout? Here, 90min ranks every permanent coach the Three Lions have employed.
15. Sam Allardyce
Tenure: 2016
Games: 1
Win percentage: 100%
Say what you want about Sam Allardyce, but the man can tell his mates he has a 100% win record as England manager. He'll probably leave out the bit about losing his job in scandal, mind.
You and your big, big mouth, Sam. You could have had it all.
14. Steve McClaren
Tenure: 2006-2007
Games: 18
Win percentage: 50%
Steve McClaren served the second shortest amount of time as England boss and, let's face it, it was pretty miserable.
The Three Lions failed to qualify for Euro 2008 and that was a sackable offence for the boss.
13. Kevin Keegan
Tenure: 1999-2000
Games: 18
Win percentage: 39%
No one could ever accuse Kevin Keegan of not caring, that's for sure. He wore his heart on his sleeve as England manager, but he couldn't hide his anguish when the going got tough.
He famously resigned in his post-match interview after a 1-0 defeat to Germany. Poor Keggy.
12. Glenn Hoddle
Tenure: 1996-1999
Games: 28
Win percentage: 61%
Glenn Hoddle suffered the heartache of a penalty shootout defeat at the 1998 World Cup but earned much less sympathy for his discarding of icon Paul Gascoigne and handling of David Beckham.
Off the pitch controversies soon brought an end to his time at the helm.
11. Roy Hodgson
Tenure: 2012-2016
Games: 56
Win percentage: 59%
Ah, Roy the boy. Hodgson is such a nice guy and everyone wanted it to work out for the gent. Unfortunately, it didn't. His England team were pretty uninspiring at Euro 2012, worse at the 2014 World Cup and disastrous at Euro 2016.
The 2-1 defeat to Iceland will go down as one of - if not the worst - moment in the Three Lions' existence and Hodgson was sadly front and centre of that catastrophe.
10. Fabio Capello
Tenure: 2008-2012
Games: 42
Win percentage: 67%
We're not saying Fabio Capello was the strictest control freak in England's history, but he banned tomato ketchup from his training camps and tried to stop Ben Foster attending the birth of one of his children.
On the pitch, England were as dull as dishwater, culminating in one of the most boring World Cup games ever during a goalless draw with Algeria and a humiliating exit at the hands of Germany in his only major tournament.
9. Don Revie
Tenure: 1974-1977
Games: 29
Win percentage: 48%
Leeds United legend Don Revie left the Whites to become England boss in a move which eventually suited no one.
Leeds suffered without their talismanic leader and Revie couldn't get the Three Lions to buy into his methods like the lads at Elland Road. Failure to qualify for the 1978 World Cup was his legacy.
8. Graham Taylor
Tenure: 1990-1993
Games: 38
Win percentage: 47%
One of the sour notes in England's history is undoubtedly the media treatment of Graham Taylor as the national team coach.
He tried to bring some attractive football to the international scene, but it never really got off the ground.
7. Ron Greenwood
Tenure: 1977-1982
Games: 55
Win percentage: 60%
Ron Greenwood guided England to their first World Cup in 12 years back in 1982 and handed the first ever cap to a black player in the nation's history, Viv Anderson.
It was a groundbreaking moment in the world of football and an important step forward for society.
6. Sven Goran-Eriksson
Tenure: 2001-2006
Games: 67
Win percentage: 60%
This was a bit of a failure really, wasn't it? Sven Goran-Eriksson had all the tools and the greatest crop of players imaginable to win a trophy, but couldn't get past a quarter-final.
He suffered some bad luck with penalty heartbreak, injuries or red cards along the way, but it remains a missed opportunity in the history books.
5. Terry Venables
Tenure: 1994-1996
Games: 23
Win percentage: 48%
Ah, Euro 96. So close and yet so far.
A rousing chorus of God Save the Queen was almost rounded off by Paul Gascoigne grabbing the winner in the semi-final but he couldn't stretch long enough and England eventually lost to Germany on penalties.
Venables moved on and later ran a boutique hotel in Spain. El Tel.
4. Walter Winterbottom
Tenure: 1946-1962
Games: 139
Win percentage: 56%
Sir Walter Winterbottom sat on the throne for 16 years and was England's first ever manager. He led the Three Lions to four World Cups from 1950 to 1962, but struggled on the big stage.
Still, he's a trailblazer in his own right and a man we must thank for his contribution to the sport.
3. Sir Bobby Robson
Tenure: 1982-1990
Games: 95
Win percentage: 50%
Sir Bobby Robson was a legend of the game and one of the best men in the sport. He came as close as any manager ever has to reaching a World Cup final, but once again, penalties were England's undoing.
The emotions were immense at the time, but those who witnessed Italia 90 can just about look back on that tournament with a wry smile. What might have been.
2. Gareth Southgate
Tenure: 2016-2024
Games: 102
Win percentage: 59.8%
Southgate became just the third manager to bring up a century of games in charge of the Three Lions, doing so during the latter stages of Euro 2024.
The likeable ambassador inherited a woeful situation but quickly restored the nation's belief in the national team. He had a mightily gifted squad at his disposal, but he cultivated a team spirit unlike anything we've seen in modern times.
Southgate was never the most tactically outstanding, but he appreciated balance and his tournament know-how helped England to a pair of European Championship finals and a World Cup semi-final.
He didn't have what it took to get the Three Lions over the line, but Southgate's reign will be cherished.
1. Sir Alf Ramsey
Tenure: 1963-1974
Games: 113
Win percentage: 61%
There is nothing left to say about Sir Alf Ramsey. The man guided England to their first and only World Cup success and it remains the only major trophy in their cabinet.
Those achievements only grow in stature with each passing failure. Thank you, Alf.
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