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Football managers need to create and organize tactics that their players can work with. They often need to be great at communication and leadership as well. Managing a team doesn't just focus on tactical prowess. Building a relationship with the players and being a people person can be the difference between one point and three points.
Football management isn't a cup of tea and former Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce has faced it recently. He was sacked by the Magpies recently after an abysmal run of results in the Premier League. The Manchester United legend couldn't have put it better when he said after his sacking:
"I thought I could handle everything thrown at me but it has been very, very tough. To never really be wanted, to feel that people wanted me to fail, to read people constantly saying I would fail, that I was useless, a fat waste of space, a stupid, tactically inept cabbage head or whatever. And it was from day one."
Working with the resources at your disposal and getting the most out of your players is the rough route that every manager has to pass.
While it's a grueling affair for many, some managers have figured out the path to greatness. They are adept at their jobs, especially improving players within their squad. So let's take a look at ten players who dramatically improved on the pitch after a managerial change:
#10 Marcus Rashford | Ole Gunnar Solskjaer | Manchester United
The youngster began his career with Manchester United's academy, blossoming into a first-team player under Louis van Gaal's management. He enjoyed a great presence in the starting lineup with manager Jose Mourinho in charge at Old Trafford. However, Marcus Rashford flourished brilliantly under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The 24-year-old has scored 81 goals for the Red Devils since he joined the first team, and 55 came during Solskjaer's tenure. Although Rashford was inclined to lead the frontline, Solskjaer plopped him on the left-wing instead and was rewarded with goals.
The England international may have struggled with injuries in recent seasons, but his presence for Solskjaer was undeniable.
#9 Federico Valverde | Zinedine Zidane | Real Madrid
Zinedine Zidane was linked with signing Paul Pogba to the Santiago Bernabeu in 2019 but that didn't happen. Hence, the star manager was forced to manage the limited options he had in midfield. Zidane then turned to Federico Valverede, and soon enough the youngster became a starting regular, as well as Madrid's newest star.
His emergence into the first-team took Madridistas by surprise. However, they were excited to have the former Castilla star play so fluently at the Santiago Bernabeu. While he enjoyed first-opportunities under managers Julen Lopetegui and Santiago Solari, they were mostly as an afterthought. Under Zidane's management, Fede Valverde flourished, providing Los Galacticos' midfield with renewed vigor and dynamism.
#8 Paul Pogba | Ole Gunnar Solskjaer | Manchester United
Jose Mourinho brought the midfield maestro from Juventus to Old Trafford for an astonishing fee at the time of £89.3 million. But the star seemingly became a different player under Solskjaer.
With Solskjaer's emergence as Manchester United's manager, Pogba quickly became the heart of the midfield. He churned out a total of 16 goals in the 2018-19 season.
The last two seasons have seen the star struggle to score as many. But Solskjaer's tactics have allowed Pogba the creative freedom to express himself on the field.
#7 Alphonso Davies | Hansi Flick | Bayern Munich
One season, the Canadian teenager was plying his trade in the MLS. The next season (2018-19), he was sitting on the bench for Bayern Munich's second team. It was manager Niko Kovac who handed Alphonso Davies his first few appearances for the first team. But Hansi Flick provided the youngster with a slot in the starting lineup.
Under Flick's first season, Davies played an astonishing 43 games for Die Roten, a dramatic rise from the six appearances he made in the prior season. Flick happily pushed David Alaba into the centre-back slot, handing over the left-back reins to Alphonso Davies.
The star bombarded down the flank for Die Roten. He played his part in handing Bayern Munich yet another Champions League trophy.
#6 Roberto Firmino | Jurgen Klopp | Liverpool
When Firmino joined Liverpool in 2015 from Hoffenheim, he struggled to play alongside Christian Benteke or any other striker. Jurgen Klopp then took the risk of playing the star as the lone false-nine striker up front, and it paid off massively. The Brazilian began scoring goals at will, setting the bar for Klopp's forwards at the club.
Now attached to world-class goalscorers like Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino has enjoyed his presence as a false-nine. While his counterparts have scored much more than he has, the Brazilian is key to Liverpool's possession-recycling style of play.
His numbers - 93 goals in 303 games for Liverpool - may not be among the best in the world. But Klopp has built an engine with Firmino as the all-important key.
#5 Joshua Kimmich | Pep Guardiola | Bayern Munich
The current Bayern Munich star will always have words of praise for Pep Guardiola's tactical genius and communication skills. While Kimmich started off as an understudy to legendary right-back Phillip Lahm, the star has evolved into a complete player, thanks to Guardiola.
The Catalan manager pushed young Kimmich to try his hand at differing positions. He turned him into a versatile playmaker from nearly any position in the first and middle third.
Stunning the Bundesliga, Kimmich actively took on the centre-back role successfully. Often, while using his vision to recycle possession, he guided the midfield.
The star also played as a defensive midfielder, a central midfielder, a right-back and even an attacking midfielder under Guardiola's command. Today, there is hardly a more versatile player than Joshua Kimmich.
#4 David Alaba | Pep Guardiola | Bayern Munich
David Alaba had been transformed from a decisive midfielder to a marauding left-back by Louis van Gaal. However, his versatility entered new heights under Guardiola. While many of Die Roten's defenders were struggling with fitness at the time, the legendary manager transformed Alaba into a centre-back as well.
It didn't take long for the star to connect expeditiously in his new position, essentially becoming a skilled passer from the back. Today, like Kimmich, David Alaba can play in nearly every position in the first and middle third.
The chameleon now plays for Real Madrid, where he's picked up Sergio Ramos' spot in the center of the defense.
#3 Raheem Sterling | Pep Guardiola | Manchester City
The former Liverpool star joined Manchester City with all the pace in the world. But he lacked decisiveness and brilliance in the final third where everything mattered. Under Manuel Pellegrini, Raheem Sterling had all the makings of a traditional winger. He was adept with dribbling and running, rough with finishing.
Then came Pep Guardiola, who took the star through the crucible, refining him into a superstar title-winner with the world at his feet.
His underwhelming debut season at the Etihad gave way to a brilliant sophomore season under Guardiola's guidance. Then Raheem Sterling began blasting goals in. He learned how to cut in, how to wait for the incisive pass, and how to burst through with the ability to score goals.
Now with nine trophies under his belt, Sterling remains under Guardiola's legendary tutelage at Manchester City.
#2 Jorginho | Thomas Tuchel | Chelsea
Since joining Chelsea in 2018 from Napoli to guide the Blues through "Sarri-ball," the Italian international has played under two managers in recent times. Jorginho stayed back at Stamford Bridge when Maurizio Sarri left.
The star then became a leader on the pitch for Frank Lampard's youngsters. However, his true colors shone in gleaming displays after Thomas Tuchel joined the club and made Jorginho the solution.
Although the star is slower than most players, his skills in anticipation and his ability to connect the defense to the attack has been above par. Jorginho's pivotal presence in Chelsea's midfield has been key to Tuchel's style of play.
It's no surprise that the deep-lying playmaker entered the Ballon d'Or list in 2021. He guided Chelsea to the Champions League title and Italy to the Euros this year.
#1 Lionel Messi | Pep Guardiola | Barcelona
There arguably isn't a better player than Lionel Messi. The star can notably trace the beginning of his world-class skills to Pep Guardiola's tutelage. Messi already had the makings of a wonderkid even before Guardiola joined Barcelona as manager. But the way the legendary manager played Messi changed everything.
The Argentine maestro was utilized as a right-wing forward who cut in decisively and scored brilliant goals. However, when Guardiola came on board, he placed Messi in the center instead, playing the youngster as a false nine.
It worked wonders as the star went on to become one of the most potent goalscorers in that position. He won multiple Ballon d'Ors along the way.
