Top 5 underrated managers in Europe

Managers are judged harshly by the media and the fans. In the modern game, if a team is doing well, the managers don't get all the plaudits but if the form dips, it's suddenly the manager's fault.

Quite often, managers are not given due recognition for their talents and are undermined by other mitigating factors like the lack of investment or a lower league profile.

Many good managers go almost unnoticed until the end of their careers. There are some who are given a lot of vocal support by younger managers and players, like Marco Biesla- who whilst being an excellent manager hasn't received enough plaudits for inspiring a generation of upcoming managers.

In this list, we take a look at some of Europe's most under-rated managers who are either being written off or have very little appreciation for their efforts.

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#5 Asier Garitano

Garitano worked at a variety of clubs in the lower leagues in Spain. The very fact that most readers will have no clue who Garitano is and what club he manages will tell how far under the radar the man has gone.

Garitano was appointed Leganes CD manager in 2013 when the club were in the third tier of Spanish football. He achieved promotion the same season and after one season of consolidation, hoisted Leganes CD into the Spanish Primera Liga or La Liga for the first time in the club's history.

Garitano was celebrated locally for this achievement and it seemed the farthest the club could go. After an impressive away victory at Celta Vigo, Leganes failed to kick on and many deemed them as relegation candidates.

But Garitano's side held firm and began picking up scores of draws and played with a tight defensive unit. Despite their inferior technical skills Leganes were not easy to beat and conceded only 55 goals and finished 11th in the league, impressive for a side that many considered not good enough.

Garitano has tweaked the strategy and has managed to find a few more goals this season as Leganes sit comfortably in 9th place, just three points behind the European places.

The Spaniard is slowly cementing his side in the top flight and definitely needs more recognition. If he continues his good work, a move to a bigger club won't be far off.

#4 Leonardo Jardim

The current Ligue 1 Champion Leonardo Jardim

Despite all that Jardim has achieved already, the Portuguese coach still doesn't get enough credit. His reputation does not even come close to his achievements. By dethroning PSG last season, his Monaco side finally injected some excitement to Ligue 1 which had been reduced to a fight for the 2nd and 3rd spot in order to qualify for the Champions League.

Monaco were taken over by Russian Billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev in 2011 and the club immediately stated their ambitions to be on top of Ligue 1 and made a few big money signings but Rybolovlev switched tracks the next season and reigned in spending and appointed Jardim to replace Ranieri who had led Monaco to the second spot.

Monaco finished third two seasons in a row under him before Jardim's young attacking side caught the imagination in Europe with a Champions League semi-final appearance apart from finally beating PSG to the League, earning Jardim the Ligue 1 Manager of the Year.

Despite his brilliant record, Jardim is not yet seen as an elite level coach but that is changing slowly as his Monaco side continue to impress in the domestic and European Competitions consistently.

#3 Marcelino

Marcelino during his Villareal spell

A former Spain U-21 international, Marcelino made a go of his playing career in the midfield for four different clubs over nine years making a combined 203 appearances all in Spain between 1985 to 1994.

Marcelino managed a host of clubs in the Spanish second and third divisions achieving success and promotions as his name in the Spanish football system became bigger. His most notable spells were at Racing Santander and Zaragoza.

Marcelino's success rate in achieving promotion meant that he was one of the best-paid managers in Spain but the big clubs did not come calling till he was given a shot with Sevilla, with whom he had a disastrous season.

In 2013 he joined the then relegated Villarreal side and turned around their fortunes in three seasons. Villarreal finished in the European places in all three seasons under him in the La Liga, an impeccable achievement for a side that had been relegated the season he took over.

He was surprisingly sacked just before the 2016 season began and after a year on holiday, he joined Valencia. So far Marcelino has turned Valencia's fortunes around, with the club in second place and looking no signs of slowing down.

#2 Ralph Hasenhuttl

The "Evil's" own- Leipzig Manager Ralph Hasenhuttl

The RB Leipzig boss has been shrouded by the club he works for. The brand that Leipzig represent- that of corporate ownership in Football is despised in Germany. The only people positive about the club are neutral observers in other countries and the fans.

Leipzig follow a youth-focused model and their attention to giving young talent a real go has paid off as they challenged for the title in their first top-flight season last year. Hasenhuttl is seen as a cog in the Leipzig wheel, a man who is working for the devil literally and is frankly not given much prominence in comparison to other coaches who have done remarkably well with their sides- like a Julian Narglesmann or even new Dortmund coach Peter Bosz.

But Hasenhuttl is far from a cog in the evil RB's wheel. The former Austrian International was once the boss of one the most respectable sides in Germany at Ingolstadt 04. He had earlier earned promotion with VfR Alen from the 3.Liga to the 2.Bundesliga before taking over strugglers FC Ingolstadt mid-season in 2013.

He led them to tenth before finishing second the next season and earning Ingolstadt's first Bundesliga appearance in their history. Once again, the side was expected to struggle but Hasenhuttl ensured that the club finished comfortably in 11th place earning him a lot of respect in the German media before he left the side at the end of the season and joining Leipzig, where he has done very well so far.

There is no doubt that the Austrian needs to be recognised more for his abilities.

#1 Lucien Favre

VfL Borussia Monchengladbach favourite Lucien Favre

The OGC Nice boss is known to play a hugely dynamic pressing game at Nice. He has impressed critics with his ability to handle big egos and difficult personalities- case in point Mario Balotelli, who has fit into Nice like never before at any other club.

Favre is also quite experienced and has been around the management scene for a long time, beginning his managerial career in his native Switzerland. A former Swiss International, Favre won two Swiss Cups with FC Zurich and also won the Manager of the Year in the Swiss Super League two years running.

Making the leap into the Bundesliga, Favre had a spell at Hertha Berlin in 2007. But his most significant spell was at Monchengladbach where he took over a side in the doldrums for years. Gladbach had been a relatively successful club but had fallen by the wayside and Favre improved the side at Borussia Park with a structured counter-attacking brand of football making them Champions League regulars.

Favre resigned after losing the opening five games of Gladbach's 2015/16 season and went on to join Nice replacing Claude Puel. His OGC Nice side have won universal acclaim ever since.