5 most tactically astute managers in football right now (2021)

#3 Roberto Mancini (Italy)

Italy Training Session and Press Conference

Roberto Mancini took over as manager of the Italian national football team in 2018 and has since turned their fortunes around. Italy were crowned the champions of Europe this past summer and they're currently undefeated in their last 37 games.

Mancini has managed Fiorentina, Lazio, Manchester City, Inter Milan, Galatasaray and Zenit St. Petersburg. He has won trophies at all clubs except for Zenit St. Petersburg and that is a testament to the tactical mastermind that he is.

For the Italian national side, Mancini has developed a version of the 4-3-3 formation. This allows him to play possession-based offensive-minded football. At the same time, Mancini wants his teams to be solid defensively and is usually categorized as a 'pragmatic' coach rather than an adventurous one.

#2 Thomas Tuchel (Chelsea)

Chelsea FC v Zenit St. Petersburg: Group H - UEFA Champions League

Towards the end of Frank Lampard's tenure at Chelsea, the team looked pretty ordinary on the pitch. But after taking over in the last week of January, Thomas Tuchel immediately transformed Chelsea into the most defensively solid side in Europe.

His effect was so profound that even Chelsea players who were in the doghouse under the previous manager suddenly became undroppable. The Blues went on to win the Champions League and it was in no short part thanks to Thomas Tuchel's tactical ingenuity.

Tuchel uses a three-man defence with wing-backs pushing high up the pitch and almost working as attackers. His teams attack and defend in fives. When going forward, the centre-backs and the defensive midfielders stay behind to contain counter attacks.

At the same time, the attacking midfielders, strikers and wing-backs will cause an overload in and around the box. As a result, Tuchel's side hardly ever gets exposed or look vulnerable. They always have an adequate number of players committed on either side of the pitch.

Tuchel is more of a coach than a manager and that shows in the way his teams set up and play their game. He has been quite successful too. Prior to joining Chelsea, Tuchel won the Ligue 1 title twice with Paris Saint-Germain and took them to the UEFA Champions League final in the 2019-20 season as well.

#1 Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)

Manchester City v Southampton - Premier League

Pep Guardiola is a tactical genius. He was the manager of Barcelona between 2008 and 2012, when the Catalans were nearly unstoppable in Europe. They won the La Liga thrice and the Champions League twice during the years he was in charge.

After a successful stint at Bayern Munich, Guardiola was appointed manager of Manchester City. Guardiola has grown in reputation as one of the most tactically astute managers in the world since coming to the Premier League.

Guardiola ensures his team is replete with technically proficient players who are excellent with the ball at their feet. Even the current Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson is widely renowned for his distribution and adeptness in possession.

Fortunately for Guardiola, he has only worked at clubs where he gets the sort of financial backing he needs to build such a team. He uses a possession-based style of play and employs intense high pressing when out of possession.

Guardiola also uses training ground automations to intricately break down low-blocks since teams often take a defensive approach while going against City. The Spaniard has won three Premier League titles, one FA Cup and four League Cups in his Manchester City stint so far.