Top 5 football managers who changed the game

Football is a team sport and not just about 11 players who pop up on the field and try to win the game. It's also about tactics, strategies, signings, and to make sturdy decisions at crucial times. All these things are headed by the manager.

It's his responsibility to analyse day in, day out and come up with a plan that will lead his team to victory and even that, perhaps, may not be enough at times. He has to motivate players when the team is down and make decisions which can turn the game around. He is the architect and philosopher of the game. He is the identity of the club or the country team.

So, on that note, here is my list of the top five football managers who revolutionized the game:

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#5 Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger transformed English football

It was in 1996 when Arsene Wenger came to English football and at that time it was full of the physical style of play. He changed it completely: throwing out the approach of warm up and doing heavy drills to gain stamina. It was more scientific and less traditional.

He redesigned the entire Arsenal training centre. He brought in new methods of stretching, a stopwatch to time every training sequence, and drills to improve passing skills. He also changed the diet of the players. All this was first questioned, but soon came the results and word of his training methods spread quickly.

The style of the play was also drastically changed: Gone were the chants of "Boring... boring Arsenal" and the defensive play under previous manager George Graham. The play was now faster-attacking football focused on scintillating passing.

Arsene was also responsible for bringing in new young talents. He did not go after ready-made players but looked out for those who had the potential to become big. As he once said: "We don't sign superstars, We make them."

Although Wenger did not have a great amount of success in his later part of the career, what he did in the 1990s and 2000s changed the face of English football completely.

Here are some quotes on him:

Stan Kroenke: "Transformed the identity of Arsenal"

Pep Guardiola: "The Premier League is the Premier League thanks to what he has done"

David Moyes: "He’s a proper football man who lives and breathes it"

#4 Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola - One of the best managers in the world at the moment

If there is any manager a club will like to have right now then that manager is Pep Guardiola. He is not only a master of the game but is also ruthless, adamant and a strong decision maker.

He is someone who does not shy away from making bold decisions, whether that is promoting young players to the starting 11 such as in the case of Barcelona, Pedro and Sergio Busquets or selling off the biggest star who doesn't fit in the system such as Ronaldinho at Barcelona.

He is the one who revolutionized the football game as a whole at Barcelona and produced a team that was regarded by many as the greatest football club team ever.

Having played under Johan Cruyff, Pep understood the game in a way different to anyone else. As said by one of his coaching staff after a cup win: "Everyone was celebrating the win on their way back, but Pep was onto his laptop analyzing for the next match."

Such is the urge for perfection that he wouldn't have it any other way. He is on course to be the greatest of all, and he might well do it if he keeps up like this.

Winning the Premier League title this season in such a dominant fashion gives an indication that it will take a hell of a lot from other clubs to match his team next season.

Here are some quotes on him:

Lionel Messi: "We had a great time when Pep was here (Barcelona). We won a lot of titles and I grew a lot – that was the time when I grew most as a footballer. We had a fantastic relationship when he was here.”

Gerard Pique: "Pep doesn’t just give you orders, he also explains why. That makes you a better footballer because you learn the reasoning behind his instructions."

David Alaba: "The coach is very demanding but it’s really amazing to train with him. It’s like he reinvented football. He thinks about football 24 hours a day, he’s always explaining to us on the screen what’s the best way to attack, the best way to defend, the best way to play with the ball."

#3 Arrigo Sacchi

Arrigo Sacchi

He is one of the few managers who didn't play football professionally. In this regard, he once famously said: "I did not realize that one had to be a jockey to be a horse." He first managed Parma, where he didn't win many titles but caught the eye of the owner of Milan when Parma defeated Milan in the Coppa Italia.

In AC Milan, he instantly started instituting new forms of training such as visualizing a situation on the field and accordingly demonstrate the movement required for it. The results didn't come instantly but eventually, players responded well to his methods and went on to win the league. Apart from this, Sacchi later went on to win two European championships.

Sacchi's tactics were different from others at that time. He used a traditional 4-4-2, but it was all with many interchanges and nuances. His team played an extremely high offside line, it was a tactic that he used to frustrate the opponents.

Here are some quotes on him:

Carlo Ancelotti: "Arrigo completely changed Italian football – the philosophy, training methods, intensity, tactics. Italian teams used to focus on defending but our team defended by attacking and pressing."

Roberto Donadoni: "Sacchi started a revolution in Italian football, both mentally and tactically. We developed our style of play and we tried to impose it on all opponents, from amateurs in a midweek training game to Real Madrid at the Bernabéu."

Xavi Hernández: "We are incredibly proud they compared us to Sacchi's Milan. That was a side that made football history."

#2 Johan Cruyff

Johan Cruyff - The man responsible for constructing Barcelona's "Dream Team"

He was not only a brilliant player but also a great manager. He revolutionized the game when everyone else was focusing on brutality, tackles and win at any cost type of game. He introduced the simple passing game which led to not only victories but also looked beautiful.

He quoted: "Playing football is simple but playing simple football is the hardest thing there is"

Cruyff's style of play was eventually inherited by Pep Guardiola at Barcelona during his own managerial career. If there is any manager who truly changed the way to see football then it's Johan Cruyff.

Here are some quotes on him:

Pep Guardiola: "Johan Cruyff painted the chapel. And Barcelona coaches since merely restore or improve it."

Frank Rijkaard: "He is like the Godfather of Dutch football."

Miguel Angel Nadal: "Cruyff reinvented the concept of football in this country."

#1 Sir Alex Ferguson

Sir Alex Ferguson - perhaps the greatest football manager of all time

Manchester United is Sir Alex and Sir Alex Ferguson is Manchester United; you just can't separate these two.

Widely regarded as one of the best football managers of all time, he came and conquered English football like no other. By winning 13 Premier League titles, 5 FA Cups and 2 UEFA Champions League titles, he has cemented his legacy that will live forever.

Sir Alex played fast attacking football at Manchester United. He mostly used formations of 4-4-2 and 4-3-2-1 with wide wingers to aid the strikers with the long crosses. All this was visually stunning and extremely fast-paced.

There was competition from the other side during his career with the likes of Wenger's Arsenal and Jose Mourinho's Chelsea but he never slipped off. He always bounced back with his A-game and delivered the results.

Fergie was the master of intimidating the officials at games. In this regard, Harry Redknapp once said: "A lot of officials would be in awe of him and afraid to upset him, there was such an aura about him because he is a winner."

Sir Alex always brought in players that had charisma, charm and character to whom fans could connect, whether that is Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham or Cristiano Ronaldo. He made Manchester United the brand that it is today; he attracted supporters; he made Manchester United truly great!

Here are some quotes on him:

Eric Cantona: "You may find another Beckham or Ronaldo, but never ever will you find another Sir Alex Ferguson".

Rafael Nadal: "A great career fighting for the team! Admirable"

Bryan Robson: "Ferguson is probably the greatest club manager ever. It is unbelievable to change around probably four different squads and have the success he has."

Cristiano Ronaldo: "He is the best coach I've ever had."