World Cup 2018: Top 10 Managers of the tournament

#7 Roberto Martinez

Martinez’s system worked extremely well for the Red Devils in the group stages

There is perhaps no other manager who was more ridiculed before the tournament than Roberto Martinez.

The Belgian manager had shown an inclination to play a three-man defence with attacking wingers Yannick Carrasco and Thomas Meunier rather than wing-backs. This was considered naïve by most observers, including yours truly.

However, Martinez’s system worked extremely well for the Red Devils in the group stages, as Belgium ran rampant over the likes of Panama and Tunisia, registering 3-0 and 5-2 victories respectively.

Even in a bizarre encounter against England in which both managers played their second-string sides, Martinez’s tactics won out in a 1-0 victory.

But eventually, the naivete of his tactics was exposed as Belgium were shocked by Nishino’s Japan who jumped to a 2-0 lead.

At that point, Martinez showed intelligence and humility, switching to a more direct style, bringing on Nacer Chadli and Marouane Fellaini. Chadli and Fellaini scored to complete a wonderful comeback.

Martinez then pulled off a masterclass against Brazil, playing Kevin De Bruyne as a false nine and Romelu Lukaku as a right inverted winger.

That set-up enabled Belgium to punish the favourites on the counter. While he got it wrong against France in the semi-final, Martinez managed to prove his doubters wrong and take the Golden Generation farther than they have ever been.