England’s 10 best managers of all time

Gareth Southgate is preparing to lead England to Euro 2024 with the hopes of a nation once more resting upon his shoulders. With a semi-final at the 2018 World Cup followed by a Euro 2020 final defeat on penalties to Italy, many are hoping that this generation can finally end the long drought of national team trophies that the Three Lions have experienced.

But Southgate isn’t immune from criticism, and plenty have pointed out flaws in his tactics, team selection and in-game management. Despite that, he has helped usher in an unprecedented period of success for the national side.

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So where does he rank among England’s best managers? Ranking them by win percentage, Football FanCast takes a look at the top 10. However, much to the disappointment of Sam Allardyce, to qualify for this list, they must have managed a minimum of ten games.

All data correct as of 28th March 2024. Games settled via penalty shootouts are considered as draws.

10
Sir Bobby Robson – 49.5%

1982-1990

After an impressive managerial stint in charge of Ipswich Town, Robson was handed the chance to take charge of England in 1982.

His time at the helm began poorly. He controversially dropped Kevin Keegan and saw England fail to qualify for Euro 1984, but despite his offers to resign, he was kept in his post and helped England qualify for the 1986 World Cup two years later.

His side reached the last eight of the competition, only to be knocked out by a Diego Maradona-inspired Argentina including the infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal. Two years later, they were out at the group stage of the European Championship.

Robson is perhaps best remembered for the 1990 World Cup, where his side lost to West Germany on penalties in the semi-finals. Heartbreaking but England’s best tournament performance in decades nonetheless, Robson left on a high despite a paltry 49.5% win percentage.

9
Steve McClaren – 50%

2006-2007

Put in charge of England after Luis Felipe Scolari turned down the role, Steve McClaren is remembered by England fans for all the wrong reasons. With a 50% win rate in charge of the Three Lions, he was unable to string together any consistency, and dropped popular veterans such as David Beckham and Sol Campbell.

The results didn’t vindicate his decisions, and a 2-1 defeat to Russia in Euro 2008 qualifying meant that they needed to beat Croatia at Wembley to book their place at the tournament. A 3-2 loss while McClaren stood under an umbrella became the main storyline from the game, as England failed to qualify for the Euros for the first time since 1984.

The next day, he had been fired and his 18 games in charge remains one of the shortest reigns an England manager has ever recorded. His tenure was a total disaster.

8
Sir Walter Winterbottom – 56.1%

1946-1962

England’s first-ever manager, Walter Winterbottom was also the longest-serving coach that the Three Lions have ever had. Appointed with zero managerial experience, he had the help of a selection committee (something later done away with) and managed an impressive 78 wins in 139 games, qualifying for four World Cups but never making it past the quarter-finals.

Despite some impressive results against major players Italy, Portugal and Brazil, however, he is probably best known for being the man replaced by Sir Alf Ramsey in 1962.

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7
Roy Hodgson – 58.9%

2012-2016

Another manager whose win percentage doesn’t truly reflect his perception as England boss, Roy Hodgson took charge in the aftermath of Fabio Capello’s exit, with England having already qualified for Euro 2012.

The tournament began well with a draw against France and wins against Sweden and Ukraine, as the Three Lions finished top of their group.

But defeat to Italy on penalties ended their run and marked the high point of Hodgson’s reign. In Brazil two years later, his side finished bottom of their group thanks to defeats to Uruguay and Italy, as well as a draw with Costa Rica.

Still in charge by Euro 2016, Hodgson’s side navigated their way out of the group stage behind Wales, but fell at the first knockout hurdle as they capitulated to a 2-1 defeat to minnows Iceland, one of the worst results in England’s history.

With just three wins from 11 tournament games, he resigned immediately after that defeat.

6
Sven-Goran Eriksson – 59.7%

2001-2006

After success in Italy at club level, Eriksson was appointed England boss in 2001, and despite a memorable 5-1 win over Germany, they still relied on David Beckham’s free kick to secure qualification for the 2002 World Cup.

He navigated the Three Lions through the group stage before eventually falling in the quarter-finals to eventual winners Brazil in a game remembered for Ronaldinho’s lob of David Seaman.

At Euro 2004, his side fell to a penalty shootout defeat to Portugal in the quarter-finals, and there was plenty of apathy towards Eriksson, to the point that he had agreed to leave his post even before the 2006 World Cup had kicked off.

Portugal once again foiled the Three Lions, with a second successive shootout defeat at the quarter-final stages, leaving Eriksson signing out with a whimper, despite plenty of initial promise.

5
Ron Greenwood – 60%

1977-1982

Initially appointed as caretaker boss, Greenwood ended up in charge of England for five years, and made history by selecting the first black player to play for the Three Lions in Viv Anderson.

However, his side were not too successful on the pitch. They failed to qualify for the 1978 World Cup, were knocked out in the group stages of Euro 1980, and though they qualified for the World Cup in 1982, were knocked out in the second group stage.

Eventually, he stepped down, leaving the post with an impressive win percentage, but little to show for it.

4
Glenn Hoddle – 60.7%

1996-1999

Appointed as the replacement for Terry Venables, Glenn Hoddle was in charge for 28 games across his three-year stint in charge, winning 17 of those. However, tournament football remained a disappointment, as his side lost to Argentina in the second round of the 1998 World Cup and had a poor start to Euro 2000 qualification.

The former Spurs and Chelsea man never got to see through that qualification campaign, leaving the England job under a cloud after making comments to a journalist about disabled people being punished for the sins of their former lives. Though he argued they were “misconstrued, misunderstood and misinterpreted”, the backlash prompted the FA to terminate his contract.

Despite that, his managerial success is only bettered by three other Three Lions bosses.

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3
Sir Alf Ramsey – 61.1%

1962-1974

The only England men’s manager to win an international trophy, Sir Alf Ramsey remains a manager unequalled in the minds of many.

He took on the role in 1962 and immediately claimed that his side would win the 1966 World Cup, but he suffered a 6-3 aggregate defeat to France as his were side knocked out of qualifying for Euro 1964 to leave his claim seeming hollow.

1966 rolled around and England sailed through the group stage on home soil, beating France and Mexico before beating Argentina 1-0 in the quarter-finals. They went on to beat Portugal in the semi-finals and famously defeat West Germany 4-2 in the final thanks to a hat-trick from Sir Geoff Hurst.

Ramsey went on to reach the semi-finals of the 1968 European Championship and the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 1970, but neither he nor any other England boss has managed to replicate the success experienced in 1966.

2
Gareth Southgate – 61.3%

2016-present

Loved and hated in equal measure depending on which England fan you ask, Southgate’s methods may be boring, but the results speak for themselves.

Appointed initially on a caretaker basis after Sam Allardyce was sacked, he remains in his post eight years later and is gearing up to take England to their fourth major tournament of his reign.

In that time, he has reached a World Cup semi-final and a European Championship final while instilling a feel-good factor around the England camp after years of distrust.

However, there are accusations that he is too conservative, especially in games where his side have taken the lead and gone on to lose (namely against Croatia in 2018 and Italy in 2021).

Despite this, his record in charge is impressive, and England are enjoying one of their best periods of international football in living memory. All that is needed now is a trophy.

1
Fabio Capello – 66.7%

2008-2012

Still England’s most successful manager by win percentage, Fabio Capello is often accused of squandering England’s golden generation despite his overall record. Taking charge in 2008, the former Milan and Real Madrid manager was hailed as the right sort of man for the job thanks to his trophy record and reputation for discipline, which is something many felt was lacking in previous regimes.

His tournament record was less than ideal, though. England were knocked out by Germany in the last-16 stage of the 2010 World Cup after a poor group stage in which they won just once, and the Italian left before Euro 2012 came around despite helping the Three Lions to qualify for the competition.

Of his 42 games at the helm, Capello won an impressive 28 of them, losing just six. Though it gives him the best win percentage of any manager to have been in charge of the Three Lions, his tournament record means that few will remember him too fondly.