A host of tactical masterminds have elevated their teams to new levels in the first half of the campaign – but who stands out above all the rest?
The first five months of the 2023-24 season have gone by at a frenetic pace, with supporters across the continent treated to shocks and thrills aplenty. Intriguing new storylines have been written, and not just at the biggest clubs in Europe, as more than a few dark horses have emerged to challenge for major silverware.
Most of the credit goes to the players who have lit up the domestic and continental stage, but it takes a great coach to maximise the output of a talented squad. Some have had a transformative effect on their team, while others are exceeding expectations on shoestring budgets and pushing boundaries with their tactical blueprints, with a place in history up for grabs for those who can keep up the pace all the way through to May.
The question is: which managers deserve to be singled out as the best in the business? GOAL is on hand to run down the very best jobs of the campaign so far, starting with perhaps the most celebrated football brain of the modern era…
Getty Images15Pep Guardiola (Manchester City)
For most people, Guardiola was already top of the coaching tree before Manchester City's treble success in 2022-23, but he also managed to win over his fiercest critics by delivering an elusive Champions League crown to Etihad Stadium at the seventh time of asking.
City have picked up from where they left off in Europe, blasting through to the last-16 again with maximum points in the group stage, and they are rightfully favourites to lift the trophy again come June 1. Guardiola has, however, been unable to prevent a dip in Premier League performance, with City slipping to fourth in the table after a run of just two wins in seven games between November and December.
Bad luck with injuries has played a part as the champions' aura of invincibility has slipped, but they are still well in the title race, and regained lost confidence after storming to another trophy at the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia. Guardiola will make sure his troops are firing on all cylinders at the business end of the campaign, which is why City are still the team to beat.
AdvertisementGetty14Imanol Alguacil (Real Sociedad)
Alguacil guided Sociedad to fourth-place in La Liga last season, which earned the club a spot in the Champions League for the first time in a decade. They haven't been content to just make up the numbers either, with the Basque side finishing top of Group D ahead of Inter to reach the knockout stage.
Sociedad boast the best defensive record in Europe's most prestigious competition, which is testament to how well Alguacil has organised the group, and they will fancy another big upset against Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16. Juggling Champions League commitments with La Liga has proven difficult for Sociedad, who find themselves seven points adrift of the top-four after 18 games, but Alguacil will make sure that his players keep fighting until the bitter end while striking the best possible balance between attack and defence.
Getty Images13Diego Simeone (Atletico Madrid)
Simeone has spent the last 11 years of his career on the Atletico touchline, and looks hungrier than ever for success. The Argentine signed a new three year contract in November that will keep him at the Metropolitano until at least 2027, which was well deserved, with his current crop in great shape to add more trophies to the club cabinet.
Atletico are sitting third in the La Liga table, ahead of holders Barcelona, and few would bet against them being there or thereabouts in the final title reckoning. But their most impressive performances so far have come in the Champions League, with Simeone implementing a more attack-minded style that propelled Atletico to the Group E summit with 17 goals scored – the second best haul in the competition.
They were subsequently handed a tough last-16 draw against Inter, but a victory over the Italian giants could mark the beginning of another special run. Simeone has two runners' up medals already and looks hellbent on winning gold this time around, with the entire Atletico squad fully behind their passionate manager's vision.
Getty12Peter Bosz (PSV)
Bosz had big shoes to fill after taking over at PSV, with his predecessor Ruud van Nistelrooy winning the Dutch Cup and Dutch Super Cup before stepping down in May. PSV still finished seven points behind Eredivsie winners Feyenoord last term, though, and Bosz has made it his mission to shift the balance of the power at the top of the table.
The Eindhoven club have opened the new campaign with 16 wins out of 16, including a 2-1 away triumph over Feyenoord, who are already 10 points off the pace. Bosz has instantly won over the PSV faithful with his attractive style of play, and also managed to get the team out of the Champions League group stage for the first time since 2015-16, with a very winnable tie against Borussia Dortmund up next.
PSV look certain to sweep the biggest honours in the Netherlands and could also keep surprising people in Europe, with Bosz now well and truly back among the managerial elite after a forgettable spell at Lyon.