Top 5 Highest Placed English Managers Of The 2000s

Hello and welcome back to Match Of The 2000s, your home for football nostalgia between 2000 and 2009. 

A Spaniard, a Chilean, a Portugese, three Italians, a Frenchman and two Scots walk into a bar all wearing Premier League winner's medals, 'Where's the Englishman?' they all ask. Of course it's no secret that an English manager has never won the Premier League title and when Liverpool's German manager joins the winners in the bar in May, it'll be 28 long years since Howard Wilkinson was the last Englishman to steer a team to a top division title in the country of his birth. 

How close has an English manager come to breaking the spell and lifting the league title? Read on as we take a look at the home grown gaffers who finished highest between 2000 and 2009. 

(The rules are as follows. No manager is allowed in the list twice, their highest finish will be taken into account. Only one position is allowed too, if two English managers finished in the same position then the number of points will be used as a tie-breaker. If that ends level, the number of defeats in their respective seasons will decide.) 

1. Sir Bobby Robson. (3rd with Newcastle United, 2002-03) 

Just as Kevin Keegan had breathed new life into Newcastle United when he took over as manager a decade earlier, Bobby Robson's arrival at St. James' Park heralded an upturn in fortunes for The Magpies as they emerged once again as a force capable of winning the Premier League title. At one point in the previous season, Newcastle were immersed in a four-way battle for the title, briefly topping the table and recording some impressive results along the way (notably a 3-1 win over Arsenal in a tempestuous encounter at Highbury).

A 4-3 away reverse at Bolton on Boxing Day 2002 would be their last defeat until a 1-0 Tyne-Tees derby loss at Middlesbrough in early March 2003 as Robson's side embarked on a run that would see them embroiled in a three-way dance for the title with Arsenal and Manchester United. A barren run of three defeats in a row during April (including a 6-2 home hammering at the hands of eventual champions United) put paid to any hopes of the title arriving on Tyneside for the first time since 1927 although they took solace in Champions League qualification for the second season running.

2. John Gregory. (6th with Aston Villa, 1999-2000) 

While history will remember the 1998-99 as arguably Manchester United's greatest in history, it's worth noting that as 1998 ticked over into the final year of the 20th century, it was John Gregory's Aston Villa who sat atop the Premier League as the New Year's Eve champagne corks were popping.

For a chunk of the early part of the following season, Villa were United's closest competitors although a dismal spell of nine games without a win saw them tumble down as low as 15th in the table by December. Gregory's side rallied and recovered by losing just two more games all season to finish in sixth position, qualifying for the Intertoto Cup and also reaching the last ever FA Cup Final at the old Wembley.

3. Peter Reid (7th with Sunderland, 2000-2001) 

'Cheer Up Peter Reid' became a popular taunt for Sunderland's local rivals Newcastle United during the former Everton and England midfielder's time on Wearside but he had plenty of reasons to be cheerful during the 2000-2001 campaign.

The season got off to the perfect start when former Arsenal striker Niall Quinn scored the winning goal against his former club on the opening day which helped The Stadium Of Light earn a reputation as a difficult place to go with just two of the season's top six finishers (Manchester United and Leeds United) taking maximum points from their visits there. A patchy run of form through March and April 2001 saw The Black Cats fall away and narrowly miss out on a UEFA Cup place after sitting in second place as late as February.

4. Harry Redknapp (8th with Portsmouth, 2007-08) 

It couldn't be a list about English managers without featuring 'Arry could it? Before he took Tottenham into the Champions League and became the supposed heir apparent to the England job, Redknapp worked wonders on the South Coast, winning what is now the Championship title in 2002 and piloting Pompey comfortably in the top half of the Premier League on a consistent basis (either side of a controversial switch to Portsmouth's arch-rivals Southampton).

With Harry at the helm and stellar names such as Sol Campbell, Jermain Defoe, Glen Johnson and David James in their ranks, Pompey enjoyed their most successful season since their First Division title win in 1950. The Fratton Park club finished in eighth place and also won the FA Cup for the first time since 1939, qualifying for their first ever European campaign too.

5. Alan Pardew (9th with West Ham United, 2005-06) 

The Hammers found themselves back in the Premier League after winning the 2004-05 Championship Play-Off final ending a two season spell in the second tier following their relegation in 2003. Their promotion being masterminded by former Reading gaffer Alan Pardew.

The following season, West Ham defied the odds and at the end of October 2005 they sat in fourth position in the Premier League. Despite a mediocre run, The Hammers recovered and a run of five straight league wins (including a 3-2 win over Arsenal that earned them the distinction of being the last away team to win at Highbury) propelled them up to sixth place, earning February's Manager of the Month award for Pardew. A win over fierce rivals Tottenham on the final day of the season helped the Upton Park club cement ninth place in the table (as well as denying Spurs a Champions League place) to add to their place in the FA Cup final where they ran Liverpool close before ultimately losing on penalties.

That brings to a close our look back at some of the highest placed English managers of the 2000s. I hope you have enjoyed our nostalgia trip and evoked some memories if you follow any of the clubs involved. 

I was aiming to record the Match Of The 2000s podcast this week but unfortunately my guest for the first episode is experiencing some technical difficulties which can't be helped. I am still aiming to get something recorded and uploaded this week so watch this space. 

If there is anything you would like to see covered on either the blog site or the podcast then please get in touch on Twitter @BarkerGray2. Feel free to get in touch with any 2000s football memorabilia you would like to share whether it's kits, programmes, games. 

Until next time, take care.