Gabby Agbonlahor Ranks Premier League Managers: Pep Reigns Supreme
Former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor stirred the pot with his picks for the Premier League’s top (and bottom) managers. His list, revealed on the talkSPORT Breakfast show, sparked discussion with some surprising omissions.
Guardiola Takes the Crown
Agbonlahor placed Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola firmly at the number one spot. Despite injuries plaguing key players like Kevin De Bruyne, Erling Haaland, and Phil Foden, City continued to impress with their attacking style. Agbonlahor acknowledged their recent Champions League disappointment against Real Madrid but believes they’ll secure the Premier league title yet again.
“Number one has to be Guardiola again,” he said. “Because the football that they play, this season they’ve had so many injuries… but they’ve still went out and played their attacking football.”
Emery Earns Second Place Nod
Unai Emery, currently managing Agbonlahor’s former club Aston Villa, secured the number two spot. Agbonlahor highlighted Villa’s position in the Champions League chase and their impressive performance despite injuries. “Europa Conference League semi-final tonight, could get through to the final, so many injuries as well,” he commented. “Even if we finish in fifth place, I think that’s an outstanding Premier League campaign. The attacking, attractive football, he sticks to his ways.”
Arteta and Klopp Round Out the Top Four
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta followed in third place. Agbonlahor believes Arteta would be celebrating the Premier League title win in most other seasons, but Manchester City’s dominance makes it a close race. “Any other season he’d be winning the league, if it wasn’t for this juggernaut in Man City,” he explained. “I think they’re going to be fighting it out now for a few seasons, City and Arsenal. They’ve been outstanding Arsenal this season.”
Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp came in fourth, recognized for his success in propelling the Reds into an unexpected title challenge.
Surprises and Snubs in the Remaining Ranks
The remaining spots on the list offered a mix of established names and surprise inclusions. Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, in his first year at the helm, impressed with a record points tally for the club, landing him the number five spot.
Everton’s Sean Dyche earned praise for navigating the team through two separate points deductions and securing their Premier League status, placing him at number six. Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner, despite a short tenure of eleven games, found himself at number seven after a string of notable victories.
The bottom three revealed Agbonlahor’s most controversial picks. Manchester United’s Erik ten Hag, facing criticism for the team’s underwhelming performance, landed in 18th place. “Ten Hag is 18th,” Agbonlahor stated. “I feel that he’s had a terrible season with Manchester United.”
Rounding out the bottom three were Chelsea’s Mauricio Pochettino and Tottenham’s Ange Postecoglou, who were surprisingly omitted from Agbonlahor’s top ten altogether. While acknowledging Pochettino’s potential for improvement next season, Agbonlahor was blunt in his assessment of the current campaign: “But this season with that talent, he’s not performed.”
