British v Foreign Coaches - Who are better?

David Moyes is the anomaly for British coaches

Alex Johnson tries to delve into the age old argument about which style of coaches suit Premier League clubs better.

Are the best Premier League coaches now all foreigners?

The top three teams are managed by Portuguese, Dutch and Chilean coaches while Englishmen occupy the relegation places.

If only things were that simple.

There are an ever-increasing number of foreign coaches coming to work at the top level in England.

The Premier League split is currently between 12 British managers versus eight from further afield.

The big clubs are largely reliant on foreign bosses - Chelsea, Arsenal and both Manchester clubs amongst them, while Everton and Spurs have also gone down that road.

Liverpool are alone amongst the so-called bigger clubs in having Northern Ireland's Brendan Rodgers in charge at Anfield.

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho went on record early in 2014 stating that more British coaches need to be appointed for the sake of development but since then Louis van Gaal and Ronald Koeman have made their way into the top flight.

Mourinho also highlighted the need for more British coaches to explore foreign fields as part of the learning curve, with David Moyes this week taking up the post as manager of Real Sociedad in La Liga.

Moyes is the only British boss managing a club at the top level in Spain, Germany, Italy, France or Holland.

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Foreign Influx into Premier League

It comes as little surprise that foreign coaches come to ply their trade in England. The Premier League is widely regarded as the most entertaining in the world and, by any means comparable, it ranks alongside Spain, Italy and Germany as Europe's top leagues.

Since the heady days of Liverpool's era of dominance, English managers have cut little mustard in terms of title wins. Leeds United's triumph in 1992 represents the last Englishman to secure top-flight domestic glory when Howard Wilkinson was in the dugout.

Clearly, the influence of Sir Alex Ferguson casts a tremendous spectre on that stat. The most successful manager in the history of English football, Fergie accumulated an amazing 13 titles before retiring.

That being said, three of the last five Premier League crowns have gone the way of foreign bosses - Carlo Ancelotti, Roberto Mancini and Manuel Pellegrini.

Title Chances Restricted for Brit Bosses

The clubs that are competing for the title have been, for the most part, unwilling to give British managers their chance.

Chelsea have not had a permanent English boss since Glenn Hoddle left in 1993. Sven-Goran Eriksson became the first foreign coach at Manchester City in 2007 and the mega-rich owners at the Etihad Stadium have since appointed Roberto Mancini and Pellegrini following Mark Hughes' brief tenure.

Ferguson was an institution at United while Arsene Wenger remains likewise at Arsenal despite relative underachievement over a prolonged period.

Liverpool have gone back to basics as they continue the search for an end to their title famine. Rodgers' appointment came after Roy Hodgson and Kenny Dalglish had brought to an end a 12-year reign of continental managers at the Merseyside club.

Alongside Chelsea, Arsenal, United and City, clubs like Southampton, Spurs, Everton and Sunderland have placed their faith in foreign coaches this season.

Success Rate of Foreign Bosses

Of those relatively new to the English game, what is the success rate? Clearly, Mourinho and Wenger have been hugely successful for their clubs.

Ronald Koeman is the surprise package of the season to date at St Mary's. Little was expected of the Dutchman as he arrived in the midst of a mini-exodus.

The new boss has invested Saints' money wisely and steered them to second spot in the table. The club appears to have made a very good appointment.

The man he replaced, Mauricio Pochettino, moved on in search of bigger and better things at Spurs but has found the grass to be much less greener on the other side.

Louis van Gaal has a proven track record and arrived at Old Trafford amid great fanfare after leading the Dutch to third spot at the World Cup. Despite a massive outlay on new faces, things are not going to plan and United have laboured to this point.

Despite his wonderful career, the jury is very much out on Van Gaal at United and one wonders what questions would be asked had Moyes spent such lavish sums and recorded similar results?

Pellegrini is now starting to come under pressure at the champions.

City have once more butchered their Champions League prospects and with Chelsea disappearing over the horizon in the title race, the Chilean will be called to task.

Wenger remains an anomaly. The Frenchman has been at the controls of Arsenal for more than 18 years.

He raised the bar considerably as the Gunners became the epitome of free-flowing football. However, with 'The Invincibles' season now a decade in the past, Wenger appears to have lost his magic touch.

Indeed, his body language in the wake of Arsenal's defeat at Swansea suggested the 65-year-old may finally be on the wane.

Roberto Martinez served his apprenticeship in England before taking over at Everton and continues to take the Goodison club forward.

The Brit Pack

Titles are clearly a difficult currency to come by, but where are the relative British success stories to be found?

Garry Monk is certainly one against the head. The 35-year-old was given temporary charge of Swansea when Michael Laudrup was sacked in February this year.

Monk steered the Welsh side away from relegation danger and did enough to convince Swansea to give him a three-year deal.

This season has begun well, with his side riding high in fifth place and continuing to play a positive brand of football.

Against all odds, Sam Allardyce has answered his critics and turned things around at West Ham.

The Hammers boss has shown a pleasing eye for a bargain in the transfer market and has got West Ham moving upwards.

Only four British mangers have got their teams into the top half of the table.

Premier League clubs appear committed to tried and tested when it comes to British mangers.

Harry Redknapp and Neil Warnock are unlikely to unleash daring new tactics any time soon, while the likes of Steve Bruce and Mark Hughes look destined for journeyman managerial careers.

Despite being in the dug-out for a long time, Bruce - a legend at Old Trafford - was never truly in the frame when United had to recruit in the last 18 months.

Nigel Pearson and Sean Dyche have both earned their shot at the Premier League the hard way via promotion from the Championship, but both men are finding out the harsh reality of life in the big time.

The Future for British Bosses

As he would attest himself, Mourinho is right about a lot of things. The Portuguese is on the money once more in his thoughts on both foreign coaches in England and British mangers succeeding abroad.

After success with Porto in his homeland, Mourinho has been to England, Italy and Spain to further his career.

Rodgers remains the exception to the rule, but it is hard to see Man City or Arsenal following Liverpool's lead should their jobs become vacant.

Moyes has made a brave decision this week go and manage in La Liga. More British bosses must follow his lead.

Perhaps like Mourinho, success at a big club in a smaller league will help secure the dream jobs in England that every manager longs for.