Have a guess how many managers Fergie has faced?

In the latest issue (RN160), our resident statistician (or head nerd as we call him affectionately...!) took up the challenge for some tireless research to discover how many managers Fergie has faced in the league at United.

It was great stuff but he realised he missed a couple of short term caretaker managers out, so please find below the definitive list below, and thanks to es for doing this for Red News and its readers, plus also we have a stat corner each issue which you can find by ordering a mag at
http://www.rednews.co.uk/current-issue.php

At the end of last season Fergie was asked by a journo if he knew how many managers he'd seen off\faced in his time as manager of United. Both Fergie and the questioner said they had no idea, but thought it was “a lot”! Well being the curious types at Red News (well, alright then, anoraks) we'd thought it'd be fun to find out.

Cast your mind back to 1986, when Fergie arrived. We'd had the Challenger Space Shuttle disaster, the Soviets had just launched the Mir space station and Chernobyl had started glowing (along with several thousand Welsh sheep), Everton had just won the league and denim jackets were all the rage...yes, times were bleak. In the 17 years since Sir Matt first retired we'd had six managers ourselves. So along came Mr Ferguson. One man leading the way for the next 24 seasons, putting United back where we belong. Be thankful United had faith, some other top flight clubs have got through managers faster than the Russian secret service gets through Polonium 210.

Take Chelsea for example. In Fergie's time they've had 15 managers in the 23 years they've been in the top league. Only surpassed by Spurs who've gone through 19 managers in 24. (Spurs, along with Arsenal, Liverpool and Everton, are the only clubs to have been ever present during Fergie’s time in the top flight). Whereas the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool have got through only 4 and 5 managers respectively.

So how many managers have been in the top flight whilst Fergie has been in charge? The answer is 171. This includes managers who have been at a club, in a full time or caretaker role. It doesn't necessarily mean they led their team out to face United. It also includes the current Premiership managers in place at the start of the 2009/10 season. There's been 46 teams in the top flight while Fergie has been in charge.

In fact, when you allow for managers moving clubs (like Redknapp moving between West Ham, Southampton, Portsmouth and Spurs) and caretaker managers doing multiple stints (like David Pleat at Spurs) the total reaches 254. So there you go Sir Alex. The answer is 171 (or 254 depending on how you want to look at it). Incredible.

Manager
1 Arsene Wenger
2 George Graham
3 Harry Rednapp
4 Howard Wilkinson
5 Alan Curbishley
6 Dave Bassett
7 Gordon Strachan
8 Graeme Souness
9 Jim Smith
10 Kenny Dalglish
11 Peter Reid
12 Sam Allardyce
13 David Moyes
14 David O'Leary
15 Kevin Keegan
16 Martin O'Neill
17 Ron Atkinson
18 Brian Clough
19 Bryan Robson
20 David Pleat
21 Gerry Francis
22 Howard Kendall
23 Joe Kinnear
24 Joe Royle
25 Steve Bruce
26 Steve Coppell
27 Gerrard Houllier
28 Glen Hoddle
29 Rafa Benitez
30 Terry Venables
31 Trevor Francis
32 Bobby Robson
33 Brian Little
34 Claudio Ranieri
35 Gary Megson
36 Graham Taylor
37 John Gregory
38 John Lyall
39 Lennie Lawrence
40 Mark Hughes
41 Nicholl
42 Ray Harford
43 Steve McLaren
44 Stringer
45 Arthur Cox
46 Bobby Gould
47 Chris Coleman
48 Dave Jones
49 Paul Jewell
50 Roy Evans
51 Roy Hodgson
52 Walter Smith
53 Alan Ball
54 Branfoot
55 Colin Harvey
56 Colin Todd
57 Danny Wilson
58 Don Howe
59 Gareth Southgate
60 George Burley
61 Glenn Roader
62 John Sillet
63 Jose Mourinho
64 Martin Jol
65 Mick McCarthy
66 Micky Adams
67 Mike Walker
68 Ray Wilkins
69 Ruud Gullit
70 Stuart pearce
71 Alan Pardrew
72 Alex McLeish
73 Billy Bonds
74 Bobby Campbell
75 Brian Horton
76 Bruce Rioch
77 Chris Houghton
78 Chris Hutchings
79 Eddie Gray
80 Frank Clark
81 Gianluca Vialli
82 Hart
83 Iain Dowie
84 Ian Porterfield
85 Jean Tigana
86 Jim Ryan
87 Jimmy Gabriel
88 John Docherty
89 John Hollins
90 Maurice Evans
91 Neil Warnock
92 Peter Shreeves
93 Phil Brown
94 Phil Neal
95 Terry Butcher
96 Tony Book
97 Tony Pulis
98 Willie McFall
99 Zola
100 Aidy Boothroyd
101 Alan Shearer
102 Alan Smith
103 Ardillas
104 Avram Grant
105 Billy McNeill
106 Brian Kidd
107 Brown
108 Bryan Hamilton
109 Carlo Ancelloti
110 Clive Allen
111 Dave Watson
112 David Webb
113 Deehan
114 Denis Smith
115 Denis Wise
116 Doug Livermoore
117 Egil olsen
118 Eriksson
119 Frank Burrows
120 Garry Parker
121 George Curtis
122 Graham Rix
123 Gross
124 Guus Hiddink
125 Jim Jefferies
126 Jimmy Frizzell
127 Joe Kinneer
128 John Gorman
129 John Moore
130 Jordan
131 Josef Venglos
132 Kevin Ball
133 Kevin MacDonald
134 Lawrie Sanchez
135 Lombardo
136 Mark McGhee
137 Mel Machin
138 Merrington
139 Owen Coyle
140 Paul Goddard
141 Paul Ince
142 Perrin
143 Peter Eustace
144 Peter Taylor
145 Peter Withe
146 Phil Scolari
147 Ramos
148 Ray Clemence
149 Ricky Sbragia
150 Roberto Martinez
151 Roy Keane
152 Roy McFarland
153 Sammy Lee
154 Santini
155 Steve Perryman
156 Stewart Houston
157 Stuart McCall
158 Sturrock
159 Tony Adams
160 Tony Mowbray
161 Wigley
162 Worthington
163 Zajec
164 Tony Parke
165 eric black
166 Billy Davies
167 Les Reed
168 Terry McDermott
169 Steve Clarke
170 John Carver
171 Nigel Pearson