I would say that Ferguson and Wenger are streets ahead of anyone else. I was as critical of Ferguson a few years ago as many, but he has bounced back and the current quality of his squad is remarkable and very exciting.
I have been a fan of Wenger for many years, but as your profile says, maybe he does pass on his preference for style to his players in a way which prevents the development of a killer instinct and a glory in demolishing lesser talent. It has been noticeable how Henry, Fabrigas and others are unable to be confidently ruthless in recent times.

Bryan stanion, Agios Nikolaos, Crete, Greece

That Fergie is one of the best coaches ManU ever had is undoubted. But perhaps the media tend to blow things up a bit just to whip up excitment, attract the crowds and get the money to change hands.

To this end it seems that all is permitted... even creating an idol out of someone who does his job well but is certainly not a coaching divinity.

Anyone else who'd spend 20 years coaching one of the top European clubs and win only one Champions League would get a very low rating indeed.

Amadeus, Attard, Malta

Fergy's domestic triumphs were when Arsenal and LFC were weak.

Now Benitez has won the CL equalling Fergusson's record in a short space of time. Man utd fans bemoan some of his tactics in Europe - one amazing victory doesn't change that.

How much have Man utd spent during Fergie's reign.

Chelsea have become a major force over night. If its just about money ask Inter milan who have spent as much if not more than Chelsea and have won nothing UEFA cup excepted and one league by default.

I would put Benitez and mourinho above Fergie. Many clubs wouldn't have stuck with a manager for so long..

terry, london,

Ferguson is a truly great manager, Mourinho isn't fit to shine the mans shoes and I'd choose Benitez over over Jose anyday. Having said that if Bob Paisley had managed as long as Ferguson and had had the huge resources available he'd have won 15 titles in 20 years and 7 or 8 European Cups, head and shoulders above them all.

Keith Marsh , Southampton,

The top 4 are all good managers in their own way,Mourinho is a great motivator,Ferguson has got domestic football to a fine art,Benitez is a master tactician in european competition,and Wenger has the great ability in developing good young players,as for saying who is the best it is impossible to say,they have all spent different amounts of time as managers so their is no common factor,Chelsea it would seem as unlimited funds to buy players Arsenal has the least,previous to Abramovich buying Chelsea Man utd were the big spenders the only way to compare these managers is when they have all retired and their respective careers compared.

rob taylor, wrexham, wales

What about the president of Iran? He is looking after the man power inside and outside in the ocean? Come on do not keep to the West always. Dont be biased like BBC. Iran wins this time you like it or not. He is the best manger CEO CFO Entreprenur, MD, Six Sigma, Eight SWOTS and Hexgolan Straight Line Teory

Firozali A.Mulla MBA PhD, Dar Es salaam, Tanzania

Without the incompetence of the linesman who (subsequently dropped by FIFA) dissallowed a Paul Scholes goal through offside when three Porto defenders had played him on, we'd never have heard of Jose Mourinho. His Porto side were appallingly defensive divers and won one of the most freakish of Champions League tournaments. His only subsequent team has been wholly bought and have bored for Britain. Benitez won a bizarre CL final and still cannot grasp the prem, while Wenger suffers a failing in man management and an appalling record in both discipline and nurturing local talent. Ferguson has many faults and one could argue the widespread loathing of MU is down to him, but no manager has come close to his achievement in successively rebuilding his teams and playing both foreign and players from these islands.

redson, london,

All these managers are superb but they are with big clubs. Lets remember Brian Clough who took Derby from the Second Division to win the first and then took Forest from the Second to become European Champions twice. Look at where Forest are now and remember they were twice champions of Europe. These four managers may be very good but Cloughie was a football genius.

David Gwiliam, Leicester, England

Don't forget that Jose won the Champions League on a tight budget (Porto), even knocking out Man U on the way. To suggest that Chelsea should always win because of the money is naive. Look at Ranieri. Anybody who has watched a good deal of sport (like business) knows that straight investment doesn't always reap rewards (especially over a long season). I'm fairly convinced that if Jose leaves Chelsea at the end of the season, they will perform worse next year.

Focusing on the money issue again. Chelase may have spent more over the past few years, but Man U have had the superior financial muscle for many more years. Sir Alex benefited (and credit to him) from having some great British youth come through. Buying them in the open market would have been very costly (which Chelsea had to do). Finally, the remarkable thing to me is that Jose managed in his first season came to the Prem, knew what would work, imposed it and won the Champs - first year. Not many could do that, could Sir A?

A Todd, Sydney, Australia

mourinho is a great manager providing you don't give any weight to whether the football is worth watching. at united, it's not enough to be successful. what was grand about the 7-1 was not so much the scoreline but the style. a style we've missed for the last five years. winning is not enough (playing dull football and still losing 1-0 to milan twice is, of course, inexcusable). unfortunately, the way united played against roma is what fergie now likes to call "naive". give me naive excitement over shameful edginess any day. it's how liverpool won the european cup. well, that and a goal that never was, of course.

jem, london, uk

No Ioring, they are all French. If your racist approach to nationality does not allow you to understand this, well, shame on you.

Frederic, Bourdeaux, France

I simply cannot believe some of the comments posted here. Ferguson has done well at the richaest club in the world. His trophies prove that. But anyone would think he gives money away at Man U games with the notes from some of you. He's simply not THAT good. Mourinho has done well too. At Porto he built a good team without the spending power of the English clubs. At Chelsea he's found the Premiership harder but still won the league twice. Benitez has won the European Cup. For me Wenger is simply the best. He too has won many trophies but it his abilty to pick talent and develop it which is unrivalled by the others. He continues to keep turning up the talent and I don't care who you support, if you look objectively at the football Arsenal easily play the most beautiful game.

Richard, leeds,

To Ian Loring from Florina, Greece:

The French law clearly states that everyone with a French passport is French. It's 2007, would you quit it with the medieval statements already.

Erik, The Hague, Netherlands

The best mangers in the world. Perhaps, but this is a narrow viewpoint, Bob Paisley anybody, even Brian Clough and Notts Forest had miniscule resources compared to their then rivals. I'm sure others could come into the frame of "best managers of all time". Michels, Capello, Villalonga, Carniglia, the list goes on.

Ewan, Dundee,

"No other manager in the entire history of football has ever rivaled Fergusons achievements"

I think Bob Paisley can hold a candle to Sir Alex, and that's speaking as an Everton supporter. He built world class teams on peanuts compared to what ManYoo spend

Mark, Manchester,

Italian football is in total disarray (despite the World Cup), and the big Spanish teams are in transition. The premiership has probably been flattered in this year's Champions League. Ferguson is still ahead of Mourinho, but the positions could easily be reversed over the next few weeks. The money is irrelevant. Over the years Ferguson has had as much spending power as any manager in world football. Any club that can pay Rooney over 25% more than Ronaldo doesn't understand the value of money anyway.

al, london,

sorry £30 million pounds for rio ibelieve United have had a steady stream of money over the years. Reneria had most of the talent and could not win the league so Mourinho is a quality manager. I bet when he gets to fergusons age they will have won the exact amount of trophies. I think this has been the best season ever. I think next season could be even better.

james earley, york,

good comment james, and i get confused when i see the french team, are they all african?

ian loring, florina, greece

Gary,
Unlike Mourinho, Ferguson doesn't spend £150 million on players every season and yet look at what he's achieved. No other manager in the entire history of football has ever rivaled Fergusons achievements and no other ever will.
With the kind of money that Chelsea are throwing around every year even if they appoint a chipmonk their manager, they should win trophies..
And the fact that Man Utd has spent but a mere 15% of what Chelsea has spent over the last 3 years and yet Man Utd are in a better position goes to show the talent of Ferguson over anyone else.

PS
I agree that Mourinho is a good manager, but he's not the best.

Alex , Aberystwyth, UK

Someone forgot to tell them that the unlimited amount of cash Moroniho has is a very big strength and as for weakness, that big mouth seems to be one. Well done getting lucky 1-0 wins, it's not grinding out results, when you've got a squad filled with many players earning 100k a week it should be expected you win everything comfortably and not struggle to score against the likes of Watford and tired Tottenham.

Mike, Manchester, England

It has not escaped your notice I'm sure that out of the 42 players used by the three English teams in the Champions league quarter finals this week, only13 were actually English that is 30% . Of course you may add another four from Wales Scotland and Ireland but first you will have to convince them they are English and second explain why Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own national team. If you add to this that none of the three coaches are English even though I might grant you that Sir Alec has a lifetime history or so with Man United. then the question is Where is english football? in the power of money might be the answer...

guy James, Nantes, France

One European cup in all Ferguson's years, with the richest club in the world shows at the highest level he is not a success.

Benitez has that matched and Mourinho should this year too.

Compare that Cappello at Milan in the mid 90's or Hitzfeld and there's two mangers well ahead of all of them.

At the end of the day, at the very highest level of club football Ferguson is on the same standing as Tony Barton.

F.SPRINGER, LONDON,

Theres no doubt that Jose Mourinho is and extremely talented manager, BUT Sir Alex is still the much better manager. His time in the game alone gives him an advantage over Jose, and his record states that. I very much doubt it will happen, but if Jose can stay at a club for any where near the period that Furguson has been at united, and have the success that Sir Alex has had, then we will see who is the better manager. I can see Rafa Benitez becoming the next great manager in the Premiership rather than Mourinho, because he has the patience to match the tactical brilliance, and doesn't have an impatient owner looking over his shoulder.

Joe Molloy, Portsmouth, England

Mourinho's "half out of the door" (allegedly), not because "he can't handle the press or the pressure of not succeeding in Europe", but because he is the classic Employer's Nightmare: The employee who knows he is the best-in-the-business and refuses to play a sycophantic game with his boss.
Therein lies an unnatural imbalance.

Employer: Nobody's "indispensable" round here - even me.
Employee: Except me.
Employer: We'll see about that...

Steve Symmons, Melbourne, Australia

To say that Ferguson isn't fit to clean Mourinho's boots the best joke i've heard this year!? Did they not show football on TV in South Africa in the 90's? Mourinho's already half out the door because he can't handle the press or the pressure of not succeding in Europe,and how long has he been in charge? Flawless! Pull the other one mate.

Colin Armstrong, Carlisle, UK

Although mention is made of the European Super Cup in 2005 for Liverpool under Benitez (and Valencia won it in 2004 when they beat Porto, although I am unsure if he was still manager), no mention is made under Ferguson's listing of the 1983 final when Aberdeen beat SC Hamburg 2-0 on aggregate or the 1991 final when Manchester United beat Red Star Belgrade 1-0 in a one leg affair.

M MacDonald, Warrington, UK

I fully endorse your assessment of Jose Mourinho as "flawless". There isn't another manager in world football fit to tie his bootlaces (Ferguson included). Chelsea would be insane to let him leave.

Gary Walker, Johannesburg, South Africa

his the most valuable Coach in the world of football when you look on what he has achieved with m.u and today his playing with a team which has many players at their end of career scholes and others. I ; a gunner but I admire the man

Rutagengwa Yves Bertin, Kigali, Rwanda

Much as it pains me to say it as an Arsenal fan, Mourinho is the master. I wouldn't be clouded by the millions at his disposal, his eral strength is man management and developing a winning mentality, a rare combination. He did it with Porto with limited funds whereas Ferguson had the fortune of being in charge of the wealthiest club in english football and it took him several years to win the major trophies. Benitez's cup runs have somehow rendered him invulnerable to criticism. His signings have been variable and the style of football he produces has hardly set the pulses racing. If Liverpool find themselves in the same league position next year, then questions should be asked. Wenger remains an enigma. We will either hail him as a genius if the youngsters blossom into a great team, or the house of cards will fall. People underestimate the fierce competitor that lurks beneath the calm exterior, and you wonder where Arsenal would be if Henry and van Persie had stayed fit this season.

Demetri, London, U.K.