Who's still got it? Who never had it? And who's too fat or old?
The managers of the Premier League come in all shapes and sizes, different nationalities, and varying successes in their playing careers, so we decided to ask the question; who is the best manager in the Premier League on currently football ability.
Imagine if you will, that you are building a dream 5-a-side team out of the current managers in the Barclays Premier League, who do you want on your team?
We have taken the following categories into account when making our selection:
-Age
-Level of playing career.
-Current fitness level.
And here are the results:
#20 - Dick Advocaat - Sunderland
Age: 67
Playing Level: Nothing special.
Fitness Level: Poor.
Dick wouldn't be much use to anyone on the pitch these days. He's old, the peak of his career came at Roda JC in Holland, and he's not in great shape.
#19 - Steve McClaren - Newcastle United
Age: 54
Playing Level: Average.
Fitness Level: Poor.
Steve McClaren's best days came at Hull in the 70's, he looks like a dad on holiday and we have no reason to assume he doesn't play like that too.
#18 - Louis Van Gaal - Manchester United
Age: 63
Playing Level: Nothing Special.
Fitness Level: Poor.
A player who hopped around the Eredivisie, LVG has always been more suited to coaching. He's be good for winding up the opponent, but not much else.
#17 - Manuel Pellegrini - Manchester City
Age: 61
Playing Level: Decent.
Fitness Level: Old.
Pellegrini was a one club man who made over 450 appearances for Universidad de Chile and 28 caps for his nation, but he's old and frail.
#16 - Claudio Ranieri - Leicester City
Age: 63
Playing Level: Decent.
Fitness Level: Old.
A solid Serie A player for both Catania and Palermo, Ranieri's age and slender frame count against him here.
#15 - Brendan Rodgers - Liverpool
Age: 42
Playing Level: None.
Fitness Level: Good.
While he's in decent shape, he never played at any sort of level so can't be picked ahead of those who are battle hardened in Europe's top leagues.
#14 - Arsene Wenger - Arsenal
Age: 65
Playing Level: Nothing special.
Fitness Level: Old.
Strasbourg represents the high point of his career, and while he's pretty damn old, we think Arsene would be a dark horse in a 5-a-side as a wiley old vet.
#13 - Jose Mourinho - Chelsea
Age: 52
Playing Level: Nothing special.
Fitness Level: Good.
Another one in decent shape, Mourinho never played outside of the Liga Portugesa and the likes of Rio Ave, so he would have to rely on his fitness, which is decent.
#12 - Tony Pulis - West Brom
Age: 57
Playing Level: Nothing special.
Fitness Level: Good.
Again he didn't do much as a player, but he's fit and wears tracksuits everywhere so you have to imagine he's do a job as a no-nonsense enforcer.
#11 - Alan Pardew - Crystal Palace
Age: 54
Playing Level: Decent.
Fitness Level: Good.
Pards would definitely tell you he's the best, but despite a solid Premier League career and a decent level of fitness, there's some quality ahead of him in the rankings.
#10 - Eddie Howe - Bournemouth
Age: 37
Playing Level: Average.
Fitness Level: Very good.
Younger than a good few active players, Eddie Howe's career was cut short due to injury and although he wasn't too notable as a player, his youthfulness works in his favour.
#9 - Alex Neil - Norwich City
Age: 34
Playing Level: Nothing special.
Fitness Level: Very good.
Again, youth is on his side as if Alex Neil had more luck he would still be a player. He played for Barnsley and Hamilton Academical in Scotland, where he became player manager in 2013.
#8 - Slaven Bilic - West Ham United
Age: 46
Playing Level: Decent.
Fitness Level: Good.
His fondness of a cigarette works agains him here, but Bilic was a solid Premier League defender and a Croatian international. He would still be of use.
#7 - Roberto Martinez - Everton
Age: 42
Playing Level: Nothing special.
Fitness Level: Very good.
Roberto Martinez is a Wigan and Swansea hero, who never played in the top leagues despite having many fine qualities as a holding midfield player. He's in shape, and he's proved he can still kick it:
#6 - Garry Monk - Swansea City
Age: 36
Playing Level: Average.
Fitness Level: Very good.
A Swansea legend, Gary Monk was playing in the Premier League as recently as 2014 when he was appointed player/manager by the Swans. The majority of his career being in England's lower leagues works against him.
#5 - Tim Sherwood - Aston Villa
Age: 46
Playing Level: High.
Fitness Level: Very good.
A Premier League winning captain, Sherwood is probably still pretty damn good despite being a bit mental.
#4 - Quique Flores - Watford
Age: 50
Playing Level: Elite.
Fitness Level: Good.
He played for Valencia and Real Madrid in La Liga, so he can definitely play. He's in good shape for a 50 year old too.
#3 - Ronald Koeman - Southampton
Age: 52
Playing Level: Elite.
Fitness Level: Poor.
A Champions League and European Championship winner, Koeman was a sensational player and a star for Barcelona. Even though he's got a belly on him now, you know he's still capable of moments of magic.
#2 - Mark Hughes - Stoke City
Age: 51
Playing Level: Elite.
Fitness Level: Good.
Hughes was a star for Manchester United and Barcelona who was never reliant on his pace, even though he's in great shape for a man who's 51. Any doubts over his ability to still kick it have been emphatically quashed by this clip:
#1 - Mauricio Pochettino - Tottenham Hotspur
Age: 43
Playing Level: Good.
Fitness Level: Very good.
Argentina international, La Liga midfielder and PSG player, Pochettino's excellent physical shape makes him the man you want on your fictional team of managers.
