15. Ong Kim Swee (Malaysia)

Perhaps just as controversial an inclusion on FourFourTwo’s annual list of the top 15 ASEAN managers as he was when appointed to the national post on a fulltime basis earlier this year.

With the 45-year-old’s previous success – a Premier League title in 2009 and the 2013 SEA Games crown prominent amongst them – fading a little as time passes, the next couple of months loom as a key period not just for the Malaysian national team but also for the reputation of the former Sabah midfielder.

Looking purely at results over the period since his permanent ascension things are not as bad as they’re often painted – eight matches for three wins, three draws and two losses is a steady enough return.

Speculation around his future continues to swirl though and the ongoing spat between influential Johor Darul Ta'zim boss Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim and the Football Association of Malaysia similarly shows no signs of abating.

Ong also stands to be without four influential players for the tournament which could define his career, November’s Suzuki Cup.

Repeated questions around the choice and quality of opposition in the build-up to the regional showpiece have been doubled down with claims from the JDT camp that players have been prepared poorly physically and returned to their clubs in a worse state than when they departed – all allegations the national coach and his employers deny.

Regardless, Ong has more than enough talent at his disposal to steer Malaysia out of the easier of the two Suzuki Cup groups. It’s then in the semi-finals where his years of managerial experience will be tested, under the harshest glow possible in Southeast Asia.

14. Irfan Bakti Abu Salim (FELDA)

Speaking to FourFourTwo at the start of the current season, the oldest manager on this list – by some measure – said he wants to be judged by results and nothing else.

Whilst the team has played some impressive, and quite often, attractive football at times this season, it’s also doing well on the metrics of its 65-year-old coach.

Sitting second in the Malaysia Super League, behind only heavyweights JDT, it’s been an impressive season to date for the club which was only promoted from the Premier League at the start of last year.

Having only lost three times in the league all year – including last week to the Southern Tigers – the club has also won four from its opening five Malaysia Cup matches to book its ticket to the quarter-finals of that competition.

In his third year at the helm the veteran coach made it clear that silverware is the goal and on that measure he has the team nicely poised for the run home.

He’s demonstrated all his years of experience by rotating his squad effectively to keep everyone as fresh as possible for some massive matches looming on the horizon.

The former Selangor and Terengganu mentor may have turned 65 this year, but he shows no sign of slowing down in his pursuit to guide the Fighters to the top of the pile in the highly competitive world of Malaysian football. 

13. Prak Sovannara (Boeung Ket)

Sitting in a similar position on our list to last year [up two spots from No.15], the boss of Cambodian outfit Boeung Ket has continued to establish the team as a perennial title contender.

After finishing six points clear at the end of the regular season last year, the club ended up crashing out in the first round of the finals series before rebounding strongly this season.

Currently head of the pack with the regular season drawing to a close, Prak has impressed by losing just the one match in the league over this campaign.

That’s come whilst the team, powered by national starlet Chan Vathanaka, has continued to smash goalscoring records along the way – they’ve currently plundered 53 in just 16 matches at a clip of more than three goals per match, a record unmatched virtually anywhere else in Southeast Asia.

Famed for his embrace of technology and attention to detail, the results show that the club and its coach are the most successful combination in Cambodian football over the past several seasons. 

12. Chris Greatwich (Player-Coach/Kaya)

A new name on FourFourTwo’s annual list, Greatwich’s playing career is perhaps not yet at a complete close even as he takes the first tentative, yet impressive, steps in his senior coaching career.

One of the best players from what’s been an excellent generation of Filipino talent, the 32-year-old was appointed player-coach in November of the current season with the club he joined back in 2013.

It’s a slightly odd arrangement though as Stephen Nicholls is listed as the official head coach, although the reality is Greatwich is in control and whilst he’s also listed as a player, he’s yet to feature since being an unused substitute in the AFC Cup Round of 16 loss to JDT.

Seemingly destined for such a coaching role for several years, the English-born midfielder has been director of the Kaya Academy for more than three years where he cut his managerial teeth before having a couple of spells in temporary charge of the senior squad prior to his fulltime appointment.

The 7-2 walloping at the hands of JDT certainly wasn’t the kind of start Greatwich would have envisaged, but he’s improved the club steadily through the first half of the domestic United Football League season.

Having won eight of their 12 matches thus far, Kaya are sitting fifth in a tightly-packed title race and the experience Greatwich takes from his debut season could see him push up even higher in our annual rankings in the years to come. 

11. V. Sundramoorthy (Singapore)

Having slipped slightly on our list from last year [down from No.8], the next couple of months will be key in determining just where the former national star sits on next year’s tally.

For the first time in five years, the man known as the ‘Dazzler’ during his playing days was back in charge of an S.League side and he made an impressive start, losing only once in his first 10 domestic matches whilst also helping lead the club to the quarter-finals of the AFC Cup after a Round of 16 win over Indian giants Mohun Bagan – ironically the same club they lost to earlier in the year in an Asian Champions League (ACL) qualification match.

That success led to the 50-year-old being handed control of the national team on an interim basis in June where the goal was clear – success at the upcoming Suzuki Cup.

It’s been a rocky start though as Singapore first made the decision to train in the Japanese prefecture of Niigata where they were defeated 3-2 by a collection of students from the local Health & Welfare University before, more seriously, losing 2-1 to Cambodia – their first loss to that nation in 44 years.

Regarded as a shrewd tactical mind and a dedicated manager, Sundram has assembled solid back-room staff. But given the one-year nature of the deal he signed, the focus is almost completely on how the Lions do in the Suzuki Cup, starting with a high-pressure clash against co-hosts Philippines in mid-November. 

10. Phan Thanh Hung (Than Quang Ninh)

The former national team striker has tasted further success since his inclusion on our list last season and continues to be regarded as the best of the local coaches operating in Vietnam’s V.League.

After guiding Hanoi T&T to a second-placed finish in the league last season, he then steered the club to the playoff round of the Champions League, where it lost 3-0 to Korean hotshots Pohang.

Citing exhaustion the manager then unexpectedly resigned barely a week out from the start of the current domestic season, only to resurface less than a month later at Than Quang Ninh.

The fact the club is based not far from the famed Halong Bay may be the ideal cure for exhaustion, but either way the wily 56-year-old has immediately set about weaving his magic at a club that has threatened on occasion but never really managed to crack the top of the Vietnamese league.

Regarded as a coach who forms quick bonds with the playing group and also possesses a sharp tactical mind, he steered Than Quang Ninh to third on the league table at the time of writing, just one win from the summit.

It’s that ability to immediately arrive at a club, get them organised and start picking up results that sets him aside from most of his contemporaries, and is why you’re likely to see the name Phan Thanh Hung high on our annual list for years to come. 

9. Ali Go (Ceres)

Another season of success for Ceres and their now-former manager, winning the 2015 UFL title by a full eight points from Loyola before embarking on a history-making run in the AFC Cup.

Although not listed as the ‘official’ manager due to registration issues, former Philippines national team star Go was the man pulling the strings behind the scenes as the club went undefeated to top its group ahead of the more highly-fancied Tampines Rovers and Selangor.

It took until the 107th minute for Hong Kong outfit South China to break down their resistance and eliminate them from the tournament at the Round of 16 stage, but it showed just how far the club had come under the man who in many ways built its modern success.

Stepping up into a more overarching role as club director as Risto Vidakovic took control of the day-to-day management of the team in July, it may not be long before the 39-year-old is back on the touchline should the club’s struggles under their new coach – they’re currently without a win in their past three games – continue. 

8. U Kyi Lwin (Magwe)

Quietly spoken and quietly rising up FourFourTwo’s annual list of the leading ASEAN managers [he was No.11 last year], the former national team star has done nothing but solidify his already strong reputation over the past 12 months.

After guiding the Myanmar under-22 side to the final of the 2015 SEA Games, Kyi Lwin returned to the club scene where he’s led Magwe to a string of impressive results over more fancied – and better funded – opponents in the national league.

At the time of writing the club is on a nine-match unbeaten run that included a 1-0 victory against runaway league leaders Yadanarbon at the start of the month.

Second on the standings as the league draws to a close it’s been another successful season for the club from the banks of the Irrawaddy and its coach, who is famously close to his playing group and regarded as the best tactical mind in the Land of the Golden Pagodas. 

7. Tan Cheng Hoe (Kedah)

Speak to those in the know in Malaysian football about who is the most impressive homegrown coach and the answer is almost unanimous.

Tan Cheng Hoe had a remarkable run of success last season, guiding Kedah back to the top flight after a three-year absence by winning the Premier League, at the same time as going on a Malaysia Cup run that stretched all the way to the final where they fell 2-0 to Selangor.

At the time of writing the club sits third in the Malaysia Super League; an astonishing achievement for the newly promoted team which relies heavily on a core of exciting young players in concert with some more experienced imports.

It’s a balance that’s not always easy to get right, but the man who won the Malaysia Cup with the same team as a player back in 1990 has not only got the mix spot on, but also has the team playing some of the most eye-catching, attractive football in the land.

It’s that’s pro-active approach which has won the former national assistant some rave reviews over the past couple of seasons. 

6. Graham Arnold (Sydney FC)

As was the case with Kevin Muscat at Melbourne Victory last season, there was a strong showing on the larger, continental stage, yet a season of struggle domestically for Arnold and Sydney FC.

Hamstrung by a slashed playing budget and in the process of overhauling what was an unbalanced squad, the Sky Blues stumbled to a seventh-place finish in the A-League, missing out on the playoffs.

In the ACL though it was a much better experience with historic wins over a pair of former champions in Guangzhou and Pohang, along with a draw against another in the form of Japanese giant Urawa as Sydney topped their group.

A 1-1 draw in China against Shandong set the club up nicely for the second leg of its Round of 16 tie, only for Hao Junmin to score in the 90th minute of a 2-2 draw in Sydney to progress on away goals.

With some strong recruitment and no ACL distractions this term expect Sydney FC to return to being serious title contenders in Australia again under the tutelage of shrewd tactician Arnold, who has already turned down several lucrative offers abroad to remain loyal to the club. 

5. Kevin Muscat (Melbourne Victory)

Last season was one of mixed success for Muscat and his Victory outfit and there are plenty of challenges ahead, not least of which is the arrival at cross-town rivals Melbourne City of Socceroo great Tim Cahill.

Muscat, the former long-serving national team defender, guided the club to its first ever appearance in the Champions League Round of 16, where it was just shaded by Korea’s Jeonbuk 3-2 on aggregate, but it was a season of struggles domestically.

After finishing sixth in the regular season standings, the club was then eliminated from the finals in the opening week at the hands of Brisbane Roar.

But the 44-year-old did a manful job in juggling both domestic and continental duties and, without the distraction of the latter this coming term, expect a strong bounce-back from Victory and their highly-rated, driven young manager.

4. Totchtawan Sripan (Muangthong)

Old enough to have the experience needed to guide a club like Muangthong, yet young enough to still be Instagramming with the kids, Totchtawan has progressed from being an outstanding player to being a very good coach.

One of Thailand’s most distinguished midfielders, he’s seemingly had a magic touch throughout his coaching career, which began in earnest when he took his hometown club, Saraburi, on a series of promotions from the regional leagues all the way to the Premier League in 2015.

After parting ways with the club early in the season he then dropped down to Division 1 again, promoting Police United to the TPL before being appointed Muangthong boss in late January – the first Thai to helm the club in more than half a decade.

The new man faced a baptism of fire as the club disposed of Johor Darul Ta’zim on penalties in an Asian Champions League (ACL) qualifier in his first competitive match before MTU fell to the might of Shanghai SIPG in the playoff round.

It’s been pretty much smooth sailing in the league for the Kirins though as they’ve lost only three times all season and are engaged in an epic battle with Bangkok United for the title.

Sure, the club has wealth and a roll-call of talented players, but without a steady guiding hand we’ve seen many in this same situation falter and the 44-year-old has earned plenty of plaudits this season for being just that kind of coach.

3. Tony Popovic (Western Sydney Wanderers)

Despite the stellar and unprecedented success of 2014 when Popovic and the backroom staff at Western Sydney gave birth to a club that would conquer Asia, there were some questions being quietly whispered the season following.

A slip all the way to second last on the A-League standings had some wondering whether it was all too good to be true and there was great scrutiny on the club heading into the recently completed domestic season.

Not only did the Wanderers rebound, despite again being rebuilt with a host of new faces, but they did so in impressive fashion, finishing the regular season second, just a point adrift of premiers Adelaide. They then lost the grand final 3-1 to the same opponents back in May.

The constant evolution of this club has been a hallmark of Popovic’s tenure and while the recruitment of some foreign players for the upcoming season has been eye-raising, not many would bet against the 43-year-old manager being able to squeeze the very best out of his squad once again. 

2. Ange Postecoglou (Australia)

Perhaps slightly unfortunate to have fallen from the top perch he occupied last year, Postecoglou remains amongst the elite coaches throughout Southeast Asia and beyond.

It’s worth pointing out that the quality of the opponents Australia have faced over the past 12 months is certainly higher than any other national team in the region, so the team’s three losses over that period have to be weighted accordingly.

Jordan in Amman, England in Sunderland and a friendly loss to Greece in Melbourne were the only defeats the team suffered.

With the FIFA Confederations Cup – as well as the next cycle of World Cup qualifiers – on the horizon, Postecoglou is finally starting to realise his goal when he assumed control of assembling a new-look, dynamic squad that plays with respect, but without fear.

Hamstrung somewhat by a generation lacking the elite talent of that which preceded it, the work the 50-year-old has already done looks all the brighter when seen in this light. 

1. Kiatisuk Senamuang (Thailand)

It’s been another good 12 months for Thailand as they ramp up their preparations for the Suzuki Cup. While many of the other favoured nations continue to implode through questionable appointments, obscure preparation and ordinary results, it’s been steady as she goes for the defending regional champions.

Undefeated in competitive matches since the second leg of the last Suzuki Cup final, the Thais have only lost twice in their past 12 matches overall – a narrow defeat to perennial Asian heavyweights South Korea in a Bangkok friendly in late March and then last week’s defeat to Qatar in another friendly ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia.

Despite that recent hiccup, the Thai squad has continued to be both strengthened and deepened, with a distinctive style now firmly in place. The War Elephants will also be favoured to defend their Suzuki Cup crown when the 2016 edition kicks off in November.

No other coach on this list has a record as impressive as the man known universally as ‘Zico’ and he justifiably sits atop our annual tally of the leading ASEAN mentors for the first time.