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.