I’d also give a shout out to Gasperini as one of the most innovative managers out there right now. Has had a bumpy career but has finally had a continuous run at a club that believes in his vision. In Atalanta he has been given time to shape the squad himself, and has been given the amount of time it takes for a squad to fully adapt to his tactics.
For him to really be considered a top-top manager, he needs to win a trophy. I think this is needed for him to really prove to bigger clubs that he is worth considering. Had a short spell at Inter, but never had the required time and influence to perform. But the way he has made his team peform has not only impressed fans of uncompromising and exciting football, but has also won him admiration and respect from fellow managers and former players. Especially Pep has on several occasions stated his admiration and inspiration from Gasperini's Atalanta.
What he has achieved at Atalanta :
16/17 season (first season):
- Fourth place in the league, which secured EL qualification.
- In the two seasons before, Atalanta finished three points from relegation in the 14/15 season and midtable in the 15/16 season.
17/18 season:
- Finished at seventh place, which secured EL qualification.
- Qualified for the EL Group Stage, and topped the group without losing in a group containing Everton, Lyon and Apollon Limassol.
- Reached the semi-final in the Coppa Italia
18/19 season:
- Finished third in the league, which secured CL qualification.
- Scored most goals in the league.
- Reached the final in the Coppa Italia, but lost against Lazio.
- Failed to qualify for EL.
19/20 season:
- Currently at fourth place in the league and thereby in contention for a CL spot.
- Most goals scored in the league, and one of the most scoring teams in the top leagues of Europe. This season alone has won 7-0, 7-1, 5-0 and 5-0 in Serie A.
- Has progressed from the group stage in CL.
With a slight dip in the league in 17/18 season (still a very good season by the standard of a club like Atalanta), Gasperini has steadily made Atalanta a contender for CL and done it by playing very offensively and exciting. He has done it with a team full of players most of us had not heard of before he made them what they are now. The stand out players in his team are maybe known to most: Alejandro Gomes, Luis Muriel and Ilicic. But he has also made players such as Hateboer, De Roon, Freuler, Zapata, Pasalic and Gosens to perform at a high level consistently.