The manager merry-go-round starts again this summer, with the possibility of several ‘top’ managers becoming available to work. Every year there are more and more managerial casualties in the Premier League as clubs are now striving for greater success. This season we saw West Brom, Aston Villa, Tottenham, Liverpool, Swansea, and Norwich all start with new managers and I expect next season there will be a few more. Instead of players being fought over, will it be managers this season? Are they the new stars of club football?
This summer I think we will see a change in terms of managers and how they are appointed. At the moment, the system is to just talk to each candidate and then employ the one that most suits the club, or if you are Chelsea, then anyone who will take the job. This time round, there might be a bidding war for some managers – something we rarely see happen. I can just see a few clubs fighting it out for top manager’s and it may well start to resemble the transfer pattern we have for players.
This change may be triggered, because this summer it is fairly possible that top clubs such as Chelsea, Man City, Arsenal, Real Madrid and PSG, will all be looking at new management. I know I’m writing as if I am sure, but as it stands, at this moment none of these managers are 100% keeping their jobs due to the way their current situations are panning out.
We all know Guardiola is free from June after taking a year’s sabbatical. He has always expressed his admiration for the Premier League and I think he would most likely take a job here, over the PSG or Real Madrid job. Having turned down Chelsea twice (and his agents stated this week that they were unhappy about the way Chelsea conducted themselves in their approach for Guardiola), I think he will be likely to either end up at Arsenal or Manchester City. Both teams have good odds on him joining.
It was rumoured highly this week that Jose Mourinho will be stepping down from the manger’s spot at Real Madrid to a slow start. Although not confirmed by the Special one himself it does seem likely that he probably will leave. He hasn’t seemed settled there for a year now.
There are many teams (if not all) that would snap Jose up in an instant. With Fergie speculating how he would like Jose to replace him at Old Trafford, will this be the year that he quits Man United? I can’t ever imagine a Man United or even a Premier League without Fergie, but maybe, just maybe he will make way for Jose.