The English Premier League 2012-2013 is now history. Sir Alex Ferguson has passed on the baton to David Moyes who will be second guessed to death if Manchester United in 2013-2014 is not off to a roaring start. This summer, football enthusiasts will monitor closely the perennial movement of coaches/managers. Rafael Benitez ended with a bang as Chelsea won the Europa Cup and edged Everton to close out the season. Benitez has indicated that he would like to land a coaching position in the EPL. If Abramovic had any sense, he would keep Benitez but the Chelsea owner is renown for his love of discontinuity.
The rumour is that Mourinho will make his second coming to Chelsea. Mourinho has a history of success but he does not wear well as after a couple of seasons, he becomes a divisive figure.
Wenger is safe as Arsenal by the skin of their teeth made it into the Champion’s League. As an ESPN commentator pointed out recently, in the five years that he has observed Arsene Wenger from the sidelines, he has not seen him issue instructions to his players but has been preoccupied with excoriating the referee and the fourth official.
Brendan Rogers made progress with the Liverpool experiment. The acquisition of Sturridge and Coutinho has added to Liverpool’s offensive potency. With the retirement of Carragher, they must now acquire an outstanding central defender. Liverpool should be a contender in 2013-2014.
Mancini slipped after winning the previous year and has been shown the exit door. The Malaga coach is set to replace Mancini who will pop up somewhere in Serie A.
The role of the manager/coach has become deterministic to a team’s success or failure. The management of highly paid stars requires a special tact. This summer we will not only pay attention to the movement of players but also the movement of managers.
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