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Old 11-02-2016, 11:11 AM #1
alex_front2 alex_front2 is offline
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 8,560
alex_front2 alex_front2 is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 8,560
Default Elite managers eg Guardiola, Mourinho, Ancelotti, Klopp really essential?

So Pep will be the highest paid person in EPL football (Mourinho at Man U reportedly earning £6m a year less than him). It begs the question how important really are managers in relation to succeess. We have seen Leicester transformed under Ranieri with just a few changes (best player Cambiasso left, Inler and Fuchs, Kante, and Gray added plus Chilwell promoted). Leicester however were fantastic from this point last year onwards under Pearson.They might have been top with him anyway.

Sure, there is a gulf in management skills such as tactical know how and motivational talent between a Pep Guardiola and an Alex Neil (Norwich City). Obviously the bald Scots man couldn't yet manage a Champions League level club like Man City or Arsena and bring success right now. But what about in the future?

However I am not convinced when the chips are down Pep G would be any better at managing Norwich City, Sunderland or Aston Villa. Could Pep really do a better job than relegation battle specialist Big Sam Allardyce? Pep inherited great squads at Barce and Bayern and just built on them. Sure hes won 19 trophies (including 6 in 1 season at Barce).Yet one can argue that the Bayern squad was better before Pep (treble winners), and that Barcelona now are also arguably better now under Enrique with Suarez and Neymar added to the mix.

As I said in the other thread, Klopp is fairing no better than Rodger IMHO.

I would take Eddie Howe over the likes of Mourinho when in comes to EPL relegation survival, just look at the mess Jose made of Chelsea part 2 season #3 , despite being reining Champions with Oscar, Courtois, Terry, Hazard and Fabregas. A lot of success is luck eg referees awarding dodgy penalties for your side, youth players coming good or having no or few or minor injuries to key players. Is Klopp doing any better than Rodgers? I know Remi Garde is hardly elite level but he was touted as a step up from Tim Sherwood .

Wenger was hardly elite when he arrived at Arsenal, he became elite due to winning titles, the Invincible season , winning FA and League cup v Sheffield Wendesday insame season, grooming Wright, Henry. Pochettino at Spurs is doing a great job bringing in youth prospects Ashe did at Soton, he could become elite if he wins the title which is looking likely. But even Poch has Neil Adkins to thank for bringing up Luke Shaw at Soton and thank Tim Sherwood for unearthing Harry Kane at THFC.

Ranieri went from wrongly sacked Tinkerman at Chelsea to underachieving wandering manager , Greece failure to Leicester saviour.

Talent and tactical know how is important of course, Brendan Rodgers had the best Liverpool side and still blew it due to tactical ineptitude .But I can not shake the notion that a Slavan Bilic , or a Ronald Koeman could leave West Ham /Soton and do a good job (titles , CL semis) at Arsenal or Manchester United, City.

Last edited by alex_front2; 11-02-2016 at 11:28 AM.
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