When the Beat Drops
In this game of high-stakes musical chairs, a whole lot of teams will be left in the dust.
As the pressures of managing a football club increase, the patience given to managers has decreased. There’s no way Sir Alex Ferguson would have lasted long enough in this climate. Shieeet, gaffers are getting dropped like dirty drawers these days.
In a somewhat unprecedented development, many “top clubs” have a possibility of seeking a new boss this summer. Depending on how the season shakes out, new men can be managing Arsenal, PSG, Juventus, BVB, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atleti. Conversely, the amount of top tier managers isn’t nearly extensive. What this means is that you better do your homework and don’t stick because when the music stops, you may be one of the clubs without a chair.
Arsenal
Why they’ll need a coach:
Because the past can’t prevent the future. Ten. 10. 9+1. Arsenal giving up 10 goals in two games (15 in 3) to Bayern Munich has shown how far behind Arsenal have fallen in the grand scheme of things. Being an also ran in the EPL is one thing, but whats the point of celebrating Top 4 when all it means is you receiving the jail shower special in the Knockout phase every year? If Arsenal are who the Gooners say they are, Arsene’s reign is over.
Who should they get:
There are tons of names floating around (Simeone, Allegri, etc…) but, the ideal candidate would probably Monaco’s Jardim. Monaco’s gorgeous offensively potent football and focus on nurturing young talent into superstars speaks to the Arsenal of seasons past. If the Gunners wish to roll back the clock and bring back the glory days, Jardim may be the timekeeper.
PSG
Why they’ll need a coach:
Because of failed promises. Bottlers. Frauds. Arsenal South. Unai Emery was brought in to take PSG to continental glory. Laurent Blanc failed to make it to the promised land after walking through Ligue Un. Under Emery, PSG has just completed a bottle job in the CL that would have Steph Curry and Julio Jones laughing their asses off. On top of that PSG, are looking up at the high flying Monaco in the league table. There is a real chance that they’ll not only miss out on the CL but regress and not win the league either.
Who should they get:
PSG have the riches of all the top clubs and after other clubs vulture Monaco’s talent this summer, they may have a relatively easy time regaining the league title and can focus on the Champions League. The big egos at the club call for a master of player management. PSG should send their feelers out to Germany and see if Carlo Ancelotti would trade in his sauerkraut for baguettes. Carlo is one of the few gaffers with the CV and skill to manage such a demanding and big club.
Juventus
Why they’ll need a coach:
Because of the lack of top talent someone is going to try and poach Allegri. Rumors of Max taking his talents to London have been picking up steam over the past few months and they will continue until Allegri and Juventus make a strong statement about his future.
Who should they get:
Juve have a stranglehold of Serie A. They have the funds to compete at the highest level and a strong stable club that players would love to play for. One issue that’s facing Juventus is that a lot of their talent is on the wrong side of 30 and may not be able to cut it at this level any longer. the Old Lady is in need of a facelift. Enter Mauricio Pochettino. Poch has done a brilliant job of finding and nurturing youngsters into real ballers. Spurs problems are the same as them other North Londoners — a lack of grit and knowing how to win have hampered their success. At Juve, Poch would be asked to find and nurture young players — his specialty - and have a roster full of experienced veterans to lean on during the tough times. Win-win.
Borussia Dortmund
Why they’ll need a coach:
Because people love the new shiny thing on the block. Similar to Juve, teams will be hovering around Tommy Tuchel as they look to improve their own situation. After taking over for Jurgen Klopp, Tuchel’s BVB have undergone a serious youth movement. Armed with some of Europe’s best young talent and free-flowing attack minded team, this iteration of Borussia Dortmund is catching eyes.
Who should they get:
The Bundesliga is Bayern Munich’s world and everyone else just lives in it. Bayern’s dominance is established and expected. So who should try their hand at being the leader of the Yellow Wall? Enter The Professor. Yeah.. I know I just said that Wenger was washed in the last article, but hear me out! With lowered expectations to win the league and a stable of young superstar in the making level talent, Wenger could continue his grand football experiment unbothered by those pesky desires to win everything.
Real Madrid
Why they’ll need a coach:
Because the Madiridistas are fickle. Zidane has possibly the best start to a coaching career in the history of soccer, let alone modern sports. With a Champions League and the longest unbeaten run in La Liga history, Zizou should be afforded more security than he has been. However, as Madrid’s lead in La Liga has evaporated and Madrid haven’t shown tactical evolution, the whistles are growing louder. Although I still think its unlikely, there is a strong possibility that the Bald One will be looking for work elsewhere.
Who should they get:
Leonardo Jardim is again the man for the job. Real was one of the most potent teams when they were a counter attacking machine under Jose Mourinho. Jardim would be a perfect choice to utilize the pace of Bale, Cristiano, James, Asensio and crew. Madrid has the proper midfielders to play that type and with some reinforcement in the back line, Real can be taken to another level under Jardim.
Barcelona
Why they’ll need a coach:
Because they ran Lucho out of town. After a treble, Luis Enrique is calling it quits at Barcelona. There were rumblings of unhappiness with tactical decisions and the recent transfer policy has been an abject failure (Umtiti withstanding) and so Lucho will be shown the door. I believe that a lot of Barcelona’s issues are due to systemic issues within the club, such as, the crumbling of La Maisa, but that’s another article for another time.
Who should they get:
There are tons of names floating around but the one that strikes my eye is Sevilla’s Jorge Sampaoli. The Argentinian is having a magical season with Sevilla which see them just below Real and Barcelona in the table. If all things shake out right at the end of the season, Sampaoli could give Sevilla their first La Liga title since 1945 and ride off into the sunset with Barca.
Atletico Madrid
Why they’ll need a coach:
Because all good things come to an end. After recent magical seasons which saw Atleti win the league and reach two Champions League finals, the luster has seem to have worn. Simeone is not having the same effect on his troops. The team seems to have regressed and with rumors circling around the Hotline Blinger and and El Cholo’s future, who knows how things will end up in the capital.
Who should they get:
Atleti’s model is built off a strong defense, versatility, and efficiently potent strikers. Although he just got his chance and is having a great domestic season, Madrid should kick the tires on Antonio Conte. Conte’s style of play and sideline demeanor would definitely endear him to Los Rojiblancos. If they strike out there (which they more than likely will), they should turnt heir attentions to Ernesto Valverde. The Bilbao manager has taken a team that is restricted in their talent base (due to their requirement of playing Basque-born players) to incredible heights and has managed to keep the team ticking even though his top talent often gets poached by other clubs.
