While the pressure on Wenger is real this year, the pressure for Mourinho is to rebuild his reputation. (Source: Reuters)
In Fox’s sci-fiction drama series X-Files, a character named “cigarette-smoking man”, was played by actor, William B Davis, who looked strikingly similar to Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger. But the similarities do not end there. The cigarette-smoking man in the show was killed on numerous occasions, only to return season-after-season. Sounds familiar?
Just when things looked horrid for Wenger, with fans protesting on streets, mouthing abuses and “Wenger Out” becoming an everyday chant in London, the manager found a way to survive. Yet again. A season which saw Arsenal losing out their top-4 place for the first time since the 1995-96 season was saved once again by an emphatic FA Cup victory against Premier League Champions Chelsea.
The pressure on Wenger is real this year. With a comparatively lighter schedule, due to no Champions League fixtures, the fans expect the Gunners to challenge for the title. Going by the recent rise in numbers of managers being sacked in EPL, Wenger cannot take his two-year signed contract for granted and must find a way to regain some of the faith he has lost among the fans.
The season has started well, with new signings Alexander Lacazette and Sead Kolanisac, looking in supreme touch. His recent win against Chelsea to lift the Community Shield would have given a boost to his side. Wenger would hope to start off his campaign with a solid win against Leicester on the opening day.
In last six years, Arsenal has won only one of their opening day matches. A win against former EPL winners will probably lift the spirits of the manager and make fans get behind him again.
Jose Mourinho
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has gone with what he knows best this season. Investing in a solid defender in Victor Lindelof, along with a defensive midfielder in Nemanja Matic from Chelsea, Mourinho appears to be returning to his defensive best (or parking-the-bus strategy). Moreover, instead of investing in doubtful Alvaro Morata, the Portuguese manager decided to bank on someone he has managed before in Romelu Lukaku.
The pressure for Mourinho is to rebuild his reputation. He is known to be the manager who gets things done by his second season, and several football pundits are expecting him to give United another Premier League trophy. At a time, when English teams are going with young, vibrant managers such as Antonio Conte and Jurgen Klopp, Mourinho needs to prove he is getting better with age.
The primary aim for the manager will be to not drop too many points and look for wins against weaker oppositions. Unfortunately, for Mourinho, the first fixture against West Ham, who have done tremendous business in the summer transfer, can get tricky.
Pep Guardiola
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola recognised the problem in his team last year. The average age of his squad was just too high. The former Bayern Munich manager has invested in a lot of young talent and has mounted a £217 million defence featuring the new comers Benjamin Mendy, Danilo, Kyle Walker and Ederson.
The pressure on Guardiola is to now convert the money that is invested into trophies. As a manager, his first year at Etihad was his worst ever. It was the first time in his career that he had failed to acquire a single trophy and had ended in the third position on the table. The Spanish manager has fixed the leaks in the team, by releasing several older players to set a younger team.
This time, Guardiola has no excuses left. He has to live up to his reputation and give City fans something to cheer for. Or he might reduce down to yet another Premier League flop manager.
Jurgen Klopp
It’s been almost two years since former Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp has signed on with Liverpool. While the side has regained some of its confidence under his tenure and regained Champions League football, it has failed to win too many trophies. The coveted Premier League trophy seems still out of grasp for the club.
Klopp has signed fast midfielders in Sadio Mane and Mohammed Salah, which suits his style of vibrant and dynamic football. But, in a weird way, Liverpool often finds a way to drop points against slower teams. In the previous season, the Scousers lost against Bournemouth, Swansea and Crystal Palace among other weaker oppositions.
The pressure is on Klopp to live up to fans’ expectations, which he has failed to do so far in England. Losing out on Philippe Coutinho, who has undoubtedly been the star player for the club over the years, is another huge blow that will hurt Klopp’s confidence.
