The pull of the Premier League is such that the majority of football’s elite managers are already employed by one of the division’s 20 teams, but with the line between job security and a poor run of form now razor thin, we are taking a look at the top 5 available managers waiting in the wings for an opportunity.
Perhaps the most high-profile hot seat that may become available soon is at Chelsea, with Graham Potter registering the worst start for a Blues boss in the last 30 years. Although the new ownership are remaining patient given the influx of transfers over the past year, it does feel as if their resolve will be tested should the poor run of form continue.
Elsewhere, it remains an unthinkable prospect that Jurgen Klopp could leave Liverpool amid a poor season, but failure to qualify for Europe, coupled with the possibility of no silverware may force the board to review their circumstances come the end of the season.
The victory at Newcastle over the weekend did feel somewhat like a turning point, but it remains to be seem whether they can cut the defecit between themselves and the top four.
Further down the table, Southampton may yet stick with caretaker manager Ruben Selles after he deputised with aplomb to guide the Saints to a 1-0 victory at Chelsea last time out, while David Moyes is seemingly on borrowed time with West Ham wallowing in the relegation zone.
Top 5 Available Managers For Premier Clubs
Marcelo Bielsa
Although perhaps not a name that screams comfort, there is no doubting that Marcelo Bielsa can light a spark in the dullest of places.
Fans of English football will be familiar with his miraculous tenure at Leeds, lifting a sleeping giant from the mire and gaining the club promotion to the top-flight for the first time in 16 years. Widely hailed as one of the most influential figures in football management, his pragmatism when it comes to detail could be beneficial for a side such as West Ham or Southampton, who are both stagnating at the foot of the table.
A true scholar of football to the point of obsession, his meticulous research of player profiles, tactical analysis and use of cutting edge software makes him an unconventional choice, but one that may save the season for certain clubs at this moment in time.
Luis Enrique
Luis Enrique will have his fair share of doubters after a disappointing World Cup campaign with Spain, but he remains an intriguing prospect for a host Europe’s elite.
Enrqiue famously turned down the opportunity to manage Chelsea while the club was still under the control of Roman Abramovich, but with Graham Potter’s future in a perilous position, the inevitable rumours linking the Spaniard with the job have surfaced once more.
Barcelona coaches with the most points obtained in their first 47 games:
– Luis Enrique: 115
– Xavi: 112
– Valverde: 111
– Pep Guardiola: 110The difference is that the other three had Leo Messi at their disposal, Xavi does not. pic.twitter.com/9jdoWA95UN
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) February 12, 2023
A Euro semi-finalist with Spain, as well as an historic treble-winning season as Barcelona manager shows he has all the capabilities to make the switch to the Premier League. Chelsea is an attractive prospect for someone of his profile – Enrique’s teams have been characterised as free-flowing, direct, dynamic and high-pressing, which seemingly suits the stacked attacking unit at Stamford Bridge.
Zinedine Zidane
Only current Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti has won more Champions Leagues as a manager than Zinedine Zidane, yet question marks remain over his capacity to manage elsewhere besides the Bernabeu.
Reminder: Zidane’s Real Madrid NEVER lost a FINAL. pic.twitter.com/2yAeADQA55
— Akın (@ProudFede) February 10, 2023
Zizou, for all his silverware in the Spanish capital, is somewhat of an unknown quantity. There is no denying that a three-time Champions League winner must hold the necessary tools to achieve at the very top, but the Madrid team between 2015 and 2018 was among the best elevens ever assembled, spearheaded by arguably the greatest marksman the game has ever seen.
After missing out on the France job with the Didier Deschamps remaining in the role, Zidane may look to club football once more given he is still in relative infancy when it comes to managerial careers at 50-years-old.
Mauricio Pochettino
Premier League experience is highly desirable for clubs on the lookout for a change in management, and Mauricio Pochettino fits that billing better than most.
After half a season at Southampton, the Argentine made the switch to North London where he oversaw a largely successful period at Tottenham, exiting with a 54.27% win rate.
The crowning moment came in 2019 after a last-gasp injury time winner against Ajax in the Champions League last four set up an all-English final with Liverpool, which they would go on to lose.
‘Poch’ is a manager that needs space to grow, rather than the suffocating demands of instant gratification that saw an unsavoury stint at PSG cut short last season. Chelsea is a project that a manager like Pochettino would dream of, but it remains to be seen whether Graham Potter can remedy the current situation.
It is also unclear how long Antonio Conte will remain at Spurs, with the Italian constantly dropping hints about his love for his homeland. A dream return to Tottenham for Poch? Perhaps.
Thomas Tuchel
You would be hard pushed to find a manager as good as Thomas Tuchel, which is why he sits firmly at the top of our available manager list.
The German’s sacking at Chelsea was, in hindsight, premature given that he had masterminded the unlikeliest of Champions League triumphs less than a year before.
Guess I really do miss Tuchel-ball..pic.twitter.com/Q758EGFbzO
— GCT (@GoodCFCtakes) February 20, 2023
It is highly unlikely he would want to return to West London given the circumstances of his departure, while other jobs may be beneath his stature. Tottenham is a club that may suit his chaotic, pragmatic, full-throttle football, but Conte will have to vacate his seat for that to happen.
Tuchel may have set his sights on another elite league, but it is a certainty that his absence from management won’t last much longer.
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