01 Nov 2019 23:08:34
Ed. 001/ 002

A few years ago, you (ed.002 I think) gave your run down on all the premier league managers of the time. Had a look for it but couldn't find it.

If memory serves me, you said that Slaven Bilic was a one term wonder and would be found out in a second season. He left the club not so long after.

The other thing I remember you saying was that Klopp didn't have a plan B if the pressing game didn't work.

Firstly could you do a rundown of the current crop and would you now change your view on Klopp as a manager? Obviously he has better players at the club to implement different ways of playing but it may also be that with Buvac leaving, it allowed Klopp to have tighter control of the reins.

Understand that any reply you give is an opinion, which is what is being asked for.

{Ed002's Note - Very quickly:
- Unai Emery - a mistake, way down the list of coaches wanted by Arsenal. Depending where they end up this season, he could be gone in the summer - potentially before with the club having taken a signifiucant financial risk which may backfire.
- Dean Smith - doing well but very early days.
- Eddie Howe - doing well and will be offered the opportunity to move on and it may be a tough decision.
- Graham Potter - well liked and well respected - but it is all going wrong
- Sean Dyche - stable and at the right club.
- Frank Lampard - doing very well as expected. Was not first choice but the club will back him.
- Roy Hodgson - A very pleasant man.
- Marco Silva - the wrong man for the job.
- Brendan Rodgers - doing very well and liked by the players.
- Jurgen Klopp - changed tact and happy to now buy success - was very reliant on Buvac and Ljinders has stepped up as well - team is doing great right now.
- Pep Guardiola - has a proven track record and has sustained it.
- Ole Gunnar Solskjær - wrong person for the job.
- Steve Bruce - journeyman coach holding the fort until the club is sold.
- Daniel Farke - a shrewed choice who could end up being cherry picked back to Germany.
- Chris Wilder - doing very well.
- Ralph Hasenhüttl - has made a number of bad decisions at RBL and should not have taken the Southampton job.
- Mauricio Pochettino - needs to win something - the club is a difficult one to coach due to Daniel Levy being so high profile - could be priced out of a move but will gat an approach.
- Quique Flores - Another second rate journeyman and it is going horribly wrong - won't last.
- Manuel Pellegrini - Has had a lot of breaks in the coaching business and it is hard to understand why. Hard to see West Ham United trying to find a longer term solution before too long.
- Nuno - Well liked and doing well but with significant financial backing.}

1.) 02 Nov 2019
02 Nov 2019 14:34:11
Hi Ed002

Bit pedantic but I hope you don't mind as it's not the first time I've noticed you using the wrong form of this phrase. It's a sailing metaphor and the phrase is "change tack" not "change tact"

{Ed002's Note - I appreciate the comment - “tact” is, or at least was, commonly used in the US - but as you say it is strictly incorrect.}

2.) 02 Nov 2019
02 Nov 2019 15:10:20
Thanks Ed002 and for your insightful and amusing review of Premiership Managers.

3.) 02 Nov 2019
02 Nov 2019 17:39:05
Edit. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - Norwegian PE Teacher.

4.) 02 Nov 2019
02 Nov 2019 17:42:22
Just to be a knob. ‘Changed tack’ is a sailing reference - generally meaning to change course, in order to try and get more wind.

5.) 02 Nov 2019
02 Nov 2019 18:03:00
Thanks guys, i always thought it was tact, always appreciate being educated. And thanks ed, good read.

6.) 02 Nov 2019
02 Nov 2019 18:21:47
Thank you Ed. I look forward to your posts. Very insightful.

7.) 02 Nov 2019
02 Nov 2019 19:25:09
Ed002 enjoyed that thank you. On the Potter one I notice you said it’s all going wrong. Have I missed something. They were abysmal last season and are currently in 8th this season.

{Ed002's Note - The results have not been good enough this season. They need to improve.}

8.) 02 Nov 2019
02 Nov 2019 20:20:59
Ed002 appreciate the reply. Thank you.

9.) 02 Nov 2019
02 Nov 2019 21:47:56
Roy Hodgson - A very pleasant man. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 made me chuckle that ed.

10.) 02 Nov 2019
02 Nov 2019 21:10:25
I'm surprised Ed feels potter hasn't been good enough, they were unlucky early on this season to not get more points on the board but now they've recently got a few wins and are keeping clean sheets and are closer to top 4 than relegation in terms of points. Being in 8th place is certainly exceeding what is expected from Brighton.

I actually like potter as a manager for how he's set up his team to play nice football while also being defensively solid. He looks fluid tactically and I've noticed him mixing between back 4s and back 3s to success. He gets his defenders to play high up and pass with intent. Only city, Liverpool, and Chelsea have played more ground passes this season and only those 3 clubs also have bettered brightons total touches and their average possession per game is up a whopping 20% extra to last season.

I think he's doing a great job and certainly has improved Brighton since he's arrived, he's doing this while also having his team play nice passing football and using technical players like trossard, propper, mooy, groß along with wanting his 3cbs to get forward regularly. He's moved brighton on from being a side who needed to rely on a 35yr old Glenn Murray as their main approach to snatch a result with little quality to their all round game.

I think over time he will only get better and better as he builds a squad to best suit his strenghts.

I was surprised to hear your view on him as I was expecting you to rate him higher tbh.

11.) 02 Nov 2019
02 Nov 2019 23:15:47
This correcting of well known phrases is all a damp squid!

12.) 03 Nov 2019
03 Nov 2019 07:14:39
I think Potter is doing well with a weak squad.

great summary though thanks Ed.

{Ed002's Note - Expectations and promises made were high.}

13.) 06 Nov 2019
06 Nov 2019 00:06:41
Hi Ed.002,

Have been away for a couple of days. Thank you for your break down, much appreciated.

I do wonder why Pep doesn't get a "buy the league" comment as well. If Liverpool with their Van Dijk, Keita and Allison purchases deserve that label then surely City with their Rodri, Cancelo, Mahrez, Laporte, Mendy, Silva, Walker also do?

Anyway, as I say, Thanks for your time and effort.

{Ed002's Note - Because Klopp's selling point to the club was that he would win the league without spending money - that has been made very clear. Klopp changed and admits that.}