The Premier League has attracted some of the biggest names in world football.
For the new season, Premier League clubs with their financial budgets might have attracted some of the greatest names in football management to their tiny, but not insignificant island. When the Premier League season starts, Mourinho, Guardiola, Conte, Wenger, Klopp and Pochettino will lock horns in what can only be described as the greatest managerial battle ever witnessed in this league.
Here are seven men who are likely to pick up the Premier League trophy:
Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho (Getty Images)
The self-proclaimed 'Special One' had the most chastening year of his management career as his championship winning team flirted with relegation before he was unceremoniously shown the door at his beloved Chelsea. While it was an open secret that Mou preferred the Manchester United job, and was shocked not to be anointed as Sir Alex Ferugson’s successor. The post-Ferguson slump has saddened many of the fans, and they will be hoping Mourinho is the man to lead the club back to their rightful place at the pinnacle of English football. Oh and there’s that small matter of Mourinho being stuck in the same town as his arch-rival Pep Guardiola, a man whose style of beautiful passing football is considered the very antithesis of everything 'The Special One' stands for.
Pep Guardiola
Pep Guardiola (Getty Images)
The most celebrated coach in modern football was wooed for a long time by Manchester City who’ve always wanted to leave a legacy instead of just buying the top players. To that effect they brought in former Barcelona chief executive Ferran Soriano and sporting director Begiristain and Guardiola was the final jewel in that crown. Despite winning everything there is to win in the game, Guardiola has often been accused of being a flat-track bully. Now back in the same town as his arch-nemesis Mourinho, Guardiola will come out to prove that he’s not a flat-track bully, a manager who can actually beat teams that are better or equal to his team.
Antonio Conte
Antonio Conte (Chelsea)
Fresh from his heroics at the Euro 2016 tournament, where his less-glittering-than-usual Italian team beat flashier opponents like Belgium and Spain, and were mighty unlucky to go out after losing to Germany in the worst penalty shoot-out of all time, Conte has the unenviable task of leading Chelsea back to the top after a dismal finish at number 10. Known for his tactical acumen, and ability to get the very best out of his players, Conte will hope to make his mark in English football.
Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri (Getty Images)
The man who masterminded the unlikeliest Premier League title of all time, Claudio Ranieri will have to prove that lightning can strike twice if Leicester are to defend their crown. He also has that small issue of playing in the UEFA Champions League, and also hold on to his best players. Quickly adding five new players, Ranieri has already lost out his defensive genius Kante to Chelsea and will hope that other players don’t jump ship. Can the former Tinkerman do it again? He thinks there's a greater chance of aliens landing, but we know better than to rule him out.
Arsene Wenger
Arsene Wenger (Getty Images)
The oldest manager in the Premier League by a distance, Wenger has battled snipes that his time was over a long time ago. Despite winning a couple of cups in recent years, Arsenal has failed to win the Premier League title since the 2003-04 season and the days when Arsenal and Man Utd made the Premier League a two-horse race are long gone. Many Arsenal fans believe that Wenger has done all he can with the club and that the man who once crafted the Invincibles – the only team to go an entire season undefeated – is past his sell-by date. Despite coming second last season, Wenger’s Arsenal were out of the race a long time ago, and The Professor will be keen to prove to all the young upstarts that he’s still got what it takes.
Jurgen Klopp
Jurgen Klopp (Getty Images)
Liverpool fans were the happiest lot in the world when the board replaced Brendan Rodgers with former Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp and even a resurrected John Lennon probably wouldn’t have got as much attention in Merseyside when Klopp sauntered into town. While there were notable highs, there were lows as well and eight is not a position Liverpool fans will be happy with. However, Sir Alex Ferguson once described him as the man who worried him most since he could rejuvenate Liverpool and Klopp has shown during his time at Dortmund that lack of money or resources doesn’t prevent him from doing what he does best – winning charismatically.
Mauricio Pochettino
Pochettino (Getty Images)
Had it not been Leicester’s magical season, Tottenham Hotspur’s 2015-2016 season would’ve garnered a lot more attention. Pochettino moulded the Tottenham side into a fearsome attacking unit the likes of Harry Kane and Delle Alli leading the charge. They challenged Leicester for the title till the fag end of the season before imploding at Chelsea, and Tottenham will hope to make amends. The squad is young and in Pochettino, they have one of the shrewdest managers in Europe.
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