‘Supercoach’ era arrives in EPL
MANCHESTER, England (AP): WASH WITH more cash and global appeal than ever before, the English Premier League (EPL) is still struggling to lure or retain the elite players in world football like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez.
Here, for the moment, the Galacticos are the managers.
The era of the supercoach has arrived in England’s top division. Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger, Antonio Conte and Juergen Klopp make up possibly the most outstanding group of managers seen in this country at one time.
It means some huge reputations are going to take a battering during another highly anticipated Premier League campaign, which begins tomorrow with no obvious title favourites and with predictions warped by Leicester’s improbable surge to the championship last season.
“It’s a world championship of
Amanagers,” said Wenger, the 66year-old Arsenal manager. For drama, it may pay to check out the coaches’ technical area as much as the field of play. No more so than when Mourinho and Guardiola renew their rivalry as the new managers of Manchester United and Manchester City, respectively.
HEAVY SPENDING
The Manchester clubs have hogged the limelight this offseason because of the coaching arrivals and their heavy spending in the transfer market that reached US$400 million on Tuesday with the signings of Paul Pogba (for a world-record $116 million) and John Stones. Most British bookmakers make the teams the two favourites for the title this season.
Of course, the bookies can get it wrong. Take last season, for example.
Leicester started out as a 5,000-1 shot to win the Premier League and ended up romping home to finish 10 points clear, delivering one of the biggest
underdog triumphs in any sport. Chelsea started out as defending champions and favourites, and limped home in 10th place in the worst title defence seen in the Premier League.
This time round, City, United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham (in that order) are expected to be the main contenders in what is probably