In one of the most competitive leagues, the managers of clubs are under severe pressure to bring out the A-game every time his team steps on to the field. But the EPL also gives them loads of other problems because of its intensity and physicality. It is not easy to have a cool head in every situation and we have seen a number of occasions where the bosses just lost it during the game or at a press meet.
Add to this the high expectations of not only the fans but also the franchise owners, it makes the manager’s job one of the toughest in Europe. But there have been managers who were able to find consistency and in this article we will look at 5 such manages who have excelled in the year 2015.
1. Arsene Wenger (Arsenal):
The French manager failed to appear in the list of top 5 managers in 2014 but sits at the top of the pile this season. Arsenal have won more points than any other team in 2015 in the Premier League. They also have the best defense in the league in this period and are the most consistent of the Premier League teams recently. Arsene Wenger had his team playing some good football at the fag end of the last season and did not feel the need to buy any mid-field players in the summer transfer window. The Gunners have been good this season but have lost the odd game in between and will be looking for consistency even in the midst of all the injury problems that plague the squad. The manager has made his players play his own brand of football and will see his team stand at the top of the table going into the New Year. It has been a very good year for the 66 year old who will hope to take his club to the first title in more than 10 years this season.
2. Claudio Ranieri (Leicester City):
The Italian national was announced as the Leicester City coach in July this year and has been a revelation since taking charge of the Foxes. Many pundits brushed away a team consisting of fringe players and a manager who has not been at his best in previous campaign in the country. But the 64 year old will be laughing as he has taken the nation by a storm with his team’s attacking play this season. Ranieri has got the Foxes playing a low possession, counter attacking style of football that suits the team he has accumulated at the King Power. Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, two players who have not gained any popularity before this season have shown how destructive they can be while Kante and Fuchs have provided the solidarity in the middle. Though Leicester may not end the season with a trophy, the manager has made a commanding statement about his style of football and has been one of the most successful this year.
3. Mauricio Pochettino (Tottenham Hotspur):
The Argentine manager has been one of the best in his position in recent times in the Premier League. With just 8 losses in the whole year, Pochettino has done extremely well with the Spurs team who are looking at an unlikely title challenge this season. They were winning games at the end of the last season that saw them finish 5th in the table. They started this season with a loss at Old Trafford but have lost just one game ever since. They are 4th in the Premier League table going into New Year and Pochettino should take the whole credit for it. The 43 year old has done a great job at the helm of the London franchise as he filtered all the weak players and has organized a youth centric team at the club. The statistics show that the Spurs have outrun most of their opponents during games and shows the energy and the zeal shown by the players. The manger has got the team playing for him and it will be up to him now to steer them towards silverware this season.
4. Alan Pardew (Crystal Palace):
Alan Pardew came to Crystal Palace on the 2nd of January this year and has won more Premier League points than all clubs except Arsenal and Manchester City. He took over a Palace side that was staring down the barrel and got them to play some scintillating football at the end of the last season. He took the club to the middle of the table and started this season in grand fashion. He has his own style of football that has rubbed off onto the players and the results are there to see for everyone as Palace go into the New Year standing 5th in the Premier League table. Though Champions League might be out of reach, a European spot is surely within the grasp and Pardew will love to go into next season with European football to look forward to. The 54 year old will have to be careful to not let his guard down and will have to make sure that his team continues to perform the way they have been in recent times.
5. Quiqe Sanchez Flores (Watford):
Watford were promoted to the top flight of English football this season and made a number of changes to the team that bought them there. A number of foreign players came into the team while a new manager who had no previous experience of the EPL was appointed. All this looked like a recipe to disaster but Sanchez Flores has proved everyone wrong with his team’s performances this season. Building his team on a solid 4-4-2 formation that relies on hard work and relentless running, Flores has quietly formed a team that many in the Premier League are not looking forward to face. Ighalo has been a sensation up top but Deeney was tagged the soul of the team by the manager. Conquering the EPL in the first season is by no means easy but the Spanish manager has won more points than Aston Villa, a team playing in top flight in the whole of 2015. It will not be easy to keep up the good work for a long time but if they can, they have a great chance of playing in Europe next season which will be a great achievement given they were promoted just this season.