With the Premier League end-of-season awards fast approaching, here’s an early look at seven main contenders to win the manager of the year award, with some surprise names among the usual suspects at Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea…
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1) Jose Mourinho (Chelsea)
An obvious candidate given Chelsea’s lead at the top of the Premier League table, Jose Mourinho has done a superb job with the Blues this season, bringing in the players needed to improve on last season’s third place finish and no trophy.
2) Louis van Gaal (Manchester United)
A man who has had some ups and downs in his first season in English football, Louis van Gaal deserves huge credit for Manchester United’s recent turnaround in form – the Red Devils now look certain to claim a Champions League place, and could even finish as high as second in what would be a big improvement on last season’s crisis under David Moyes.
3) Brendan Rodgers (Liverpool)
After losing Luis Suarez and suffering a difficult start, Brendan Rodgers looks like turning Liverpool into a force again after a remarkbale second half of the season. A top four place might just elude the Reds, but given the issues the Northern Irishman has had to cope with, it’s impressive to see him build another exciting young team playing superb attacking football.
4) Arsene Wenger (Arsenal)
He’ll no doubt be criticised again if Arsenal don’t win a trophy, but Arsene Wenger has put together another fine Gunners side this season, with his team setting a record for this season with eight consecutive league wins. The title looks a bridge too far, though they may still fancy themselves if they manage a win over current leaders Chelsea, who also have Manchester United and Liverpool to play. The FA Cup final looks a strong possibility, with signings like Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez clicking brilliantly this term.
5) Ronald Koeman (Southampton)
Arguably the most impressive manager this season, Ronald Koeman has worked wonders with Southampton given the mass exodus of star players he had to deal with in the summer. The Saints battled for much of the campaign for a top four place and still look a good bet for European football after showing great resilience and consistency, coupled with some attractive attacking football.
6) Alan Pardew (Crystal Palace)
Love him or hate him, Alan Pardew seems to bring success wherever he goes and has made a terrific impact on Crystal Palace, with his former club Newcastle United also struggling badly without him since he left midway through the season. Palace’s relegation fears are now definitely eased, and the club looks like becoming a safe mid-table side under the ex-West Ham boss, which is some achievement.
7) Sam Allardyce (West Ham United)
Although West Ham’s form has dipped in the second half of the season, Sam Allardyce is an outsider for the prize after doing some tremendous work with the Hammers for much of the campaign, showing he can mix it up with some smart signings and a bit more in the way of flair and attacking football at Upton Park.