The football season is nearly over and already clubs are beginning to cement their final league positions. Chelsea and Arsenal will finish in 3rd and 4th place respectively, while Aston Villa and Everton will finish 5th or 6th accordingly. The Premiership title is still unsettled though, with Liverpool pushing Manchester Utd all the way. The battle for the final European spot is still wide open though, and any three from five clubs could be relegated. But now is the time where managers are judged, and only one can be the Premiership Manager of the Year.
Although it can be argued, the top 10 teams managers could be considered candidates for various reasons, for me, it is a choice between just two managers, both Scots, Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester Utd and David Moyes of Everton.
Both clubs are massive. Manchester Utd need little introduction, being a massive worldwide brand and the Premierships most successful club. Everton are one of the original twelve clubs that formed the first football league over 100 years ago and are the fourth most successful club in England. But both clubs have had varying fortunes over the past 20 years, with Utd becoming one of the richest in the world and Everton, thanks to poor management in the 90's, losing their tag of the "Mersey Millionaires".
So, the reasoning behind these two being the main candidates is easy. Manchester Utd have this season already won the World Club Competition and the League Cup. They are currently on the brink of retaining their Premier League title and are also in the Champions League final, again in an attempt to retain that title too. Sir Alex Ferguson has done a stirling job in bringing together his team, after a very indifferent start to the season, despite spending millions last summer. But he is now reaping the rewards.
In contrast, David Moyes has had next to nothing to spend. He did break Everton's transfer record with the signing of Maurone Fellaini for 15 million pounds on the last day of the transfer window, but due to the clubs finances, that fee will be paid in 3 million pound installments over the next 5 years. His squad is one of the smallest in the league, and he has had by far the biggest injury list, losing key players for large amounts of time over the season.
In spite of this, and a very poor start to the season which saw them win only once at home in the first 3 months, David Moyes has led his team to 6th place in the league, with an excellent chance of finishing 5th. He has also led Everton to their first FA Cup final in 14 years, after negotiating possibly the toughest route to the final in the history of the competition. Everton have had to beat four of the top five clubs in the Premiership in order to get to the final. And now they face Chelsea on 30th May. So things have not been easy for David Moyes, and it is because of this he must be considered as Manager of the Year.
Both are great managers. Ferguson has proved himself time and time again, but he has had large financial backing to do this. Moyes is proving to be a great manager, but has yet to win anything. Both managers this season, have had their managerial abilities tested to the limit and it will be interesting to see who officially comes out as the winner.
No comments:
Post a Comment