The life of a manager at a football club in this day and age is a treacherous one. Here today, gone tomorrow, as was highlighted in the case of David Moyes at Manchester United. Or maybe look at Real Madrid, who appointed 9 managers in the space of 7 years (25th June, 2003 to 26th May, 2010) before Jose Mourinho took over. In the end, he returned to Chelsea, amidst much speculation regarding taking over from Sir Alex Ferguson at the Old Trafford.
At TheHardTackle, we look at three managerial changes that will enthral fans irrespective of their allegiance. By no means are these changes a sound footballing decisionsa . But then, since when have all managerial changes been a sound footballing decisionsa
Jurgen Klopp To Arsenal
a Go through the world and find me a team who can finish champions in the same league as Bayern. If we should finish second this summer, Ia ll find a truck and drive it through my garden. If nobody will rejoice, Ia ll do it alone.a
Much has been said about Jurgen Kloppa s future in recent months. From being the man appointed to take over from Van Gaal at Manchester United to a dubious claim that cited his appointment at Real Madrid. But all said and done, Jurgen Klopp and Borussia Dortmund are a match made in heaven. The Master has a contract with Dortmund that runs till 2018 and fans all over the world would like to see him stay there for longer. But what if he was to leave Borussia Dortmund this summer. He has endured a terrible season, blighted by a series of crucial injuries that saw the club hover around the relegation zone. He is also likely to lose Mats Hummels and Marco Reus this summer and will have to go scouting for new talents, a routine that must be getting tiresome by the year. Plenty of reasons to leave some would say. Plenty of reasons to stay, others would argue.
If, and it is a big a ifa , Jurgen Klopp was to leave Borussia Dortmund, fans all over the world would agree that Arsenal would be a likely target destination.
What can be more exciting for a club than having a manager who can play exquisite football with young talented players while working on a tight budget? Perhaps a manager who can do all these and at the same time win trophies.
No one can deny Arsene Wengera s legacy at Arsenal. And what makes Klopp perfect for the club is that he shares the same ethos and principles. Not one to work with big budgets, Kloppa s tenure at Dortmund has seen him promote and shape some of the best young talents in Europe. Almost a mirror image of Wenger some would say. But there is an essential difference between the two, as highlighted by Klopp himself earlier.
“He likes having the ball, playing football, passes a it’s like an orchestra. But it’s a silent song, yeah? I like heavy metal.”
“When I watch Arsenal in the last 10 years, it is nearly perfect football, but we all know they didn’t win a title. In Britain they say that they like Arsenal but they have to win something. Who wins the title? Chelsea, but with different football, I would say. This is the philosophy of ArsA?ne Wenger. I love this but I cannot coach this because I am a different guy. You think many things are similar? I hope so in some moments, but there are big differences, too.”
And it is these big differences that make Jurgen Klopp the ideal man to take over at Arsenal.
And why would fans all over the world like to see him come to the Emirates?
Can you imagine, for one second, a Jose Mourinho taking a jibe at Jurgen Klopp? Or the two managers coming to blows on the sidelines? Finally a manager who will give to the Special One, as good as he gets, if any.
Carlo Ancelotti To Manchester City: Chasing The European Dream
He did it twice with AC Milan. He did it in his first year with Real Madrid. And if he goes to Manchester City, he will probably do it there too.
Move over Jose Mourinho, the Special One of the Champions League is here. And he is known by the name of Carlo Ancelotti.
At Real Madrid, winning is not enough. And in the case of Carlo Ancelotti, doing the double in his first year in charge, not to mention the La Decima and the Club World Cup, will probably not be enough for him to hold on to his job at Santiago Bernabeu if Real Madrid were to end the season on a drought. As Sir Alex Ferguson recently put it, there is a good chance that Ancelotti could lose his job this season and if that were to happen it wouldna t be his fault.
a I think these types of jobs are difficult, particularly if there are elections coming up…It doesna t matter who the manager is. The election for a new president will be based on the success of the football team and what player he can buy and what coach he is going to sack.a
If Real Madrid were to sack Carlo Ancelotti this summer, Manchester City is one club that will be keen to sign the Italian in a bid to realize their European ambitions. Winning the Premier League and the FA Cup has never been a good enough return on the hefty investment that it took to paint Manchester blue. The ones in charge demand European success and who better than Carlo Ancelotti to realize this ambition. He secured Real Madrid its obsession with the La Decima in his first year in charge.
With Carlo Ancelotti comes the assurance of a team that will play football which will be as enthralling as it will be effective. He took Jose Mourinhoa s highly effective counter-attacking unit at Real Madrid and transformed it into a side that play effective football based on the situation of the game. Last season, one saw Real Madrid dominate the likes of Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund with a possession oriented approach, while at the same time, the team effectively picked out Pep Guardiolaa s Bayern Munich with efficient counter-attacks.
In short, if your club has a problem, Carlo Ancelotti in all likelihood has the answer. If your club has an obsession, Carlo Ancelotti still has the answer. And in case your club is Manchester City, and has both problems and an obsession, Carlo Ancelotti happens to be the only answer.
Zinedine Zidane to Real Madrid: Chasing The ‘Undecima’
Imagine an El Clasico where Real Madrid would be led by Zinedine Zidane while Luis Enrique led the Catalan giants. Two former midfielders who have come to epitomize the essence of the derby would be in the dug-outs, channeling their teams in a style that would be similar to their own playing styles.
Zinedine Zidane is probably the player that truly heralded in the Galacticos era at Real Madrid. A legend of the football fraternity, the French maestro was one of the most influential figures in the Real Madrid dressing room during his time and continues to exert his influence at the club in his new role as the manager of the Castilla side.
A former midfield legend who returned to the club to start his managerial career? Sounds oddly familiar.
It is no secret that Zinedine Zidane is being looked at as Carlo Ancelottia s successor and is in fact, being moulded as Real Madrida s answer to Barcelonaa s Pep Guardiola. And what better man to lead a club that is obsessed with the idea of winning the Champions League, year after year. The French wizard led the club to its ninth Champions League trophy after scoring a memorable volley against Bayer Leverkusen. And in its quest for the La Decima, Zidane stood attentively on the sidelines as Ancelottia s assistant, watching over the squad as Sergio Ramos and Gareth Bale rose successively to win Real Madrid, its tenth European crown.
But can he pull off a Guardiola? Fans all over would definitely love to see him try!