The 2022/23 Premier League season is just three weeks away and head coaches the length and breadth of the country are in the midst of pre-season preparations.
The transfer market is in full swing and some club managers are ahead of the game, while others are desperately trying to refresh their squads, and Manchester United’s Erik ten Hag being one such head coach.
You have to be at the top of your game to manage the elite players in the world’s most popular league, so to choose five standouts from the current crop of 20 is not an easy task. I’ve picked my five to watch, the two front runners, the biggest challenger, and two more who will impress in the best of the rest.
All my own opinion of course and you may have your own favourites, but with no place for ten Hag, Chelsea’s Thomas Tuchel, and Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta, here is my selection.
Pep Guardiola: Manchester City
A head coach’s success will be measured by his Premier League 2022 results of course, so I’ll start with the one who we can confidently expect to deliver.
Guardiola’s reputation as one of the world’s elite coaches has increased Manchester City’s pulling power and he has already refreshed his outrageously gifted squad with the additions of Erling Haaland and Kalvin Phillips, while letting Raheem Sterling move to Chelsea.
They have dominated the Premier League since Guardiola’s arrival, winning four out of the last five and, at SBOTOP odds of 1.55, Manchester City are the team to beat again.
The Sky Blues start with a tricky test away to West Ham United on Sunday 7th August and we’ll be predicting an away win.
Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool
To stay so close to a managerial genius such as Guardiola, Klopp has been outstanding since his arrival at Anfield and, as a Champions League winner with the Reds, he has had more success in Europe than his rival during their stints in the Premier League.
He managed to persuade Mohamed Salah to sign a new contract and Klopp has put together another exciting attacking lineup with Darwin Nunez arriving from Benfica to replace the departed Sadio Mane.
Klopp’s motivational skills are unrivalled and he is loved by the Anfield faithful as one of their own. He remains the biggest challenge to Guardiola.
Antonio Conte: Tottenham Hotspur
While Tuchel will be targeting at least another third place for Chelsea, he will have one heck of a battle on his hands as former Blues boss Antonio Conte seems to be finding his feet at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
After a sketchy start, he led Spurs to a top four place and he was the most active manager in the transfer market earlier in the summer, adding Ivan Perisic, Clement Lenglet, Yves Bissouma, and Richarlison to an already talented group.
The pre-season Premier League 2022 betting odds have placed Spurs as third favourites at odds of 15.00, and master tactician Conte will expect no less and probably more.
Steven Gerrard: Aston Villa
West Ham boss David Moyes and his Leicester City counterpart Brendan Rodgers have put together teams which have punched above their weight in recent campaigns, gate-crashing the top four for long periods and qualifying for Europa League football.
And, just as the Hammers recently joined Leicester among the top eight clubs, Aston Villa could be the team to make a move this term.
After leading Rangers to the Scottish Premier League title, Gerrard took his chance in the Premier League with Aston Villa.
A proven winner as a player with 114 caps for England and a Champions League winners’ medal with his beloved Liverpool, he must now prove he has the ability to lead tactically and motivationally rather than by example on the pitch.
A thoughtful communicator, Gerrard is tipped as a future Liverpool boss.
Marco Silva: Fulham
The Cottagers stormed back into the Premier League in style, winning the 2021/22 Championship title with a 7-0 victory over Luton Town, in a season in which they hit the net a staggering 106 times.
Manager Marco Silva now has the task of achieving something previous Fulham bosses have failed to do, and that is to get Serbian striker Alexandar Mitrovic to succeed in the top-flight. He scored a record 43 league goals last season but has laboured in his previous stints in the Premier League.
As a former Premier League boss with Hull City, Watford, and Everton, Silva has plenty of experience in the top division but not all of it good, and he something still to prove in England. But he’s a talented coach and this could be his and Mitrovic’s big chance.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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