Are the natives getting restless at your club?
Let’s face it, in the fickle world of English football, most managers are never more than a bad month away from the sack.
If you’re looking for inspiration for where your club should turn next, you’re in the right place, as the Marathonbet blog looks at the best managers out of work right now…
The A-Listers
MASSIMILIANO ALLEGRI
An enigma. He’s one of the most, decorated bosses in European football. Plenty of big posts have been up for grabs since he left Juventus in May 2019. However, for all his glittering CV, it seems no A-list club has put the emergency call out for Alllegri.
Reports suggest the Italian is more than happy to play the long game as he seeks out a new role, but could he get itchy feet after a lengthy sabbatical?
He’s reportedly been working on his English during his time away from the game, but if he does arrive in the Premier League don’t expect Bielsa levels of intensity week-on-week.
Allegri famously once said ‘tactics are bulls**t’ during his time in Italy.
MAURICIO POCHETTINO
For all the time the Argentine is out a job, Poch will be the ‘prince across the water’ – the shadow hanging over any Big Six managers that dare to stumble during the 2020/21 season.
With Ole Gunnar Solskjaer now under severe pressure yet again at Man Utd, the links to Old Trafford are hardly likely to go away.
Will Utd stall for time and lose out on perhaps the perfect fit to carry out the extensive rebuild job at Old Trafford?
Poch is surely getting itchy feet.
MAURIZIO SARRI
Unfairly treated or simply unloved? The jury still seems to be out as to whether Sarri deserves top billing amongst the elite after being unceremoniously let go by both Chelsea and Juventus after one-year stints in both job.
Sarri’s tactics remain a source of frustration for some, but his rags-to-riches managerial journey suggests he still has something to offer, even if the biggest names are unlikely to be in for him despite adding some impressive silverware to his CV in recent seasons.
ERNESTO VALVERDE
The 56-year-old fell foul of the powers-that-be at Barca at the start of the year, but given the chaos that has ensued since Valverde left Camp Nou, the Spaniard’s image may have been rehabilitated should any high-profile vacancies arise over the coming months.
With two La Liga titles under his belt plus a track record of success in a foreign country (three titles with Olympiakos), Valverde has a CV he can rightly be proud of, and his good grasp of English ticks a big box for any potential Premier League suitors.
Premier League Firefighters – Current Out Of Work Managers
Premier League panic tends to set in when the autumn nights draw in. As always, there is a decent crop of experienced names waiting by the phone for the right opportunity, as well as a few intriguing names spying a first stint in English football.
This lot for starters…
SAM ALLARDYCE
He’s much maligned amongst football hipsters, but if Premier League survival is the name of the game, this is the one man you turn to get your club out of a hole.
Big Sam knows exactly where his market value lies, even if these days, he’s had to make peace with the fact he’s never going to be flavour of the month for too long at any club that employs him.
Delivering an instant upturn in form is a skill that even some of the world’s best managers can struggle with. However, when it comes to unfashionable firefighting, Allardyce is in a league of his own. There’s no better quick fix option out there.
If a hefty survival bonus is dangled in front of him, could the ultimate escape artist be tempted back for another crack at the top table?
MARK HUGHES
Sparky has probably run out of chances in the Premier League after his spell as the unlikely saviour of Southampton proved short-lived two years ago.
That said, the Welshman is less uninspiring than his reputation sometimes leads fans to believe. It’s easily forgotten that he did guide Stoke City to a third ninth place finish in a row only just over four years ago. That said, if any team is going to hark back to the ‘old-school British manager’ route to survival, Big Sam looks the better short-term option.
EDDIE HOWE
The old adage goes ‘a change is as a good as a rest’. Well, Eddie Howe will have benefitted from both when he finally decides the time is right to make a return to the front line after a bruising end to his time at Bournemouth.
The former Cherries man looked badly in need of a breather after a decade at the helm but will surely be desperate to prove the 2019/20 season was simply a minor blip in an otherwise faultless career to date.
Given Howe struggled in his only spell away from the South Coast with Burnley, expect him to take some time to mull over his next move. It’s a delicate balancing act, though, as too long out could see him left behind when it comes to being linked with top-flight jobs. Exhibit A: Alan Curbishley…
MARCO SILVA
Silva is a diminished figure in English football after his largely disastrous spell at Everton, but there are probably still a few Premier League chairmen who might be willing to take one final punt on the Portuguese manager finally cracking it in the top flight.
The 43-year-old showed enough glimpses of promise at both Hull City and Watford to suggest he may operate best as a big fish in a small pond. However, his brutal tenure at the Toffees might just convince him to steer clear of English football altogether and go for an Andre Villas-Boas-style rehabilitation abroad. Time is still very much on Silva’s side as he looks to the next chapter.
LEONARDO JARDIM
The outstanding leftfield candidate for any club looking to swerve the usual suspects – and still only 46 years old. While a Big Six approach may be a bridge too far at this point, Jardim could be the ideal fit for any side with aspirations on becoming ‘best of the rest’.
The Portuguese boss famously unearthed a crop of exciting young talent on the world when at Monaco.
During his first stint with the club, he led the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Thomas Lemar and Bernardo Silva to a shock Ligue 1 title in 2017 over PSG as well as the semi-final of the Champions League.
While his stock has fallen slightly since that golden generation was picked apart, he’ll now be more than refreshed for a new challenge should an opportunity arise after more than a year out the game.
BRUNO LAGE
Given Premier League chairman tend to have a soft spot for exciting young Portuguese managers, Lage could be landing at an English club near you some time in the not-too-distant future.
The 44-year old former Benfica bulldozed his way to the Primeira Liga title in his first year in charge before resigning after coming unstuck in his second season.
51 wins in 76 games is not a record to be sniffed at all things considered, and he was briefly linked with a surprise move to Aston Villa earlier this summer. Expect his name to become a lot more familiar when sacking season begins.
Out-of-Work Managers: Championship Contenders
NIGEL PEARSON
The former Watford man won plenty of sympathy after his shock sacking from Vicarage Road; he surely did enough in that spell to justify a top-end Championship role should chairmen come calling.
DAVID WAGNER
The former Huddersfield man flopped spectacularly on his return to native Germany with Schalke; he may fancy rebuilding his reputation when the time is right at a level he knows well.
CHRIS HUGHTON
With such an exceptional Championship CV, it seems criminal that Hughton still hasn’t had a concrete offer since parting ways with Brighton. The archetypal ‘safe pair of hands’ is notoriously careful both on and off the field, so it’s not so surprising he’s taken some time to weigh up his next move.
MICK MCCARTHY
Mick is on the lookout for a new challenge after leaving the Republic of Ireland and is the consummate Championship operator (if Neil Warnock’s phone is engaged). His sarcasm soured relations with Ipswich fans, but he knows how to make a side hard to beat. That’s an underrated skill in the second tier.
GUS POYET
The Uruguayan still has a point to prove after disappearing off-the-grid somewhat following his time with Sunderland. Poyet has a reputation for being prickly in the boardroom, which may explain his lack of options of late, but has a defined playing style that could reap rewards with the right club.
RICARDO SÁ PINTO
The wildcard – and the former Braga man might be arriving sooner rather than later. Start googling, Nottingham Forest fans…
Who is the best manager out of work right now?
Follow us and tweet @Marathonbet
