Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

EPL men on a mission

The new English Premier League season has an air of unpredictability about it as the top three clubs all have new managers in David Moyes, Jose Mourinho and Manuel Pellegrini. To kick off our countdown to the new campaign, Adrian Clarke (sports [at] mediacorp.com.sg) zooms in on what fans can expect from them as well as two other new gaffers — Mark Hughes and Roberto Martinez.

The new English Premier League season has an air of unpredictability about it as the top three clubs all have new managers in David Moyes, Jose Mourinho and Manuel Pellegrini. To kick off our countdown to the new campaign, Adrian Clarke (sports [at] mediacorp.com.sg) zooms in on what fans can expect from them as well as two other new gaffers — Mark Hughes and Roberto Martinez.

DAVID MOYES (MANCHESTER UNITED)

To-Do List

Wayne Rooney’s future will loom large over David Moyes and his squad like rain clouds until the situation is resolved, but the Scot is making slow progress. If the superstar is sold to Chelsea, then the Scot had better make sure he’s lined up a decent replacement or there will be problems ahead. Moyes is also eager to snap up a goalscoring midfielder, but has been discovering that he doesn’t have quite the same pulling power as his predecessor Alex Ferguson.

Changes to Expect

Ferguson’s tactics were so flexible that opponents could never be sure of how United would line up, but the new manager is a huge advocate of the straightforward 4-4-1-1 formation, and is unlikely to veer too far from it. He will demand a more pressing game than the Red Devils have attempted in the past, and expect greater focus on free-kicks and corners too. There’s very little to fix at Old Trafford though, so Moyes should avoid too much tinkering in the early weeks.

Targets

The only way is down for a side that exceeded expectations last term when romping to the title. Players always take time to adapt to a new manager’s ideas and tactics, and having got used to Ferguson’s way for so long, United’s stars may take longer than most. Any kind of silverware in his first campaign will be deemed a success for Moyes, who also needs to prove that he can cut the mustard tactically when challenging European football’s heavyweights in the Champions League.

.

MANUEL PELLEGRINI (MANCHESTER CITY)

To-Do List

Restoring harmony inside the Etihad dressing room is the Chilean’s priority, after the carnage left behind by the unpopular Roberto Mancini. Fortunately, the cool, calm and collected 59-year-old has an outstanding reputation as a man-manager, so that bodes well. City have already recruited wisely, with four exciting attack-minded signings, but the defence creaked at times last season, so Pellegrini will certainly be spending hours at training ensuring they are well drilled. Expect a top-class defender to come on board too.

Changes to Expect

Pellegrini was head-hunted by Man City’s owners because his teams are famous for playing expansive, attacking football — and he has promised to stay true to his values. His favoured formation features a midfield “diamond” of four players but at Villarreal, Real Madrid and Malaga he showed great flexibility, often reverting to a fluid 4-2-3-1. The South American loves forward thinking midfielders to roam freely, so expect more goals and more unpredictability from City this season.

Targets

The Premier League crown is Pellegrini’s priority, and with changes occurring at Man United and Chelsea, his side have a wonderful chance to grab it. His brief will also be to improve on the 66 league goals scored last term, and to challenge on all fronts. If he doesn’t steer City into the last eight of the Champions League, questions will be asked.

JOSE MOURINHO (CHELSEA)

To-Do List

The Blues are still crying out for a world-class striker, so if the “Happy One” is to restore his reputation as a trophy-hunter, he will need to snap up Wayne Rooney or someone else of his ilk, pretty fast. When Chelsea concentrated hard on their game plan under Rafael Benitez they looked a powerful force, so Mourinho does not need to rip things up and start again. All he has to do is motivate his men to perform. Arguably his toughest challenge will be finding the right balance when resting and rotating his former favourites Frank Lampard and John Terry. He has to resist overplaying them.

Changes to Expect

Chelsea will make a lot more noise in the media this season, so get ready for loads of intimidation and mind games from the Portuguese gaffer. Tellingly, Stamford Bridge will also be a much happier, vibrant place for home games, and that should encourage the team to produce inspired performances in west London. Tactically, it will be fascinating to see how Mourinho utilises Juan Mata, Oscar and Eden Hazard. He is a coach that demands a high work ethic, so if any of the trio starts slacking, they could face the axe.

Targets

After last season’s disappointments with Real Madrid, Mourinho will want Chelsea to target every competition they enter, and you would expect them to pick up at least one major prize. With the feel good factor returning, it’s hard to imagine the Blues not enjoying a stellar season.

ROBERTO MARTINEZ (EVERTON)

To-Do List

Martinez must adapt his approach to ensure Everton remain difficult to beat this season. His Wigan side lost 20 matches last term compared to the Toffees’ seven, and much of that was down to his determination to play with freedom. Expectations are higher at Goodison Park, so the 40-year-old needs to prioritise results ahead of performances. So far, he has only raided his former club for signings. To win over the fans, he needs to be more ambitious in the transfer market, and convince Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini to stay.

Changes to Expect

Martinez’s philosophy is poles apart from his predecessor David Moyes, so the Toffees will be virtually unrecognisable from a tactical perspective. Preferring a 3-4-3 system, the likes of Phil Jagielka and Sylvain Distin will need to quickly readjust, but if Baines and Seamus Coleman remain, it does look like a formation that will suit the players at his disposal. Everton have been workmanlike in recent seasons, but with on-loan Barcelona wonder kid Gerard Deulofeu, Kevin Mirallas and Arouna Kone, they should show much more flair.

Targets

Everton fans love to finish above city rivals Liverpool, and if they do so for a third successive season under Martinez, it will be deemed a success. Having seen him leading Wigan to the FA Cup, Toffees fans would also welcome a decent cup run from their new boss — and you wouldn’t put it past him to make another successful Wembley return.

MARK HUGHES (STOKE CITY)

To-Do List

Convincing quality footballers to join Stoke City has been Hughes’ biggest problem to date, with defenders Erik Pieters (PSV Eindhoven) and Marc Muniesa (Barcelona) the only newcomers to sign up for his Britannia Stadium revolution so far. More talent needs to arrive before the end of the month. His priority is also to please the club’s board with a better brand of football, while maintaining the consistency shown by the team under the previous regime. The Potters rarely flirt with relegation, so he must keep them well clear of the bottom three in the early months.

Changes to Expect

Hughes will have spent the whole summer preaching a completely different style of football to his players than the long-ball game that was drilled into them under Tony Pulis, and he will be desperately hoping they are good enough to adapt. The Welshman likes to use wingers, so their 4-4-2 formation will continue, only without as many 50-yard hoofs forward and hopeful long throws. Win lose or draw, the Potters will be more entertaining to watch this season.

Targets

Mid-table obscurity will help repair Hughes’ damaged reputation after his disastrous spell at Queens Park Rangers, but that will be easier said than done after ripping up the team’s philosophy and starting afresh. If Stoke stay up, it will be a job well done.

TODAY EPL analyst Adrian Clarke is a former Arsenal midfielder, who has played at every level of English football. Now an experienced sports journalist he writes for many publications around the world. Follow him on Twitter @adrianjclarke

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.