The Unusual Suspects: Garry Monk, Nigel Pearson and Ronald Koeman
Louis Van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger are the manager’s everyone are talking about in the media lately, however, the teams that have excelled themselves in the first month of the season for me, are Swansea City, Leicester City and Southampton and the men masterminding their success stories.
Swansea sacked their former Spartak Moscow and Real Mallorca manager Michael Laudrup on 4th February this year due to a ‘slump in form’ and appointed former player Garry Monk as manager. Since appointed, Monk has steadied the ship at Swansea, having steered them clear of relegation from the Premier League last year, he has made some very clever summer signings and they have started off their 2014/15 campaign like a house on fire.
The Swans boss has fetched the likes of Lukasz Fabianski, Bafetibmi Gomis and Jefferson Montero in for reasonable value for money, as well as bringing ex Swansea player Gylfi Sigurdsson back to the club from Tottenham Hotspur. One of the most notable performers this season for them, is midfielder Ki Sung-Yueng who has come back into the side from his season long loan at Sunderland last year. He is full of running and energy in the middle of the park. A masterstroke by Garry Monk to keep hold of him. Also, winger Nathan Dyer adds to the Welsh club’s attacking threat with his four goals from four shots on target in all competitions this season.
Nine points in their first five games leaves the Swans sitting in 5th place. However they have visited both Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge already, as well as beating a very strong Everton team to progress in the Carling Cup. You can’t help but think, with the confidence their manager has installed in them, Swansea will definitely be pushing for a top 10 finish and are building a very strong cup run. They are a team that has carried on from the Brendon Rodgers and early Michael Laudrup days of passing the life out of the opposition.
Another manager proving he can make it in the top flight is Leicester City manager Nigel Pearson. He guided Leicester to the Premier League last season, smashing all the other opposition in sight and some people were sceptical of how they would do this term, but the amazing 5-3 comeback against a Manchester United side that had over £150 million spent on summer transfers soon made people get up and take notice of this young energetic team.
Pearson made Leonardo Ulloa his main summer signing and Ulloa has started to repay his £8 million price tag, having six shots on target and bagging five goals in as many games, meaning just one of his shots on target this season has not ended up in the back if the net. He looks the key man that will bag the goals for The Foxes this season and barring injury, could be up there in the goal scoring charts if Leicester carry on with the attacking football they have overwhelmed us with in the first five games. Facing Everton, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United looked like curtains at an early stage of the season for Pearson’s Leicester, however, they have adapted very well to the Premier League and to only lose one of them games is an unbelievable achievement.
Nigel Pearson, as well as Garry Monk is emerging as a very good, young English manager. Tactically he has the qualities to change a game as well if things aren’t going his way as he did against Manchester United. Both could go on to manage top Premier League clubs in years to come.
When Southampton lost their manager Mauricco Pocchetino and half of their first team squad in the summer, everyone, including myself thought it was a foregone conclusion and that they would be right in the thick of a relegation battle this season. However, they appointed Dutch manager Ronald Koeman back in June and he had other ideas.
Koeman has been around the block managerial-wise. He has won 4 major honours at Ajax and 1 each at Benfica, PSV, Valencia and AZ Alkmaar. His football knowledge and fresh ideas has ensured Southampton have been on the ball in their opening games. With their new signings fitting in and causing damage to opposition defences immediately. Only Chelsea have fired more shots on target than them this season which sees them sitting second in the Premier League and having their best start to a top flight campaign for 26 years.
New signings Dusan Tadic and Graziano Pelle have got to grips with the English game very quickly and are looking very sharp in the final third for The Saints, the former is not scared to take a defender on and supply a cross for the latter, whom is fantastic in the air. Keeping Morgan Schneiderlin has been crucial as well. He tried to force a move out of the club on the eve of the new season, but since then, he has worked tirelessly in the middle of the park and scored an absolute screamer in the recent 4-0 victory over Newcastle.
Since the likes of Adam Llalana, Rickie Lambert and Luke Shaw were sold in the summer, Southampton have made many of their fans, and a lot of other people in football somewhat forget the massive doubt that was placed over them in the summer. Under Koeman, they certainly can compete, and will be another team fighting for a top ten, if not Europa League spot come May.
