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If he had his own way, Tim Sherwood would probably give himself the Premier League manager of the season award for the 2014/15 season, having turned Aston Villa’s season around since his inception at their helm. If he were truly honest, though, Villa are not yet safe, and he is nowhere near being a genuine contender for the gong.
8 managers can actually be said to have any shot at winning the individual award, and here is a statistical look at who is most deserving of those candidates, along with our predictions for where their team will finish.
Jose Mourinho (Chelsea – expected to finish 1st)
It is surely only a matter of time before Chelsea are confirmed as Premier League winners, and the question is next whether Jose Mourinho has inspired this team to significantly more than was expected of them. Having started the season as favourites to win the league, there is something to say for the fact that Chelsea have underwhelmed since the turn of the year.
After the 5-0 trouncing of Swansea, Chelsea have not won a Premier League game by more than a single goal, with fatigue setting into the consistent team selected by the Portuguese manager. Chelsea have used fewer players (22) than any other team this season and have fewer players that have made 10 or more starts (11).
Mourinho has compiled by far the best starting eleven in the Premier League – for which he deserves great credit – but has not rotated well or got the most from his squad players, and perhaps that means he isn’t quite the man for this award.
Arsene Wenger (Arsenal – 2nd)
While Arsenal’s recent form (8 consecutive wins) has been exceptional, it has to some extent merely served to highlight the fact Arsene Wenger’s team have the capabilities to win this league but failed miserably in the first half of the season. Take nothing away from Wenger – he has built a wonderfully talented team that is extremely easy on the eye and dangerous going forwards.
Their current streak is their best run of form since the ‘Invincibles’ season, while their WhoScored rating (7.42) suggests that they have been the best team in the Premier League this season. Though fans would probably have taken second place if offered it at the beginning of the season, Arsenal can still be considered to have fallen short given their vast potential.
Louis van Gaal (Manchester United – 3rd)
After the money United spent in the summer, third place and no cup run can hardly be considered a roaring success for England’s biggest club. There has been a marked improvement in recent months, though, and Louis van Gaal seems to have found a winning formula (6 consecutive victories) of late.
But he does have two David Moyes signings – Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata – to thank in no small part, with those two, along with Ander Herrera – who was initially earmarked by Van Gaal’s predecessor – for their resurgence. His signings, meanwhile, have not had a great deal of success. Falcao has flopped (WhoScored rating of 6.70); Angel Di Maria has faded (7.12); and Marcos Rojo (7.21) has become little more than a bit-part player of late.
Van Gaal has proven himself to be the clever tactician United thought they were hiring, but the dire first half of the season, and their much-criticised long balls (77 per game; the third most in the league) means the Dutchman cannot be considered here.
Ronald Koeman (Southampton – 6th)
It is another Dutchman who is most people’s choice for the manager of the season award, likely to have guided a dismantled Southampton side to even higher in the table than they managed last season. Their form has wobbled somewhat in the New Year, but with the best defence in the Premier League (22 goals conceded) and a WhoScored rating (7.12) that ranks them as the fifth-best team, they have been hugely impressive in difficult circumstances.
He continues to blood more young talent from Saints’ incredible academy, with James Ward-Prowse afforded increased responsibility in the first team and Harrison Reed, Matt Targett and Jake Hesketh all given chances. Koeman has done far more than anyone would have expected of Southampton this season, and if he does go on to finish 6th – as WhoScored.com predict – he is certainly a contender.
Garry Monk (Swansea – 8th)
Swansea could well finish with a record Premier League points tally, and have survived the loss of star striker Wilfried Bony incredibly well. He remains their top scorer for the season (9 goals) yet the Swans have moved up the table since his departure and look set to land eighth spot.
He has changed tack with them, and their average possession share has dropped to 50.3% this season from 57.1% last term. It seems to have worked, though he remains unlikely to win the award.
Sam Allardyce (West Ham – 11th)
West Ham have fallen so far from the supposed Champions League contention they were in towards the early stages of the season that WhoScored now expect them to finish in the bottom half. Injuries have made Allardyce’s job that bit tougher, but with an unconvincing 1-0 win over Sunderland their only victory in 10, the manager is not truly in with any chance.
Alan Pardew (Crystal Palace – 9th)
Alan Pardew has essentially saved two teams from relegation this season; he has won 51 points, and Pardew FC – if there were such a wonderful thing – would currently be 8th in the table at present. Since he took over at Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace have 25 points from 12 games, giving them the fifth best record in the Premier League – a quite astonishing achievement given their lack of financial clout.Tony Pulis won the award for a similar feat last season, and in that sense Pardew’s achievements are less remarkable, but nothing should be taken away from the Englishman, who has Palace playing great football, winning games, and now closer to Europe than relegation. Possibly not a popular choice, but a genuine contender for
Tony Pulis won the award for a similar feat last season, and in that sense Pardew’s achievements are less remarkable, but nothing should be taken away from the Englishman, who has Palace playing great football, winning games, and now closer to Europe than relegation. Possibly not a popular choice, but a genuine contender for manager of the season, especially if their current form continues and they finish 9th, as WhoScored predicts.
Sean Dyche (Burnley – 17th)
If Sean Dyche manages to keep Burnley up this season – as WhoScored predict he will with 6 games remaining – it will be one of the greatest achievements in Premier League history. The Clarets’ spending last summer totalled £6.5m, with George Boyd (£3m) the most expensive signing, and Dyche has used only 23 players all season. While Mourinho has failed to utilise talent in reserve, Dyche has not had the opportunity to do the same, instead getting the most of extremely limited resources.
They have had just 42.3% possession and average just 11.7 shots per game, but defend well as a unit and have players that are committed to the cause going forwards. Danny Ings, having directly contributed to 50% of Burnley’s Premier League goals (9 goals, 4 assists), has been a revelation, but Dyche deserves most praise and if they do indeed stay up, the Ginger Mourinho could well be in with a chance of winning manager of the season.?
Who do you think should be named Premier League manager of the season?
