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#3 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - Manchester United
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer certainly has a point to prove in the 2021-22 season.
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Appointed in 2018, Solskjaer started out as caretaker manager before taking over the full-time role in 2019. In the two seasons since, the Norwegian tactician can certainly boast a lot of positives.
Solskjaer led United to a third-placed finish in his first full season, enjoying an excellent second half of the 2019-20 campaign spearheaded by midfield talisman Bruno Fernandes. The following season in the Premier League, he helped United to a second-placed finish. It was the first time in three years that United finished second in the league.
While it is easy to acknowledge the improvements Ole has made at United, the fact remains that he is yet to win a trophy with the Red Devils. He came closest in this season's UEFA Europa League campaign, which culminated in a 1-0 loss to Villarreal in the final.
With the name Manchester United previously synonymous with trophies, Solskjaer will be under a lot of pressure to win some silverware. United's recent acquisition of Jadon Sancho shows they mean business and will be counting on Solskjaer to restore the club's former glory.
#2 Mikel Arteta - Arsenal
Mikel Arteta was appointed manager of Arsenal in December 2019.
Arteta has had a mixed tenure with Arsenal thus far. His first season in charge saw the Gunners finish eighth in the table, their lowest league finish in over a decade. Arteta led the Gunners to the FA Cup final, where Arsenal beat Chelsea to win his first and only trophy as the club's manager thus far.
Despite a rosy start to his managerial career, it has to be said that Arteta has not looked significantly better since then. In a season plagued by COVID-19, injury and controversy, Arteta guided Arsenal to another eighth-placed finish.
Finishing outside the qualification spots and failing to win a domestic trophy means that Arsenal will not be participating in Europe for the first time since 1995. Carrying a disappointing record to his name, many fans expected Arteta to be sacked after the 2020-21 season.
However, the board decided to stick with Arteta and backed him to improve Arsenal's fortunes. The upcoming season will truly be Arteta's acid test; failure to qualify for Europe a second successive time would certainly trigger his sacking.
Arteta will carry massive pressure and expectations into the upcoming 2021-22 campaign.
#1 Jose Mourinho - Roma
Jose Mourinho has been appointed to AS Roma in a move that can only be described as intriguing.
Previously in charge of Tottenham Hotspur, Mourinho spent two difficult years with the north London outfit. Famed for his exploits at Porto, Inter Milan and Chelsea, Mourinho is widely regarded as one of the best managers in football history.
His appointment at Spurs came as a bit of a shock, and despite his evident brilliance, he failed to achieve any success at the club.
Mourinho led Spurs to a sixth-placed finish in his first season and a seventh-placed finish in his second. While he can boast some positives like the transformation of Harry Kane, his spell at Spurs has been described as a failure.
His failure to deliver results was met with his sacking, just days before Spurs were due to face Manchester City in the League Cup final, which the Citizens ultimately won 1-0. Mourinho, however, broke the headlines almost immediately as AS Roma announced him as their new manager in May 2021.
With Roma not looking their best, Mourinho was identified as the person capable of changing their fortunes. Having finished seventh in Serie A in the 2020-21 season, the pressure to deliver at Roma will well and truly be on Mourinho's shoulders.
