The pleasures of playing football are easy enough to understand. It’s a great sport and if you’re any good you get a shed load of cash, the sexual attentions of fake blonde women, and a mock Tudor house full of 132″ plasma TVs.

There’s nothing not to like about being a footballer. It’s a part-time job which you might do little more than around twenty hours a week.

But being a manager is an entirely different gig. It occupies their every waking hour. While many say it’s the best job in football after being a player, I’m not sure that Zola and Tony Mowbray would say that this week. The pressure it puts on them at times seems unbearable.

Mowbray, a tough, hard-boiled Teessider visibly aged by 10 years in the last 9 months managing Celtic. After the midweek thumping by St Mirren he looked more like someone suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder than a man who had just lost a mere football game. Admittedly it was Celtic’s worst result for 30 years and it ended any remote hopes of the Parkhead club might have harboured about catching Rangers but hey, its only football lads. No-one died. You’d not have guessed that from Mowbray’s demeanour though. Yet he had been a successful manager in Scotland before at Hibernian, this wasn’t unknown territory to him. He knew the league and how massive the Celtic job is but that knowledge did nothing to ease the visible strain on him. Fortunately, with features like a quarry, Mogga has never relied on his chiselled good looks in life but seeing his haggard face would make anyone question why anyone would want to do such a job if this is what it reduces a strong man to.

Down in London, Franco Zola has gone from the beatific, smiling chap to a man who looks weighed down by the burden of the task at West Ham. With head in hands and grey hair suddenly very visible, during the Stoke game he looked more like a man who had witnessed some terrible disaster rather than just a football team losing by the odd goal. Where is the pleasure in that?

Wenger this season has looked like a man in physical pain, rocking to and fro on the bench, clutching himself, his large padded coat looking more and more like a straitjacket.

As a manager you often get little credit when the side wins but all of the blame when they lose. If you blow your own trumpet, Mourinho style, you’re accused of being arrogant and insufferable, if you don’t you’re accused of being too nice. If you don’t show emotion, Sven-style, you’ll be accused of not caring, if you are emotional, Keegan style, you’ll be accused of being blinkered by emotions.

You’re likely only to be in the job for an average of four seasons and yet are supposed to care about the club as though you’d stood on the terraces for 50 years. If it looks like you don’t care 100% you’ll suffer the wrath of blinkered judgemental fans who seem unable to believe that the employees of a football club do not care as much about it as the supporters do. Some fans have exaggerated distorted expectations for their clubs and are ridiculously impatient for success. So as a manager you end up being judged against a standard you know is completely inappropriate.

If you’re a realist and tell the fans the truth that it’s very unlikely you’ll win anything – they’ll accuse you of not having ambition. If you say you are going to win something, you’ll be ridiculed as deluded as soon as you fail.

To add insult to injury, unless you’re a top dog, you’ll probably get paid worse than some of the more rubbish players you have to manage. Even if you do well, a bad start the following season can see you out of the door. Such capital that you build up at a club is soon dissipated by a few poor results. The board knows it can’t sack the players so it’s easier to sack you instead. The only comfort is that one you’re out of a job, due to the high turnover; you’re likely to benefit from someone else’s sacking soon enough.

Even a manager of Wenger’s achievements has had calls for his head this season and is clearly showing major stress this season, squatting on the touchline with head in hands. It looks like torture. Who looks at that and thinks to themselves, you know what, I fancy doing that. Do new managers think it won’t happen to them?

Even having been successful and being really good at your job doesn’t insure you against a barrage of insults and criticism, often from stupid fans who know sod all about football but nonetheless think they know more than a manager who has won titles, cups and major trophies. These find their way onto phone-ins and witter on about players and managers not having passion. Passion is everything for these people though they don’t really mean passion, they mean running around a lot and maybe shouting a bit too. That shows you care apparently.

If you’re Rafa, Ancelloti, Mancini et al, it must be galling to get a slagging from people as though you have achieved nothing in the game and are some clueless idiot who is deliberately messing things up. You must feel like lashing out – telling the dumb as fans to come and have a go if they think it’s so bloody easy.

The only exception to this is the extraordinary Alex Ferguson. He’s 68. Sixty eight. Think about that. The oldest living Glaswegian, Fergie looks 10 years younger, seems full of vitality and energy and doesn’t just cope with the pressure but seems to thrive on it. Clearly being the most successful manager in the history of football tends to relieve you of a lot of the stress of having to prove yourself, but Ferguson actually seems to love being under pressure; he seems to enjoy it. It’s keeping him young. But he is a rare exception.

Who would be a manager? A masochist it would seem.

Arsenal beat Celtic 2-0 at Celtic Park, all but assuring their qualification for the Champions League group stages, with two away goals.  It was not the presiding effort of their 6-1 away win at Everton, but the two deflected goals – from Gallas and Gary Caldwell’s foot – fulfilled the requirement in what was arguably the most important match of the season.

Celtic obviously came into match with an inferior squad.  The Scottish Premier League nowhere near equates the English one.  Celtic’s biggest signing was £4m Scott Brown.  As was mentioned in the telecast, new Celtic manager Tony Mowbray did have experience against Arsene Wenger from his time at West Brom.  Unfortunately, said experience was losing to Arsenal with an inferior squad.

The tactics came as no shock.  Celtic pressed early to disrupt Arsenal’s passing, with moderate success.  When the club tired, they kicked Cesc Fabregas constantly, resulting in two yellow cards and accomplishing nothing but placing him at risk for injury.  Fabregas is too savvy to be addled by wanton lunges.  Even if the tactic had hampered his effectiveness, Arsenal have four or five players who can create adequately with the increased space from diminished attention.

Wenger again opted for the 4-3-3, using the exact lineup that played against Everton.  This time, however, players shifted positions more frequently and both Gallas and Vermaelen attempted runs from the back.  This suggests we may be seeing some true total football at the Emirates this year.

Arsenal’s back four, fronted by Song were solid again.  Though, they benefitted from Arsenal breaking up plays high up the pitch in both matches.  The trio of Alumnia, Vermaelen and Gallas appear confident now.  Will this change when they face a team that can down the wings and challenge aerially with crosses?

The weak point for Arsenal was Nicklas Bendtner.  He shone with the ball at times against Everton, but against Celtic he was woeful.  Whether playing down the right or in the middle, his poor off the ball positioning placed him consistently two steps behind his proper place.  He has the technical ability, but does he have the football intelligence?

Theo Walcott should take Bendtner’s place when he returns from injury.  Though, if Bendtner remains the fall back plan for the slender shouldered one, that should influence Wenger’s to buy.  Could Wenger take Rafael Van Der Vaart off their hands for £6m?

For those tracking other transfers as we approach the deadline, Emmanuel Eboue was not in Arsenal’s squad, leaving that reported £9m move to Fiorentina an option.

Who will feel the effect most if they relegated to the Championship?

With West Bromwich Albion’s fate sealed last week we can now prepare ourselves for a dramatic conclusion to the Premier League season on Sunday. The neutral (including yours truly) will relish it and will want to see as many twists and turns as possible. Anyone supporters involved will have struggled to sleep for a week.

We all have our own predictions as to who will go down and what the sequence of results to will be. What I wondered is what effect will relegation have on the clubs involved.

West Bromwich Albion – 31 points (already relegated)

Even the most biased of Baggies supporters could not have been surprised about the clubs fate this season. However there seems relatively little for the Hawthorns club to worry about. Brom perenially spend within their limits upon promotion and Tony Mowbray has followed similiar traits. Signings that broke the £1 Million mark included: Scott Carson (£3.5 million), Marek Cech (£1.4 million) ,Luke moore (£3 million), Zuiverloon (3.2 million) , Valero (4.7 million), Aboulaye Meitie (£2 million) and Roman bednar at  £2.3 million.

Not taking into account players that left that Hawthorns, the Throstles have forked out around £20 million. No doubt a  few of the above will leave to recoup some of this. It is also likely that some contracts will include a drop in wages upon relegation ,West Brom should be relatively comfortble providing they spend their parachute monies wisely next season and offload a few big-earners.

Middlesbrough – 32 points

Although ‘Boro are technically £85 million in debt, the vast majority is owed to chairman Steve Gibson – which is the equivalent of owing your Dad 200 quid. Conisdering Gibson’s patience with Gareth Southgate it seems highly unlikey he will let the club suffer. However should ‘Boro suffer the drop (and it seems likely they will) they will have to get wheeling and dealing quickly. One of the first names out of the door will be Alfonso Alves, who was signed for a fee rumoured to be £12.7 million and one shudders to think what kind of wages the Brazillian is on at the Riverside. After breaking his foot against in the relegation six-pointer against Newcastle and a poor goals return for the club, ‘Boro may have to brace themselves for a big financial loss. The other big name out of the door, and the one Middlesbrough will miss most from an on-field perspective is Stewart Downing. A host of clubs will have relished the prospect of Boro’s demise in order to sign Downing and it is thought that Spurs will lead the chase after keeping tabs on the winger for considerable time. Boro will be hoping for auction fever from rival clubs in order to raise as much cash as possible. It will come as no surprise that Tuncay and David Wheater will also raise the eyebrow for a host of clubs, with Robert Huth also likely to be the subject of some interest.

Should Middlesborough fail to survive, the winds of change are likely to blow through this cold part of the country including the possibility of a new manager.  With numerous players likely to leave and taking into account the squads lack of experience, ’Boro may well have to be happy with a season of stability next season rather than a promotion charge.

Newcastle – 34 Points

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. There may have been talks of a conspiracy theory in regard to the strength of Manchester United’s team selection at Hull. But based on perfomances alone, Newcastle are where they deserve to be. If Newcastle are relegated we will witness a real exodus from St James Park, which in turn demonstrates the extent of the problems the Magpies will face. The list of players likely to leave include: Michael Owen, Mark Viduka, Obamfemi Martins, Damien Duff, Alan Smith, Nicky Butt, Jose Enrique, Geremi, Gutierrez and possibly Steven Taylor. If things continue in the trational ways of the Tyneside soap-opera then you wouldn’t rule out yet further changes at either boardroom or management level. Chairman Mike Ashley has been ostracised from the club before and if he cannot either persuade Shearer to take the job permanently and/or the Toon don’t get off to a flyer in the championship he knows showing his face in the Sir John Hall stand would be a tad unwise.

Newcastle will have to do their best to wheel and deal as early as possible in order to get the new players to gel as a unit early in the forthcoming season. The first thing they need to do is oust Joe Kinnear from his role, he isn’t physically fit to do job, and if the club are indeed relegated the job starts the minute the final whistle is sounded on Sunday. Although sacking managers isn’t a sign of stability, do any of us genuinely think that Kinnear would stay in the job until the end of next season – fit or not? With expectations and pressure form the fans likley to be huge and the club not in the best of health financially, relegation would hit United very, very hard.

Hull City - 35 Points

And to think the start Hull City had. The Tigers are clawing on for dear life in the Premier League and require one last roar this Sunday to ensure survival. Hull are likely to face a considerably weakened Manchester United team on Sunday which may give them half a chance of stealing a point. Whether any of that will come to fruition is another matter. Should Hull find themselves with an instant return to the Championship you would feel that financially the club will not suffer to the degree some of their rivals will. City were desperately unlucky to lose Jimmy Bullard so quickly after his £5 million move from Fulham and could find him leaving the club sooner rather than later at a cut-price fee.  Bernard Mendy and Andy Dawson will also have attracted some attention, Giovvani’s early season exploits may tempt a rival club into a gamble. Hull however – are sound financially, have a good boardroom and a good manager in Phil Brown. Providing they can keep the nucleus of the squad together City should be stable and will look to try and bounce back at the first attempt.

Sunderland – 36  Points

The fans and players alike pleaded for the board to give Ricky Sbragia the managers job on a permanent basis, the phrase ‘be careful what you wish for’ now springs to mind. Should Sunderland fail to beat Chelsea in Guus Hiddink’s last league game in charge, the Mackems may need another black cat in the dressing room for luck. The club would appear financially sound given the money they have spent in the last few seasons however I would still expect a few to leave. Sunderland shouldn’t really be in this trouble given what they have spent over the last couple of seasons. If the club are confined to the Championship, it is likely they will look to offload the wages of Steed Malbranque and Craig Gordon. I cannot see Kenwyne Jones staying at the Stadium of Light, particularly with Tottenham knocking on Niall Quinn’s door. Kieran Richardson and Anton Ferdinand will attract offers and no doubt the pair pick up a fair size wage packet each too. This being said, Ellis short is now linked to a buy out of the club followed by a change of manager and a £200 million transfer kitty – if Sunderland stay up and we are to beleive the tabloids.

Will the Baggies bounce back?

The predicted great escape was sadly not to be for West Bromwich Albion, a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool condemned Tony Mowbray’s side to life in the Championship. It seemed a late run of form was going to provide the springboard for the Baggies to perform another miraculous feat, ala 2007, but it was too little too late for them as relegation was confirmed on Sunday.

This season West Brom have spent most of their time languishing in or around the relegation zone and the inevitable was surely just a matter of time. In the summer Mowbray did not strengthen the squad adequately enough, the most significant being Gianni Zuiverloon, Scott Carson, Abdoulaye Meite and Borja Valero.

Scott Carson has looked a shadow of the player once tipped as the future England number one. His clear lack of concentration has cost the Baggies a fair number of points and it seems he consistently makes thoughtless decisions.Zuiverloon on the other hand has been impressive in the right back slot, attracting interest from Paris Saint German. Playing in a defence, which has shipped goals for fun, it is a credit to the young Dutchman that he is attracting such interest.

Credit must also go to two stalwarts of the Hawthorns, Jonathan Greening and Chris Brunt. Greening, the club captain has put in some marvellous performances this season, controlling the centre of midfield and driving his team forward. Chris Brunt has show he has some ability when striking a ball from a set piece, coupled with his rampaging runs down the right flank, he has shown his value to the team.

Borja Valero has also been a solid buy, signed for £4.8 million, a significant amount for the club. Valero can pass with artfulness similar to countryman Cesc Fabregas while reading the game like a seasoned pro. January signing Juan Carlos Menseguez has also caught the eye in recent weeks, and although only on loan, he may well return for next season.

Tony Mowbray has a young and extremely talented squad with bags of potential. He has a footballing philosophy that must be commended, not giving way to calls from the masses to drop his way of playing. The style shown by his team have earned them many admirers and respect from many, but the downside is the lack of defensive cohesion. This twinned with Scott Carson’s shaky performances have led to 60 goals conceded in the Premier League, a number that is not good enough.

One saving grace is the financial situation at the Hawthorns, with 16,000 supporters having already renewed their season tickets for next season. The club will find itself on a sure footing during their time out of the lucrative Premier League. It also seems most of the squad can be kept together, “We don’t have to sell players because we don’t have any debt at club,” said Mowbray. A statement backed up by chairman Jeremy Peace, “We can keep players we want. Their salaries are affected by what league they’re in.”

Most would agree, although West Brom are destined for the Championship, they play a brand of football that is most welcome in the Premier League and will be welcomed back with open arms come next May.

The two big stories this weekend not related to Manchester United’s getting the first leg of the quadruple would have to be events that transpired at the Riverside and at the Emirates Stadium.

We’ll start with Liverpool because after such a great result midweek against Real Madrid, their loss at the Riverside defied belief. And the papers were quick to fill column inches with their own post match thoughts. Sam Wallace compares the Liverpool situation to that of Nigel Clough’s power struggle at Derby County. Personally I don’t see that much of a comparison as Rafa and Hicks for the moment appear to have formed a loose partnership. Piers Morgan heads down the character assassination route calling Rafa the most arrogant manager in the history of the Premier League. That’s just harsh. Patrick Barclay sneaks the line in his column about Rick Parry that Rafa is the one who has to answer for the results, not Parry himself. Don’t expect that anytime soon. This Independent column pretty much states what Rafa is confirming Sunday, the title race is all over.

It’s almost become a recording at the Emirates, a Premier League nil draw. The results are something that just baffle any mind and after the result against Roma midweek, you would think confidence would have reigned supreme against Fulham. However after Saturday’s result, all Wenger could come up with is “Maybe is is partly psychological. We are getting in good positions but not taking the chances.”

Maybe? Is that the best you could come up with? At this point it is completely psychological. When week in and week out your side can’t finish in front of goal, it becomes a mental thing. Wenger can praise your keeper all you want, and keep the faith in Arsenal’s stars, but you simply have to motivate your players to get goals. That is simply something Wenger hasn’t been able to do. Maybe Theo Walcott’s return to training can be the boost that Arsenal sorely need.

Other Stories
The other big result this weekend was Aston Villa blowing a two goal lead to Stoke City at home. That didn’t stop Tony Pulis hoping pre-match that Villa finished in the top four. Post match it was Martin O’Neill not happy at the arrogant and over confident nature Villa had after going two goals up.

In other Villa news, Martin O’Neill has responded to disgruntled Villa fans who decided to fly out to Moscow just to see the Aston Villa ‘c’ side lose to CSKA Moscow. His offer, dinner with himself and the players. I guess that works, but I was thinking more a reimbursement check for expenses after having to endure that game.

The cracks are starting to show at the KC Stadium. After Geovanni’s ridiculous antics after being subbed, Phil Brown gave him the verbal hair dryer treatment. I expect that one to get much more heated before it cools off.

Speaking of hair dryer treatments, Rio Ferdinand is still sacred of Sir Alex’s.

Tony Mowbray continues to say he will not stand down from his footballing philosophy. That’s even after another defeat.

Bolton fans probably aren’t happy after Gary Megson has agreed to a new rolling contract at the Reebok Stadium.

Florent Malouda says the lack of first team action could cause him to consider his Chelsea future. I say take a hike. You were a good player for France, but the English game is not your brand of football.

And finally, if the News of the World is to be believed (and I normally don’t unless they have the video to prove it), Manchester United is going to throw 200,000 a week at Cristiano Ronaldo to stay.

Just one more thing before I go. Has anyone noticed how many clubs are now within three points of the drop?

I’m happy Guus is not as thrilled about Chelsea’s 1-0 win as I am.

A bit of a side bar before I get into the news tonight. Chelsea are extremely lucky they are a goal to the good heading into their Champions League second leg. For starters, I don’t believe Didier Drogba’s goal should have counted. Frank Lampard was actively offside, and when Drogba and Lampard are both teeing up to shoot, sorry the referee has to throw the flag up.

Then there are the two obvious penalties that should have been called on both Petr Cech and Michael Ballack. Then the icing on the cake, the man in the middle completely blows the last kick of the game. Alex did get the last touch and the referee didn’t seem to care.

Guus Hiddink has every right to not be happy with Chelsea’s performance Wednesday night against Juventus. Yes the first half went by fine, but Chelsea mentally checked out in the second half. Guus was the first to admit that. He isn’t satisfied with a one goal advantage heading into the second leg, but that’s understandable knowing the task at hand heading to Italy. Being complacent on an away European night could result in their ultimate undoing.

If preparing for Real Madrid wasn’t enough, having reports over your head about your job added to the difficult task Rafa had in front of him Wednesday night. The first denials about Rafa leaving hit my RSS feeder at 9:34 Wednesday morning, but nothing concrete from the ownership at Anfield.

Liverpool will be happy with their 1-0 victory. For starters they got that cliched away goal and got a road shut out. That is Rafa Benitez at his best. Every time Rafa has been under the gun, an European night has always given him comfort. Even his post match press conference was a happy place as he committed his future to Liverpool. We’ll see come this summer.

Other Stories
For those wondering, Middlesbrough are in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup after a 2-0 win over West Ham United. Now Gareth, can you get that result in league play?

And Phil Brown is hoping that an FA Cup win Thursday night will kick start Hull City’s dead form.

More FA Cup talk as Roy Hodgson is warning Manchester United that Fulham won’t be laying down. The problem is, it’s Manchester United. Even if you don’t lay down you may end up rolled over.

So Kolo Toure didn’t know the rule about not coming onto the pitch until the referee said so once play resumed? Along with a new ritual, maybe a look at the laws of the game wouldn’t hurt.

Martin O’Neill has added his two cents into the artificial pitch debate. Of course he had to use the Champions League Final jab in his comments.

So another Premier League player has been arrested. This time it was Stoke City’s Ricardo Fuller. What driving offense (or offenses) could it take to be brought in for questioning.

And finally, Tony Mowbray intends to use loan signing Juan Carlos Menseguez as a super sub for that extra spark off the bench. West Brom could use one from the start as well.

You would think Rafa Benitez would have already learned his lesson. Instead Rafa is left to choke on more words, and a title dream lost.

Before Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City, Rafa reacted to Arsene Wenger’s comments that Manchester United were untouchable. “I can only talk of my team but I don’t think they are untouchable. In football now every game is tough so anything can happen. We have reduced the gap very well and want to reduce it more. It will be difficult but if we’re in the same position going to Old Trafford maybe that could be important”, came the words of Rafa Benitez. Now the gap is seven and even winning at Old Trafford guarantees nothing for Rafa.

Why Rafa took the bait on what was such an innocent comment from Wenger defies belief. Instead of focusing on what Rafa was going to do without Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres in the lineup to get three points at home against a Manchester City side that had not done much away from Eastlands this year, or even worrying about signing a new contract, Rafa decides that his vendetta against Sir Alex Ferguson is just that more important.

With Real Madrid hitting a bit of form, Liverpool have a bigger fight on their hands in the round of sixteen of the Champions League than even I expected a month ago. Should Liverpool not advance out of the Champions League, will their season truly be over with before March tenth?

Rafa may have finally admitted that the title race has slipped away from Liverpool, but it’s too late for that. He may have seen these tricks work when he managed at Valencia, but Rafa can’t fool the man who let’s the football do the talking first…then the man.

One person I never expected to come out with an almighty rant would be Tony Mowbray. The manager who’s side has been rooted at the bottom for a good portion of this season decides that before West Brom’s visit to Fulham to take a swipe at, of all things, Match of the Day. Not the show itself, just those ‘sofa pundits’ on it.

“I’ve got the world telling me I’m doing this wrong and that wrong, and playing the wrong formation. But I will stay single-minded and focused on what I believe in.

‘If the experts sitting on the sofas were good enough, they would all be doing this job themselves. Even when you get teams winning 10 games on the bounce, there are still people telling you that you are not doing something right.”

Mowbray’s West Brom then proceeded to see Fulham tear them apart in a match where 2-0 was too kind a scoreline. When that happens, those sofa pundits look like absolute geniuses. In the Championship, you can get away with single-minded tactics and thinking. In the Premier League, single-minded tactics and thinking see you relegated and begging for your job.

While I’m on the subject Mowbray, shouldn’t you be taking a little responsibility for how pathetic your teams have played? Shouldn’t you be putting the pressure on the players in private to up their standard instead of lashing out on pundits who are paid to do so (and seemingly doing a better job at pointing fingers than you are)?

There are winnable games in West Brom’s future, and now it’s the time for Tony Mowbray to show that he can adapt and be flexible. Single-minded football has been a losing proposition for West Brom so far, and sitting at the bottom of the table is not the time to be stubborn with what brought you up in the first place.

Other Stories
While not a Premier League story, credit has to go Joe Prodomo for keeping Weymouth from losing by 10 or more goals.

So Bolton Wanderers are denying rumors that Gary Megson will be sacked at the end of the season and replaced by Owen Coyle, Burnley manager. Okay I was alright up until the name Owen Coyle appeared. So Bolton want to replace a guy who currently is guiding Bolton into a mid-table finish with a guy who, while has Burnley in the playoff fight, has been proven nothing more than a cup specialist. Good going there Bolton management.

The last thing Everton needed was to see Mikel Arteta injured on Sunday.

Claudio Ranieri admitted that he fell asleep while watching Chelsea play Aston Villa ahead of Juve’s Champions League clash.

And Richard Scudamore has rejected the idea of a salary cap in the Premier League. All together now…WHAT A SHOCK!

The English Premier League provides the biggest stage in the world for players, managers, and coaches alike to showcase their various skills and talents.  Audiences in the millions around the world watch teams and players, as fans tune into whatever TV or Internet coverage is available on a daily basis.  An EPL managerial position is one of the most sought after jobs in football.

The successful veteran managers are well known and leaders like Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have become iconic symbols of their respective clubs.  In addition, other EPL battle hardened leaders with several years in the English top flight to add to their CVs include coaches such as Rafa Benitez, Martin O’Neill, Harry Redknapp, Mark Hughes, and Steve Bruce.

With the astronomically high stakes and the pressure cooker that is the managerial hot seat of an EPL team, we’re going to take a look at the newcomers – the EPL “rookie” managers.  Seven of the 20 teams are coached by managers in their first year of leading an English club in the top flight.  For the most part, they are certainly not cutting their teeth in their first managerial assignment but to qualify for the list they must be in their first year as an EPL manager.  Club expectations vary quite dramatically in this group, from survival to Champions League glory, but it’s interesting to review how the new leaders are faring and what we might expect as the season progresses. 

Blackburn Rovers:  Paul Ince

Previous Managerial Positions:  Macclesfield Town (2006); MK Dons (2007)

Appointment Background:  After Mark Hughes was recruited to lead the renovation at Manchester City, Ince became somewhat of a surprise candidate to take over at Ewood Park.  Blackburn have enjoyed an extensive run in the Premier league and in recent seasons have challenged for a European qualifying spot, developing into a solid Premiership outfit under the guidance of Hughes.  Ince took a huge step up from the lower leagues and despite success in 2007 with the MK Dons, he has to quickly come to terms with learning the managerial trade at the highest level.

Expectations:  Sustain Blackburn’s status as a top 10 team and continue to push for Euro qualification.

Progress:  Right now not good.  Rovers had some early success bagging a first win under Ince over Everton on the opening day of the season.  Since then form has dipped and Blackburn sit second from bottom in the league with just 10 more points acquired since that initial victory.

Looking Forward:  Attendances seem down – at least the games I’ve seen and there doesn’t appear to be much optimism.  The squad is probably too good to be sucked into a relegation battle but it’s already been brought up enough to make Ince address the relegation issue with the media.  Ince will need to get this team to at least mid-table if he hopes to make this a long-term assignment.

Chelsea:  Phil Scolari

Previous Managerial Positions:  Numerous clubs in the Middle East, Brazil, and Asia in early career managing 15 teams in 15 years from 1982-1997, including the Kuwait national team in 1991; Palmeiros (1997); Cruzeiro (2000); Brazil (2001); Portugal (2003)

Appointment Background:  Avram Grant was never considered the replacement for Jose Mourinho and, despite a decent 2007 season in which Chelsea finished second in both the EPL and the Champions League, the search for his successor was on well before John Terry hit the post.  Big Phil was named Chelsea boss during Euro 2008.

Expectations:  Win just about everything with an exciting and attacking brand of football.

Progress:  As expected, Solari has adjusted to life in the Stamford Bridge cauldron with ease.  He is popular with the fans and press alike, and appears to have a genuine rapport with the players.  Chelsea are playing with attacking flair and style, leading the way at the top of the league.  Despite a setback in their last European Champions League match, they are in good shape to progress.

Looking Forward:  They will win something this year or at least come very close.  They are a solid team and even if Roman does not break out the cash again in January, Phil has more than he needs to work with to be successful.  Chances are he will be around for a long while as Chelsea campaign for silverware on all fronts.

Hull City:  Phil Brown

Previous Managerial Positions:  Derby (2005)

Appointment Background:  Took over in December, 2006 with Hull 22nd in the Championship.  Successfully fought off relegation and subsequently, the following season, led the Tigers to top-flight football for the first time in their history.

Expectations:  Avoid Relegation.

Progress:  The amount of material already generated on the accomplishments of Hull City and Phil Brown since starting their inaugural season speaks volumes. They are everybody’s favorite ‘other’ team (except for maybe Grimsby fans).  They have already collected over half of the 40 points usually deemed necessary to survive and have recorded some impressive wins notably at the Emirates and White Hart Lane.  It’s not all been rosy but they are the ‘feel-good’ story of the season so far.

Looking Forward:  They probably will not be able to maintain their initial early form but a solid mid-table position is more than reachable for Brown’s team.  Even if they do fall from grace, Phil Brown has established himself as a top tier managerial candidate for a few years.

Portsmouth:  Tony Adams

Previous Managerial Positions:  Wycombe (2003)

Appointment Background:  Harry wanted to go to Spurs-Spurs paid Portsmouth 5 mil-Big Tone was promoted.

Expectations:  Tough to gauge so it would be good to hear from some Pompey fans.  Portsmouth have been continuously improving over the past couple of seasons and enter the 08-09 season as FA Cup holders.  At the very least Adams will need to maintain a consistent and capable Premiership team.

Progress:  Too early to tell although Adams has been on the coaching stuff during the renaissance at Fratton Park and can be credited to contributing to their recent success.

Looking Forward:  If Adams can keep the squad around mid-table or better he should be fine for another year or two.  January could be a key month in terms of either building or dismantling the team, especially if ‘Arry comes calling with his checkbook.

Stoke City:  Tony Pulis

Previous Managerial Positions:  Bournemouth (1992); Gillingham (1995); Bristol City (1999); Portsmouth (2000); Stoke (2002); Plymouth (2005)

Appointment Background:  Returned to Stoke for his second stint after new ownership at the Britannia Stadium in 2006.  Achieved promotion in his second season back at the club to give the Potters their first top flight football in 23 years.

Expectations:  Avoid relegation.

Progress:  City are hovering around the relegation zone in a tightly packed mid to lower table clutch of clubs.  Stoke are playing a very direct style of football that has seem them record decent wins against Villa, Spurs, and Arsenal in addition to earning a very respectable draw at Anfield.  If they can avoid a spiral of successive defeats, they have a good shot at securing a second EPL season.

Looking Forward:  Fans seem happy and the players seem happy.  Unless the team go into a big slide Pulis is probably safe in his job.  Continued dedication and consistency could garner him a second season in the Premier League.

West Bromich Albion:  Tony Mowbray

Previous Managerial Positions:  Ipswich (Caretaker 2002), Hibernian (2004)

Appointment Background:  Replaced Bryan Robson in 2006 after West Brom had been relegated.  Achieved promotion back to the Premiership at the second attempt and guided the team to the FA Cup Semi-Final last season.

Expectations:  Avoid relegation

Progress:  Early returns were promising for WBA as they secured their best ever start to a Premier League campaign.  Form has since plummeted and the Baggies have just 1 point from their past 7 games while being outscored 17-3, and they currently sit at the foot of the table.

Looking forward:  If there is a bright spot, it is that the Premier is so tight this year.  A couple of wins on the trot can see any bottom club climb to mid-table.  Nevertheless, the current run of results is alarming and Mowbray will need to turn it around quickly if he wants a second Premier term to establish his top-flight managerial credentials.

West Ham United:  Gianfranco Zola

Previous Managerial Positions:  None (assistant coach for Italy U-21s in 2006)

Appointment Background:  An early season replacement for Alan Curbishly, who despite a decent record with the Hammers, fell out with ownership over transfer funds and seemed to be distanced from fans with high expectations.  The only manager with no prior experience.

Expectations:  Secure top half finish and develop a team capable of qualifying for Europe and challenging for domestic cups.

Progress:  Zola has had a bit more time than Tony Adams and it is probably still too early to see how the team will respond to the former Chelsea playmaker.  The Hammers secured their first victory in 8 games at Sunderland this past weekend, with their previous EPL victory coming in Zola’s second game in charge against Fulham on Sep. 27th.  Form does not appear to be very consistent and he still hasn’t been able to get them to fix that dodgy patch on the front of their shirts!

Looking Forward:  His current West Ham team look more like Championship material than the top 6-10 that their fans expect.  It could be a case of a champagne taste on a beer budget at Upton Park with the financial situation not likely to aid Zola in strengthening his squad.  His induction into football management could end up in disaster unless the performances improve quickly.  Zola, however, is a class act and undoubtedly a popular figure in Premiership football. Regardless of how his first term concludes, I think we are likely to see Gianfranco around top-flight English football for a while.

How do you think the managers new to the Premier League are performing?  Are you a fan of any of the seven teams discussed and if so what is the general feeling?  Of the seven coaches who has impressed you the most?

Cheers!

The most impressive side I watched, by far, on Saturday was Middlesbrough. The link-up play between Tuncay, Alves, Downing, Aliadiere and, later, Mido was sensational. Wheater was also impressive. At times, it was like watching Brazil with all of the backheels and blistering attacks. Seriously.

While Spurs controlled a lot of the possession in this match and were doing a better job at passing the ball around, they were sloppy in front of goal and failed to create those pinpoint passes that could have led to goals.

The 2-1 win for Middlesbrough was deceiving. Wheater had a goal in the first half that was incorrectly disallowed, but even ignoring that, Boro was much more impressive than Spurs than the scoreline suggests. For Tottenham, it’s back to the drawing board.

Middlesbrough fans will probably be worrying that Boro will continue to do well against big opposition teams but poorly against weaker sides. Let’s hope Gareth Southgate can fix that because the initial signs from Boro this season are very encouraging. They look like a team reborn.

One more impressive thing about Middlesbrough: For the first time in ages, the Riverside sounded like a real football stadium with a cup final atmosphere and noise compared to the empty red seats and stone cold silence we’re accustomed to from Boro.

Here are my thoughts from the other matches:

• The deafening sound of boos that erupted around Goodison Park at the end of the 90 minutes against Blackburn should worry the club and its fans. They aren’t too many things to be happy with at Everton lately with the move to Kirkby on hold, no transfer signings, injury problems, boardroom problems and a dissatisfied David Moyes.

  At times, Everton’s defending was schoolboy as they let Blackburn run right through the middle of the park unopposed. The perfect example of that was David Dunn who had a lot of space to twist and turn past Phil Jagielka and slot his curving shot into the corner of the net. Joleon Lescott made a crucial mistake to let Roque Santa Cruz pass him to slot the ball into the goal. Even Jason Roberts, yes Jason Roberts, made Everton’s back four look weak by dribbling past three players and getting a shot on goal.

• New Blackburn manager Paul Ince should be impressed by the spirit shown by his side. If they can keep Santa Cruz in his side, they should do well this season up front.
• Sunderland‘s performance at their Stadium of Light against Liverpool was impressive. The team put in every morsel of energy into this match, winning many 50/50 balls and tormenting Rafa Benitez’s side. I wasn’t impressed by Liverpool’s performance at all. Too many sloppy mistakes. Hyypia looked awful. Plessis looked very unsure of himself in central midfield and his replacement Alonso played much better.This is going to be an awfully long season for Liverpool unless they can start making immediate improvement. They created more chances in the second half mostly thanks to Steven Gerrard, but what happens when Gerrard has a weak performance?
• Arsenal looked extremely comfortable and confident in their 1-0 win against West Bromwich Albion, but it was classic Arsenal who failed to find a second goal to put West Brom out of reach. Tony Mowbray’s side gave Arsenal a couple of scary moments with the very impressive Ishmael Miller coming close for West Brom. Samir Nasri did well on his first Premier League debut. Chris Brunt also played well for the Baggies, whose side became more comfortable toward the end of the first half. For the first 30 minutes, they couldn’t thread more than a few passes together.Meanwhile, Emmanuel Adebayor continued his frustrating streak of missing some clear-cut chances in front of goal. When he’s off form, the Gunners will be in jeopardy in crunch games.