Some of my thoughts on the candidates and what I like/worry about them on what very limited knowledge I have of them and their careers.
Amorim: Has won a title. Has over-performed everywhere he’s managed. Develops younger players, has shown an ability to recover from a poor season, has experience in Europe but hasn’t had a deep run. My worry is can he manage elite-level players? We all hear stories of managers from smaller clubs coming to big clubs and struggling to get their message across to senior players. On the flip side, his playing style doesn’t appear to be drastically different to ours. Seems like one of the brightest young managers in the game, but does he need another club before us?
De Zerbi: reputation within the game as one of the brightest thinkers currently about. Everyone that’s played under him can’t speak highly enough of him. His Brighton sides have either battered us or given us really tough games since he’s been here. Underlying numbers are brilliant. Develops younger and older players. I worry a little like Amorim above, can he get that message across to players like Mo and Virgil? I think he could be brilliant for players like Szoboszlai and Curtis, he’ll take them to another level, but I do worry how he’ll use someone like Darwin who thrives when the game’s played at our pace. He might end up scoring more goals as we may begin to craft clearer chances, he might go the other way because he’s not as involved and receiving the ball early which he thrives off. He’s had some woeful results here and there but have to keep reminding myself it’s Brighton he’s managing. Has them playing really strong football for what they spend. Is playing good football enough to get you the biggest job in the country?
Nagelsmann: Has won titles and managed for years in the CL. Was considered the next great coach a few years ago. Had a mixed time of it at Bayern, achieved great results but never seemed to win anyone over there and had a couple of issues off the field (affairs, skateboards). Context of it being Bayern who haven’t settled since Pep left despite immense success. Has experience managing elite players, however the stories go he was actually too demanding and asked too much of the Bayern players, or he wasn’t clear enough. Do our lads thrive because we have such a clear way of playing and we do that to its very optimum? Will our lads struggle if a manager is trying to coach 2-3 systems to offer the flexibility throughout games rather than focusing on the one like we mainly have done under Jurgen? Or has he learned from that experience and gone back to basics? Seems a bit of a divvy, wasn’t impressed by his Leipzig sides when we played them and I watched them. Felt very 7Hag like when he went to Bayern and took Sabitzer with him who’s a pudding, so not sure on his ability to judge a player.
