Football games are won on the pitch, of course they are, but the strategy which underpins every victory is formulated elsewhere.
On the training ground, in the manager’s office, in the physio room and sport science department the pieces of every successful jigsaw are assembled and all overseen by one man – the head coach or known as the gaffer.
The buck stops with the guy in the hot seat. And in 2021, he has to be a master of carrot and stick, progressive and relentless in his pursuit of glory. These are the warrior leaders who send their troops into battle week after week and, if they fail, the boss will always fall on his sword.
So let’s take a look at these leaders of men. These are the Premier League managers from four contrasting clubs, with different aspirations but with equal determination at the helm.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: Manchester United
The pre-season Premier League 2021 betting odds price the Red Devils at 7.50 – fourth favourites behind Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool.
A second-placed finish last term probably exceeded expectations at the club and now Solskjaer is under pressure to match that feat as well as winning some silverware.
As a player, the “Baby-Faced Assassin” wrote himself into Old Trafford folklore when he scored the winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final, and his 2018 appointment as head coach had the fans dreaming again.
Manchester United have improved year by year but are still well adrift of neighbours Manchester City and Solskjaer hopes the £73-M signing of Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund might inch the Red Devils closer.
OGS is a popular figure at the Theatre of Dreams and one of the game’s good guys. Now as a manager, he needs to prove he’s a winner.
Nuno Espirito Santo: Spurs
The Premier League managerial merry-go-round often throws up a baffling exit and Nuno Espirito Santo’s departure from Wolverhampton falls into that category.
He led Wolves to promotion to the Premier League and then Europa League football, but seemingly that isn’t enough. The West Midlands club might struggle without him and Nuno must now prove to the All Golds what they are missing as he takes the lead at Tottenham.
Has he jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire? Time will tell but there is a rebuilding job required at Spurs, certainly in terms of confidence and maybe in manpower if talisman Harry Kane finally leaves the club.
Heung-Min Son has signalled his confidence in the new boss by signing a four-year deal, and Nuno has secured the signing of Atalanta keeper Pierluigi Gollini on loan.
This could be a brilliant step for Nuno, but there are few managers under more pressure this term as Spurs yearn for long-awaited silverware.
Sean Dyche: Burnley
He’s long been admired as the best pound-for-pound head coach in England but that’s a mantle Burnley’s charismatic boss would rather shake off.
And maybe this season following the takeover of Burnley by ALK, Dyche might not have to work on a shoestring.
The Turf Moor club has been prudently run over the past five seasons, but a spend of just £1-M last summer was probably a step too far and there were cracks appearing at the normally rock-solid club as relations between manager and board broke down.
The new owners have vowed to back him and Dyche has already spent £12-M on highly-rated centre-back Nathan Collins and recruited Wayne Hennessey as a backup keeper.
His team has an impressive spine with England keeper Nick Pope behind the brilliant defensive duo of Ben Mee and James Tarkowski, and they’re joined with the impressive Ashley Westwood in midfield and Chris Wood outfront.
And with a couple more additions, the Clarets will be aiming for a top 10 finish.
Thomas Frank: Brentford
Following promotion to the top flight after a 74-year absence Brentford fans are ecstatic to be back among the elite and they owe much to the guidance of progressive head coach Thomas Frank.
He has led the club to back-to-back third-placed finishes in the Championship and they won promotion via the play-offs at the second attempt.
The Brentford team of 2019/20 was renowned for fast-flowing attack-minded football, and Frank has added solidity and pragmatism to find a winning blend.
Top scorer Ivan Toney has a second bite of the Premier League cherry having missed out at Newcastle. He scored 33 goals last season and could be the league’s surprise package.
The Bees are at SBOTOP odds of 2.00 to go down, level with Watford and at a longer price than Norwich City, who are the outright favourites for the drop.
Frank will now stand or fall by Brentford’s Premier League 2021 results, but survival among the elite will surely rank as the club’s biggest achievement yet.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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