5 best managers without a job now - November 2021
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's time at the club is clearly coming to an end following a run of disappointing results. There has been intense discussion about who could replace him if he gets the sack.
Antonio Conte is off the market now, having been signed by Tottenham Hotspur. At the moment, there are not a lot of world-class managers unemployed right now. So, not just Manchester United, any elite club looking for a top manager now would struggle to do so.
On that note, here's a look at the five best managers without a job right now:
#5 Nuno Espirito Santo
Nuno Espirito Santo's time at Tottenham Hotspur certainly did not go according to plan. The Portuguese was sacked after just four months in charge of the club.
While Spurs' football was not pleasing to watch under Santo, it is difficult to blame him for Tottenham Hotspur's deficiencies. The 47-year-old was not the first-choice preference of the club, so Spurs have to take responsibility for making a poor appointment in the first place.
Official. Nuno Espirito Santo has been sacked by Tottenham board. It’s over for the Portuguese manager after defeat with Man Utd. ⚪️ #THFC #Spurs
“The Club can today announce that Nuno and his coaching staff Cathro, Barbosa and Dias have been relieved of their duties”. #Nuno https://t.co/9j0YAToWvC
In hindsight, it is evident that Santo was never going to last long at the club. The former Valencia boss has shown that he is much better than how he fared at Spurs, though.
Santo led Wolverhampton Wanderers to the Premier League. Wolves finished seventh in England's top-flight twice under him. The Portuguese prefers to play disciplined and structured football. While he enjoyed huge success with Wolves playing that way, it was never going to be received well by Spurs fans.
#4 Ernesto Valverde
Like Nuno Espirito Santo, Ernesto Valverde is not known for his charisma. The Spaniard prefers to let his work do the talking.
Valverde was regarded as a safe choice when Barcelona appointed him as their manager in 2017. He had big shoes to fill, replacing the much-loved Luis Enrique at the Barcelona hot seat. The Blaugrana's financial condition was starting to deteriorate at this point, and cracks were beginning to appear in the club's structure.
If I'm Villarreal right now, I'm looking very much in the direction of Ernesto Valverde and Diego Martinez.
Nevertheless, Valverde won two La Liga titles with Barcelona. However, fans will bitterly remember his tenure due to stunning losses to AS Roma and Liverpool in the Champions League. Both times, Barcelona were in control, only to squander significant first-leg leads away from home.
The Barcelona manager was eventually sacked in 2020 by the club, and replaced him with Quique Setien.
You may also like: 5 highest-paid right-backs in the world right now.