Premier League 2019-20: 3 managers who could win the manager of the season award
With the 2019-20 Premier League season entering its final third, many managers will be desperately attempting to reach their end goals of avoiding relegation or reaching the Champions League places in order to keep their jobs. However, certain teams and their managers have already reached their goals and are now exceeding expectations that were set at the beginning of the season. And this could lead to an end of the season award. The likes of Chris Wilder and Jürgen Klopp are already among the names mentioned for the manager of the season award along with several others. With that being said, here are 3 managers that could win the managers of the season award in the Premier League.
#3 Chris Wilder
Before the start of the season, many predicted that Sheffield United would be in a relegation battle and potentially relegated after just one season back in the Premier League. However, 6 months later and Chris Wilder's side are astonishingly 5th in the table, two points away from the top 4 and above the likes of Arsenal, Spurs, and Manchester United to form one of the stories of the season.
What's more, Sheffield United have played good football along the way with Chris Wilder's hitherto unseen tactic of overlapping centre-backs taking the Premier League by storm, leaving United closer to European football than ever before. It is also a fact that they only spent £42.75 million on transfers in the summer, bringing in 10 players. This has been the most impressive thing about this Sheffield United side who are lighting up the Premier League with almost the same core set of players that ensured promotion last season.
#2 Brendan Rodgers
Leicester never looked likely to push for the Europa League places let alone the Champions League. However, after signing the likes of Youri Tielemans and Ayoze Perez in the summer, Brendan Rodgers has assembled a team fit for a Europa League place and potentially even a Champions League place.
Although, one problem Rodgers did face in the summer was replacing Harry Maguire who had left for a record fee to Manchester United - a deal that seemed like bad business at the time for Leicester. But as it turns out, selling Harry Maguire was the best thing that Leicester did in the summer as it allowed Caglar Soyuncu to step up and replace Maguire and even outperform him this season.
Adding to this, Rodgers has managed to reignite the 2016 title-winning form of Jamie Vardy who has already scored 17 goals this season, more than any other player which leaves the Leicester forward on course for a first-ever Premier League golden boot. And its Vardy's goalscoring touch that has helped Rodgers' side on so many occasions this season as they look to make an unexpected return to the Champions League and Brendan Rodgers has a decent shout at the manager of the season award.
#1 Jürgen Klopp
Perhaps the most likely of winners on this list is Jürgen Klopp who will be looking to become the first-ever Liverpool manager to win the famous award after a potential record-breaking title win. At the time of writing, Liverpool sit 22 points clear of Manchester City with a record of 25 games played, 24 wins, 1 draw and 0 losses which leaves them on course for an invincible season and a record amount of points totalled.
If Klopp and his Liverpool side were to break these records then this season may well go down as the most dominant in Premier League history by potentially one of the best sides English football has ever seen. A few more years of dominance would secure Klopp's legacy as one of the most iconic teams. However, for now his focus will be primarily on this season's Premier League and ensuring the first title for Liverpool in over 30 years, an achievement that could see the German also win the manager of the season award.
To conclude, many managers have endured fantastic seasons so far with the likes of Chris Wilder, Jürgen Klopp, and Brendan Rodgers particularly impressing ahead of the end of season awards.
Also read: 5 things we have learnt about Liverpool so far this season