Top 5 contenders for the Premier League Manager of the Season award
With the Premier League now in its last legs for the season, the excitement is palpable. Manchester City are 11 points clear at the top, but the relegation battle goes on.
The likes of West Ham United have impressed with their performances this season, while Mikel Arteta's Arsenal have a lot to think about how their season has panned out.
Managers and players have had to deal with a lot of constraints, but they have done well to provide some much-needed entertainment during uncertain times. The Premier League is the best league in the world, and the narratives this season have once again proven this.
We look at the top 5 contenders for the Premier League Manager of the Season award.
#5 Brendan Rodgers (Leicester City)
Leicester City's title win in 2016 may not be replicated anytime soon, but their sensible transfer approach and Brendan Rodgers' management ability has seen them thrive in the Premier League.
They are 3rd in the Premier League table, one point ahead of Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea, who have played a game more. Having slipped from a similar position last season during the final stages of the competition, the Foxes will be keen to ensure that does not happen again. They are also in the finals of the FA Cup, where they will face Chelsea.
Former Liverpool and Celtic boss Rodgers has managed to get the best out of a talented squad. The likes of Youri Tielemans, Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho and Wesley Fofana have all impressed this season and have been linked with big-money moves to top clubs across Europe. Rodgers himself has been touted as a good choice for the Tottenham Hotspur job.
#4 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (Manchester United)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has not had it easy since being appointed as the permanent manager of Manchester United, but the Norwegian has done really well given the circumstances.
A poor start to the season saw intense criticism being directed towards Solskjaer. Manchester United have bounced back well though, and are currently 2nd in the Premier League table. While their performances in the domestic cup competitions could have been better, there have been clear signs of improvement.
Manchester United are extremely dangerous on the counter-attack, with stars like Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes and Luke Shaw all key to their success. There is work to be done, both in the transfer window and on the training field, but it can be argued that Solskjaer has been Manchester United's best manager since Sir Alex Ferguson.
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