TWIST LOOMS IN TALE OF TWO MANAGERS

Posted: August 4, 2022 | Author: LeicesterVoice | Filed under: Football, Leicester City FC, Premier League, Sport | Comments Off on TWIST LOOMS IN TALE OF TWO MANAGERS

Although 20 teams line up for the 2022-23 Premier League title race, due to begin this Friday, only the most diehard and deluded will dispute that there are only two realistic contenders for the crown.

Last season’s battle between Liverpool and Manchester City, which lasted until the closing minutes of their final games, looks certain to be replicated during a campaign which will be halted in mid-season to accommodate a World Cup taking place, uniquely, at the end of a calendar year rather than in the middle.

The impact of this six-week break on individual clubs is difficult to determine, especially as it may well depend on the progress of individual nations at the tournament.

But the gap in quality between the top two and other would-be challengers is so stark that it can be forecast, with some degree of certainty, they will occupy the same two positions at the end of May.

Both Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp have reached the stage of their careers at their respective clubs where consideration of their legacies will play a key role in their priorities.

This legacy factor may well be the pivotal factor in the destiny of their forthcoming seasons.

Although Guardiola will be keen to cement a place in league history, by clinching a third consecutive title, he is well aware that the Champions League remains the trophy most coveted by his Emirati bosses and large sections of the Light Blues’ fanbase.

Indeed, it was his pedigree in that competition which helped to secure his installation in the Etihad hot seat in 2016.

However, a series of frustrating failures in Europe’s top club competition, including a defeat by Real Madrid in last season’s semi-final stage, have left the impression that Guardiola’s mission in Manchester, despite an impressive array of trophies at domestic level, remains ultimately unfulfilled.

The pressures on him, should he be forced to choose between another league title or a tilt at Europe’s most glittering prize, will therefore sway him only one way.

In contrast, Klopp’s hunger to reach a summit he last occupied in 2020, before being displaced by Guardiola, remains unabated.

Notwithstanding success in both the League Cup and FA Cup last season, and reaching his third Champions League final since arriving at Anfield in 2015, the German is only too conscious of the shadows cast on him not only from Manchester, but by a series of illustrious predecessors in the Liverpool hot seat.

Bob Paisley won six top-flight titles, with Bill Shankly and Kenny Dalglish claiming three apiece and the latter going on to add another at Blackburn. By comparison, Klopp’s current record of just one solitary triumph looks modest, even forlorn.

While Klopp has already established a central, lasting place in Scouse folklore, his pride and determination will propel him to make every effort towards another bid to equal Manchester United’s record haul of 20 league championships.

And this time, unlike last season, the fine margins on which the title race will turn may well work to his benefit.

Elsewhere within the top six, Tottenham have made significant improvements since the arrival of Antonio Conte, though are likely to lack the staying power this time around to threaten the grip of the top two. Meanwhile, Chelsea are undergoing extensive turbulence in the wake of the government-enforced change of ownership, and may well not be seen at their best until the latter stages of the season.

Arsenal, despite spending lavishly in an effort to recapture former glories, still have character issues within their current squad, and Manchester United, even under the stewardship of new boss Erik Ten Hag, remain far too beset by egos, cliques and international distractions to have any realistic hopes of reaching the Champions League..

As for Leicester City, the air of stagnation that enveloped the King Power Stadium throughout much of last season looks like persisting well into this one. Kasper Schmeichel’s departure, while not entirely unexpected, will cause further disruption to an already-troubled defence, although there should be enough quality and experience in other areas of the squad to keep the club well clear of trouble.

But while the number of genuine combatants for the main prize may be limited, the dogfight at the other end of the table may drag in more clubs than usual. The three promoted teams have adopted varying strategies in the transfer market in attempting to overcome clear quality issues, while Everton, Leeds and Brentford, all of whom narrowly survived the cut in May, are looking to regroup following the departure of key personnel. In addition, the slump in form at Southampton in the closing months of last season hints at management issues which may herald a difficult winter at St Mary’s.

PREDICTED FINAL TABLE

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