Managers

I have to make a post about managers. I am very curious as to your thoughts on this so will post a few of mine to help elicit a response.

Mark Hughes, out of his depth? I just can't see Mark Hughes being the Man City manager by the end of the season. He doesn't have the respect to keep the big names in line, and looking at the players he has signed, and especially looking at the managers who couldn't keep them in line (Wenger, Ferguson, Schuster) I can't see Hughes handling them all together. Especially seeing how he has multiple stars for the same position. I mean, City's bench is going to have SWP (poor boy going from one team to the other just before losing his spot again), Santa Cruz and a few others who expect to play every game, not to mention the three man strike force he is going to put together. Is Ireland, the best player for Man City last season, going to be dropped to the bench? Or De Jong? With Barry in midfield and then Tevez and Adebeyor I just can't see them gelling under Hughes. They must have a huge personality over them to keep them in line, which Hughes isn't. Look how he handled Robinho disappearing last season for a few weeks with no warning. And now he has let go of his friend Elano to a Turkish squad so he won't be a happy boy again. The new owners were nice to have kept him over the summer, I think as they don't want to look like the egomaniac owners of Liverpool, Chelsea or Real as the ownership of the new greatest football team on earth is partly a PR stunt for Abu Dhabi as much as anything else. And despite Hughes not showing that he has the skills, they are letting him stay one more season. Unless they are fighting for relegation he will stay until the end of the season, but if he isn't in the Champions League or at least very close he is gone. He is more of a Sam Allardyce. Good at getting mediocre players to play better as a team, but the top four of the Prem is on a whole different level. I would love to see Man City compete for the league and Mark Hughes do well, I just can't see it happening with him in charge.

Speaking of managers who are looking in over thier heads, how about Pellegrini at Real? Although only half a dozen managers in the world wouldn't look like they are going to drown in the seas of expectations after all the players bought and the money spent. Pellegrini made his name at Villareal. A team which took older players that had lost form at the big clubs (Riquelme, Pires) and turning them into a force again. But I am curious how much of this was playing in a tiny town far away from all the pressures in a 22,000 stadium, where interviews I have read with the players have said the reason they have gotten back into form is due to football being fun again. The pressure at Real is a whole other matter. No relaxation ever. You can win the league by 12 points over your biggest rivals and the manager will still lose his job because it isn't pretty enough. They are desperate to play like Barca, but obviously don't have the patience to build up a team. They want to buy one. I have no doubt they will play gorgeous football at times and tear teams apart. But I can honestly see them dropping points to the smaller competition. With all the big names they will up their level when playing Barca, or Atletico, but will get very frustrated against the Espanyols of La Liga. I am sure the will still pull out wins with one of their many superstars putting one in the net from 40 yards even if the whole team plays like crap, but I still think Barca are going to pull it off. But the Champions League and the big rivalries is where the brilliant games will come out. Ronaldo, Kaka, Benzema and Alonso vs. Messi, Ibrahimovich (most idiotic transfer ever Barca, he will be great but that MUCH money AND Eto'o??!!), Xavi and Iniesta? What a match up. Every player who has won the Balloon D' Or in the last three years. Amazing.

Last Manager. Wenger. He seems to put more and more trust in his youngsters, letting his big name players leave every year, but only signing 15 year olds who will be great by 2020. Arshavin was one great exception, but after the way the market has gone that will be the last of its kind. No more cheap deals for Arsene. He will have to spend, and he finally has some money to do so. And if he doesn't get another center defender and a hard midfielder (both of which everyone has called for for years) the they are in big trouble. I mean, he is talking about Vieira again? Please no. Make a call and realize not ALL your youngsters will turn into superstars. Get a holding midfielder with a bit of experience from another team. And a defender. And a striker for that matter. You finally have the cash, so that is no excuse. Arsenal always ooze potential but never actually get there. This might be your last season to prove your point. If Man City push you out of the Champions League do you really think that Febregas will wait around to play Derry City in the Europa League? No, he will take off to Barca faster than you can blink and then it will continue to be a downward spiral. It isn't too late, spend some money, get some experience, and fight for some silverware. Otherwise Arsenal could be like Nottingham Forest, playing in League 1 10 years after playing in the Champions League final. Spend the money and give up a little pride. Please. I really like your style of football and would rather see you over any of the other top three compete.

Back to you Jon. Give me some brilliant insights. I know you will have Arsenal for winning the league, handing me an easy six points starting out.