Football management is a fickle occupation, just ask the six Premier League managers who have been sacked so far this season.
Erik ten Hag, Steve Cooper, Gary O’Neil, Russell Martin, Julen Lopetegui and Sean Dyche all paid the price for underperforming at their respective clubs.
A couple could perhaps count themselves a tad unlucky while for others, such as Martin and O’Neil, the writing was on the wall. The duo registered only three wins in the top flight between them this term in charge at Southampton and Wolves.
The revolving door in football is continuous. Some clubs are worse than others when it comes to hiring and firing. For every managerial sacking in the Premier League, an opportunity is presented elsewhere for someone to turn around the fortunes of a club.
David Moyes, Graham Potter and Ivan Jurić are the three most recent hires, joining Everton, West Ham and Southampton respectively.
Here at FotMob, we take an in depth look at all three, examining exactly what they can bring to their respective clubs over the final few months of the season.
David Moyes
“Everton is different.” Said Moyes during his first press conference since returning to the Toffees, 12 years after departing Goodison Park to take over from Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.
We all know how that turned out, but the Scot refused to let this disappointment linger, returning to management with Real Sociedad just seven months later. It was at West Ham, however, where the 61-year-old proved he wasn’t just a one-trick pony.
At times, the football may have been a tough watch, but Moyes led the Irons to their first major silverware in 43 years, claiming the Europa Conference League title in May 2023.
The Friedkin Group secured their takeover of Everton towards the end of 2024, heightening the pressure on Dyche, who was eventually sacked on January 9 after two years at the helm.
Next season marks the start of a new era for the Merseyside club, moving into their new stadium at Bramley Moore Docks. Considering £800m has been spent on building the ground, retaining Premier League status this season is imperative.
Moyes, in that respect, is the ideal candidate. Not only does he know the club inside out, but a two and a half year contract indicates the new owners have faith in his abilities.
Everton have the joint-fifth best defensive record in the top flight, conceding just 26 goals. The priority for Moyes will be finding a way to get his team to score more goals in the second half of the season.
With 15 goals, they rank as the second-worst attacking side in the division. If Moyes can utilise the counterattacking style that was often on show at points during his two spells at West Ham, then the Toffees will claw themselves away from the drop zone over the next few months.
The prodigal son has returned.
Graham Potter
Graham Potter has bided his time with regards to making a return to management, turning down various offers since his Chelsea sacking in April 2023.
The next move had to be the right one, especially with his reputation at stake. West Ham, therefore, is the ideal club for him.
His spell at Chelsea was forgettable, but this shouldn’t take the shine off the incredible work he did at Brighton.
Across three seasons on the south coast, Potter took the club from the lower reaches of the table into the top half and the West Ham supporters will be hoping the 49-year-old can repeat the feat at the London Stadium.
Potter’s tactical philosophy centres around a possession based system, but will this change at West Ham? He has plenty of players who are capable of individual brilliance such as Lucas Paquetá, Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen.
His greatest strength is being adaptable, which could see him move away from the 3-4-2-1 system he used at Brighton, shifting in the direction of 4-2-3-1, a formation Julen Lopetegui shaped with his summer signings.
If given time, Potter can turn West Ham into his next big project, which may just see them return to European competition sooner rather than later.
Ivan Jurić
Of the three sides discussed here, Southampton certainly took the biggest gamble when appointing their new coach. Ivan Jurić’s arrival on the south coast marks his first coaching role outside of Italy.
His spells with Hellas Verona and Torino established the Croatian’s managerial reputation, finishing either ninth or tenth across five seasons in Serie A with both clubs, leading to his big move to AS Roma.
Like his predecessor, Daniele De Rossi, Jurić wasn’t offered much time to implement his own ideas in the capital, receiving his marching orders after just eight matches in charge.
His spell in Italy allowed Jurić to develop his high intensity pressing approach which is built on defensive solidity. It may be too late to save Southampton from relegation this season, but this tactical philosophy could be perfect for the club in the long run.
Languishing at the bottom of the table having won just one game in the Premier League this season, Jurić faces a difficult task indeed.
The 49-year-old has endured a baptism of fire since taking over at the Saints, losing his first four league games, scoring just twice in the process. But there was some positivity following the FA Cup win over Swansea City.
Long term Atalanta boss Gian Piero Gasperini has been Jurić’s mentor for nearly two decades. If Southampton can achieve half of what La Sea have in recent years, then it could be a marriage made in heaven.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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