In English football, it’s common to blame the club’s manager for faults and failures of the team. Over the last eight months, since the start of the 2015-16 season, several managers have waved goodbye to their clubs before the end of the campaign and there’s sure to be a few more sackings before the season runs its course. When all is going well, the players reap the rewards but when results aren’t going the team’s way, it’s usually the manager who takes the responsibility and faces the consequences. However, as the Premier League welcomes more European managers to its league, the attitudes of fans towards the old ‘villains’ are beginning to change.
The arrival of Jürgen Klopp to Liverpool was one of the most exciting appointments the league has seen in the last decade. The German boss made headlines with his passion, tactics and enthusiasm at Borussia Dortmund – traits which helped carry his side to European success and league domination. The appointment at Liverpool, which was so refreshing for fans and the media, has since added a new level of excitement and hope around Anfield. Klopp has become a symbol of ambition; a persona for success. Liverpool fans once looked at Hodgson as the villain, Rodgers as a disappointment but now Klopp as a hero.
Whether it’s his humour, his passion or his brilliance, it’s easy to see why Klopp’s become a popular figure and nowadays, he’s not the only manager fans have started taking a liking to. Jose Mourinho’s heroics with Chelsea made him a club legend. Known around the world as ‘The Special One,’ Mourinho inspired his side to Premier League glory in his first spell with the Blues and he left as a manager who was worshipped by the Chelsea fans. After further successful spells with Inter Milan and Real Madrid, The Special One returned to produce further heroics in London. He was sacked earlier this season after a terrible start to Chelsea’s league campaign but even throughout his dismissal, fans showed their support for the Portuguese boss.
It’s not all changed though. Louis Van Gaal’s reputation before his arrival at Manchester United was emphatic and fans of the Red Devils couldn’t be happier to welcome him to Old Trafford. However, after a string of disappointing performances and inconsistency in the league, Van Gaal has come under criticism in recent months and he’s been unable to connect with the fans in the way Klopp and Mourinho have become so well known for. It could be down to character. Results, titles and success are a given, but what Klopp and Mourinho possess is charisma in abundance. Van Gaal, like so many other managers, is reserved with the media, controlled on the side-lines (with the exception of his dramatic dive impression) and unwilling to show too much emotion. That could be his downfall.
Klopp and Mourinho are emotional and they express the feelings and thoughts of the fans on a regular basis. Empathy and a mutual understanding has proven to be a great connection between managers and their fans. Managers can be criticised for pointing blame at their teams or for being negative but when your team loses 3-0 at home, there’s no point in sugar coating the experience. Simple, straight talk resonates with fans and Klopp and Mourinho are good at that. They’re two who have changed the way fans see managers in the Premier League and are examples of how the relationship is changing off the field.
With Pep Guardiola’s appointment at Manchester City due to begin at the end of the campaign, the Premier League expects another manager who’ll be glorified by fans. He’s regarded as the best manager in Europe and one of the best of all-time after his Barcelona side dominated world football during his reign. His time at Bayern Munich was just as impressive and his desire to move to the Premier League for the 2015-16 season kick-started one of the most anticipated races for a manager’s signature in decades.
Whereas Klopp and Mourinho’s charisma act as an attraction for fans, it’s Guardiola’s overwhelmingly impressive reputation that gives him ‘hero’ status. His arrival in the Premier League could be a catalyst for European stars coming overseas and that in itself will be a celebration of Guardiola’s contribution. Gone are the days where managers are seen as the villains. It’s becoming more and more common for these characters – Klopp, Mourinho and Guardiola – to be seen as fan favourites and that’s a sign of changes within modern football.
