Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Everton have all made ambitious managerial appointments.
Everton’s appointment of Ronald Koeman as their new manager is an ambitious one. Some may sneer at the thought of hiring a man from Southampton as containing much ambition at all, but the Toffees have certainly got an upgrade on their previous manager Roberto Martinez – when it is easy to forget that the Spaniard lead the club to their record points total in the Premier League era.
Koeman has a CV that is full of European pedigree having managed the likes of Benfica, Ajax and Valencia before his time at Southampton where he led them to their best finish in the Premier League era.
Everton are not the only club in the North West to have made a statement with their managerial appointments within the past year. Back in October, their neighbours Liverpool managed to lure former Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp, while both Manchester City and Manchester United have secured the services of successive League title and European Cup winners in Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho respectively.
Their immediate aims may be a little different to each other, but in the long-term they are similar. Successive honours and competing at the top of the English game while performing and winning Europe. They are, of course, on a different track when it comes to doing that right now.
All of the sides are determined to progress. Manchester City want to be a team that consistently wins league titles to build on the two won in 2012 and 2014. They will feel that with the investment provided and the way they have grown in recent years that they should be trying to dominate the English game, while United are trying to revive themselves after three below par seasons since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson.
On Merseyside, they are coming from a lower base. Liverpool have only finished in the top four once since 2009, although the turmoil the club endured under previous ownership seems to be overlooked in their decline. They are trying to rebuild and will point to recent cup final appearances as progress.
Everton want a side that can compete for honours and end their long trophy drought, but with desire. They have appointed someone that knows all about winning as a player and a coach.
The North West’s four major sides have all hired managers with the mentality and appetite to win. Their aims are clear, even if it takes a little while longer for one or two clubs than the others.
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