There’s little doubt that football is turning into a young man’s game. From players to managers, some of the most exciting clubs in Europe are being spawned by young, talented staff.
You only have to look at the raid on Southampton this summer to see that a fresh look on the beautiful game is hot on the agenda of major clubs. Pochettino made his move to Spurs, whilst the likes of Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Ajax are all prospering under young professional.
2015 will likely prove this, littering the top half of tables are a host of up and coming managers making their name, paving the way to go on and do great things.
If Wenger does finally step down, by whatever means, let’s have a look at 5 budding prospects who could replace him.
Frank de Boer
As a player he was one of the most respected defenders on the planet, featuring in All-Star teams and winning countless honours, so it seems a natural progression for the Dutch legend to head into management.
Beginning life as a coach in the Ajax youth set-up, a team that of course he was a product of, he moved on to the national side as assistant, finishing runner up in the 2010 World Cup before taking on the role of Ajax manager in 2010.
He’s won the Eredivisie for the past four seasons, and a move to the Premier League in the next year seems very much on the cards. Next stop St James’ Park?
Eddie Howe
Life doesn’t get much better for Eddie Howe right now. He’s one of the most talked about managers in the Football League, and has his Bournemouth side sitting pretty at the top of the Championship having scored more than any other side of the 92.
Now in his third season since returning to Bournemouth in 2012, he has taken the club to new heights, pushing them to the favourite position for the Championship title according to Titan Bet, taking the south coast side to potentially top flight status for the first time in their history.
Antonio Conte
Antonio Conte is no stranger to success. As a player he won countless titles with Juventus including the Champions League in 1996, and the 45-year-old Italian has to take a lot of credit for turning them back into the side they once was following the match fixing scandal.
Three Serie A titles in a row has earned him a position at the very top of the tree, Italian head coach, and so far he has yet to lose a match, a far cry from the Italian side in the World Cup.
Mauricio Pochettino
Mauricio Pochettino burst onto the scene as manager of Southampton, encouraging a brand of football that has been revered by both pundits and fans alike. He nurtured the likes of Adam Lallana, Jay Rodriguez, and Luke Shaw into players thought of as highly as him, and it wasn’t long before Spurs were knocking on the door.
He’s rebuilding the mess that was left by Andre Villas Boas and Tim Sherwood at White Hart Lane, getting the best out of the likes of Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen, and this season could see them knocking on the door of the Champions League spots once again.
Brendan Rodgers
Despite a rocky start to the season so far for the Liverpool manager, there’s no doubt that Brendan Rodgers is one of the hottest prospects in management right now. Schooled by Jose Mourinho in Chelsea’s Academy where he was head coach.
A move to Swansea caught the eye of the public, turning them into an established Premier League side before moving on to Liverpool in 2012. Last season saw them regain a Champions League spot once again, going toe-to-toe with Chelsea and Manchester City for the Premier League title until the final weeks of the season.
He’ll no doubt get Liverpool back on track by the end of the season, and he’s certainly a man with a big future ahead of him.