Premier League: From Maurizio Sarri to Unai Emery, what to expect from seven additions to EPL's elite managerial catalogue

Heading into a brand-new season of the Premier League, a fresh wave of managers has already boarded the gravy train of English football’s top flight. A few have been parachuted in from fancier foreign shores, while some others are here seeking redemption, having never been truly away. Interesting appointments at Chelsea and Arsenal – two clubs that finished outside the top four places in 2017-18 – promise to spice up the division already overloaded with managerial talents. Among the new appointees, Chelsea’s Maurizio Sarri and Arsenal’s Unai Emery are the biggest draws no doubt, but there is no less intrigue surrounding the men at the helm of two promoted clubs – Fulham and Wolverhampton Wanderers. Slavisa Jokanovic will finally manage a team in the top division having already helped Watford to promotion in the past, while Nuno Espirito Santo at Wolves reeks of continental pedigree; the former goalkeeper has top European teams like FC Porto and Valencia on his managerial CV. Then there is Marco Silva, who rarely seems to sit tight at one club for long. Everton have replaced Sam Allardyce with the youthful Portuguese, an obvious stylistic upgrade leading to more optimism at the club. The focus for Premier League clubs in the recent past has been to sign up managers who are of prime age – neither too young nor too washed up – but two old heads have nevertheless scripted their return to the big league. Neil Warnock led Cardiff City to an unlikely promotion in 2017-18 and still remains the Bluebirds’ man in charge, while West Ham have roped in former league champion Manuel Pellegrini in another bid to make good use of their considerable resources and not underachieve. [caption id=“attachment_4481937” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Arsenal manager Unai Emery. Reuters[/caption] With new managerial faces come fresher ideas and game models. A lot has been made of Sarri’s methods even before his team have kicked a Premier League ball, while at the opposite end of the tactical spectrum sits Warnock, the 69-year-old who prefers an industrial playing style that served him well in the Championship last season. There are noticeable differences as well as striking similarities between the new appointees, so let’s take a closer look at what we can expect from them in the upcoming campaign. Unai Emery The Spaniard’s preferred formation is an offensive 4-3-3 where the midfield trio can switch orientation depending on the circumstances and opponents. At his previous club, Paris Saint-Germain, Emery used a 4-3-3 with one holding midfielder for defensive stability and one of the two wide central midfielders played higher up to combine with the three attackers. He certainly possesses the nous to set up a balanced centre, given his experiences at sub-elite clubs like Valencia and Sevilla in the past. A similar setup is expected at Arsenal considering the club have brought in Uruguayan defensive midfielder Lucas Torreira, specifically for the deep midfield role. However, the presence of two big-name centre-forwards in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette might force Emery to tinker his shape to accommodate both as close to goal as possible. That in itself is an enticing prospect considering the 46-year-old head coach is known for his offensive organisation. Maurizio Sarri Sarri’s Napoli side were fun to watch in the Italian Serie A over the past three seasons but his game system will certainly take time to fully prosper at Chelsea. [caption id=“attachment_4785421” align=“alignright” width=“380”] Maurizio Sarri has joined Chelsea from Napoli. AP[/caption] Antonio Conte’s Chelsea were largely based on textbook tactics and automatisms that made the team perform at a higher level within a given framework but lacked the dynamism beyond the system. Sarri’s appointment goes some way to rectifying that and will certainly mean a departure from the 3-4-3 and 3-5-2 systems of 2016-17 and 2017-18. The 59-year-old brings to Stamford Bridge his now template narrow 4-3-3 system and Italian midfielder Jorginho will play a key role in it under Sarri. Quick vertical passing, high pressing by squeezing the playing area and third man runs are the main tenets of ‘Sarriball’, but Chelsea fans must remain patient to witness the full effects of their new manager’s methods at the club. Marco Silva The youngest of the newly appointed managers, Silva faces what is probably a make-or-break moment of his managerial career. Everton are arguably the biggest of the clubs on his CV so far, but the task at hand for the 40-year-old is far from straightforward. Silva has mostly favoured a 4-2-3-1 system at his previous clubs with the more defensive three-man defence deployed here and there against better opponents, a pattern he is expected to follow at Everton. Despite the noise of a huge stylistic shift under Silva, it remains to be seen how much of an actual upgrade he is at Goodison Park. The Portuguese likes his teams to press high, although that tactic led to Watford succumbing to elite teams adept at playing through the press. Attacking from wide areas via crosses has been another feature of Silva’s previous sides, but Everton’s lack of options at centre-forward – Cenk Tosun aside – might land him in a sticky spot. Nuno Espirito Santo Nuno is an advocate of the three-man back-line and is unlikely to change tact for his first season in the Premier League. Having had relative success at Valencia, Nuno’s career seemed to have stalled before his appointment at Wolves and the club’s subsequent promotion has somewhat restored it. [caption id=“attachment_175932” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Neil Warnock. Reuters[/caption] A series of new signings – mostly Portuguese players – has added increased fascination to Wolves ahead of the 2018-19 campaign, but all depends on how Nuno pulls the strings in the club’s return to the top flight after six years. Wolves’ 3-4-3 system means there is a huge emphasis on wingbacks to fulfil attacking responsibilities, but the addition of Joao Moutinho to complement Ruben Neves should make for a very cultured midfield and creativity from the centre, a necessity considering the squad is light on world-class goalscoring talents. A combination of continental flair and controlled possession football makes Nuno’s Wolves a formidable unit, despite being a promoted club. Neil Warnock Warnock has been around the managerial circles since the early 1980s and has done well to survive this far, but there is little evidence the Sheffield native will steer Cardiff City to safety in the Premier League. Warnock employed a 4-2-3-1 system last season but his Cardiff side were largely one-dimensional, generating chances via direct balls to centre-forward Kenneth Zohore and crosses from their wingers. Thus far, recruitment hasn’t screamed Premier League quality and Warnock’s idea is to stick to his industrial methods from 2017-18. All of their four signings have been from Championship clubs and the arrival of striker Bobby Reid – an old-school centre-forward adept at hold-up play – is a clear indication of how Warnock intends to take on the Premier League challenge. However, Cardiff are good at their defensive organisation and covering, often morphing into a back-three when pressing inside their own half, and that seems to be Warnock’s keycard. Manuel Pellegrini The 64-year-old has a Premier League title on his CV and that looks enough to allay fears of another relegation-threatened campaign for West Ham United. Pellegrini found success with Manchester City during his previous stint in the Premier League but lost his way after early positives. [caption id=“attachment_1483953” align=“alignright” width=“380”] File image of Manuel Pelligrini. Reuters[/caption] Pellegrini’s style is more personnel-based than philosophy-based – the Chilean has adapted to the types of players at his disposal at previous clubs to build expansive, passing units. At West Ham, Pellegrini is likely to put more focus on getting the most out of two expensive wide recruits – Felipe Anderson and Andriy Yarmolenko. With Marko Arnautovic able to play a variety of roles in attack and Javier Hernandez set to assume the main striker’s role, expect lots of combinations, one-v-ones and interplay from the Hammers going forward, although it remains to be seen how effective Pellegrini is on the defensive side. Slavisa Jokanovic Jokanovic’s Fulham were labelled ’the Manchester City of the Championship’ by Warnock last season, a testament to the Serbian manager’s work at the London club. Like Pellegrini, the 49-year-old Serbian is adaptable to circumstances but expect him to stick with his 4-3-3 setup on Fulham’s return to the Premier League, with club record acquisition Jean Michael Seri certain to play a pivotal role at the base of the three-man midfield. Fulham like to build up attacks from the back and use intelligent movements from their wide players around centre-forward Aleksandar Mitrovic to create goalscoring chances. Their top scorer in 2017-18 – Ryan Sessegnon – scored most of his goals converging in from his wide left position to pounce on loose balls, a tenet of Fulham’s play where the passive zone stays active for quick switches of play and counterattacks. Judging by their extravagant spending, Fulham are aiming high with Jokanovic, who seems to be making the right noises so far.