Managers are the traditional fall guys of football, and managerial appointments can go one of two ways. They can galvanise a team to play beyond their means or they can sink them into a pit of oblivion.
Luckily for the following five teams, they did a lot more than what was expected of them in the season. They managed to land someone who has gone above and beyond, laying a foundation that could be built on for many years to come.
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Here are the five best managerial signings of the season.
#1 Lucien Favre – OGC Nice
If there was an award for the coup of the season, this would be it. After losing Claude Puel to Southampton and two of their best performers of the season prior, it’s a testament to the Swiss manager’s skills that they’ve gone even further than their excellent 2015/16 campaign.
His tactics have soaked into the players like sherry in a Christmas pudding, allowing them to adapt on the fly. While a bit of a cash injection has brought in players like Mario Balotelli and Dante, it’s his work with the domestic players that has impressed the most.
Wylan Cyprien is a star in the making, Jean-Michel Seri has gone to another level and Alassane Plea is finally living up to his potential. The fact that they have qualified for the Champions League and they are still in with a shout for the league is a true testament to the Favre effect at the Allianz Riviera.
#2 Gian Piero Gasperini – Atalanta BC
After seeing little success since his first spell at Genoa seven years ago, many felt that Gasperini would be just another appointment for serial lower-mid table finishers, Atalanta. How wrong they would prove to be.
They are set to post their best-ever Serie A finish, have already posted their best points tally since their return to the top flight in 2011 and could even grace the Europa League group stages next season.
A club long plundered for their young talent are finally allowing them to grow in a quality team that relishes attacking but can also pull out solid defensive displays. While the likes of Franck Kessie might leave come the summer, the production line at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia will not hurt their chances to build again.
#3 Ralph Hasenhüttl – RB Leipzig
A relatively under-the-radar move in the summer, the former Ingolstadt boss has pushed Bundesliga newcomers RB Leipzig beyond what anyone could have expected. The 49-year-old helped his old side, FC Ingolstadt 04, into a solid 11th placed finish, albeit only four points above the relegation play-off, but Die Bullen’s potential second place standing will top that comfortably.
It’s assisted with a solid budget and a great scouting network that has brought in plenty of talent, but Hasenhüttl has them playing attractive football, too. He’s allowed Emil Forsberg the freedom to be a real creative machine, Naby Keita seems to be everywhere on the pitch at once and he’s helped Timo Werner into a goalscoring machine.
European football beckons for Leipzig next season, which will be a real test for their bright young squad. With the calm head of Hasenhüttl guiding them, they have every chance to ruffle a few more feathers in the Champions League next season.
#4 Jorge Sampaoli – Sevilla
We all loved watching Sampaoli’s Chilean teams in World Cups, so it should be no surprise that he’s taken club management by storm too. The Argentine applied those same fast-paced principles to Sevilla and despite a dip recently, it’s worked like a charm.
They play with a real verve, an attacking intent that’s maximised by the sheer amount of options they have at their disposal. Not only that, his methods have resurrected the flatlining career of Samir Nasri and have made Stoke City regret the day they sold Steven N’Zonzi for less that £30m.
Combining him with one of the best recruitment networks in football, it should really be no surprise that the Andalusian side have prospered. Although it looks like they will have to settle with fourth in La Liga, the push they gave the big two for so long should be heralded.
#5 Antonio Conte – Chelsea
Throwing Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola to the wayside for most of the season, Conte has been a masterstroke signing for Chelsea. A team that fell flat on their face last season has bounced back to tremendous effect and they are in the hot seat for the Premier League title.
After a little bit of a shaky start, the team adapted to the Italian’s tactics and became a real juggernaut in the middle of the season. Teams simply couldn’t work out how to stop them, with Eden Hazard running amok again, while N’Golo Kante swept loose balls and controlled the tempo in midfield.
The 47-year-old has made bit part players like Victor Moses look indispensable and much criticised players like David Luiz look like a hero. If that’s doesn’t impress you, it’s difficult to tell what will.
