Seven Premier League managers have made the shortlist for January’s ‘Manager of the Month’, though who is most deserving of the accolade?
Carlos Carvahal: Swansea City. (W2, D1, L1)
Swansea City’s newly appointed manager Carlos Carvahal has overseen a drastic upturn in fortunes for the Welsh side, with consecutive victories against Liverpool and Arsenal the most impressive feats of his first month in charge.
Carvahal has instilled a serious sense of belief in Swansea’s squad, and given the fact that prior to his arrival they were widely considered to be certainties for the drop, his quality of his work cannot be understated.
Swansea now find themselves in 17th place; still fully embroiled in a relegation battle unlike anything the Premier League has seen in recent years, though they are in with a fighting chance, and whilst Swansea’s squad are due credit, so too is Carvahal.
Pep Guardiola: Manchester City (W3, L1).
Whilst Manchester City have been run-away leaders at the top of the Premier League for quite sometime, their manager, Pep Guardiola, has been equally dominant in collecting the Premier League’s manager of the month awards, winning four consecutively from September to December.
Guardiola’s side had another successful month in the Premier League winning 3-1 against Watford, 3-1 against Newcastle and 3-0 against West Bromwich Albion, their only blip coming against Liverpool in their 4-3 defeat at Anfield, the game that ended their unbeaten league season for 2017/18.
Guardiola will have considerable competition for this months award, though City have been in fine form, and the Spaniard is unquestionably worthy of a fifth successive acknowledgement.
Eddie Howe: Bournemouth. (W2, D2).
The turnaround at Dean Court in this Premier League season has been mightily impressive, with their long-term manager Eddie Howe very much at the centre of Bournemouth’s reverse in fortunes.
Several months into the 2017/18 campaign, questions were being asked of Howe’s job, though he has responded in some style in 2018, with impressive victories against Chelsea and Arsenal the most notable successes in this last month.
Howe has also recorded draws against West Ham and Brighton, taking Bournemouth’s unbeaten league streak to seven games, their longest ever unbeaten run in the Premier League. With 31 points, Bournemouth look relatively safe, and Howe is due huge credit for their run and upturn in form.
Jurgen Klopp: Liverpool (W3, L1).
Whilst Jurgen Klopp will likely remember the month of January in 2018 for their stunning 4-3 victory over league leaders Manchester City, it has also been a month of steady progress for the Merseyside outfit.
The introduction of Virgil Van Dijk to the side has added defensive stability, despite a shock (or not really a shock) 1-0 defeat to Swansea, though Liverpool have collected important away wins at Huddersfield and Burnley, moving them onto 51 points and into 3rd place in the Premier League.
Klopp will be keen to ensure this momentum continues as they maintain their chase for the Champions League places, and the performance of his Liverpool side in January could well merit a manager of the month award for just the second time since his arrival in England.
Jose Mourinho: Manchester United. (W3, L1).
Mourinho’s Manchester United recorded three important Premier League wins throughout January, all with clean sheets, versus Burnley, Stoke City and Everton.
United did slip up in a 2-0 defeat against Spurs at Wembley, though they have retained second place in the Premier League, staying five points clear of third placed Liverpool.
Mourinho will be eager to ensure Manchester United kick on in the last third of the 2017/18 campaign, and his teams performances in January, bar the Spurs defeat, were clinical.
David Moyes: West Ham United. (W2, D3).
Moyes masterminded an unbeaten January for the Hammers, and given the increasingly long injury list building up at the London Stadium, this is all the more impressive.
Victories against West Bromwich Albion and Huddersfield Town were crucial in pushing the Hammers up the table, whilst they also earned a valuable point at Wembley against Spurs.
Moyes has seemingly got West Ham playing well enough to beat the drop, and with 27 points and 12 games to play, it looks like the Hammers could well be staying in the Premier League for the 2018/19 campaign.
Mauricio Pochettino: Tottenham Hotspur. (W3, D2).
January was an unbeaten month for Mauricio Pochettino and Spurs, with impressive victories against Manchester United, Everton and Swansea, whilst also acquiring points against Southampton and West Ham.
Whilst questions were being raised over Pochettino and Tottenham’s inconsistency earlier in the season, 2018 has dismissed this notion of inconsistency for Spurs, as they find themselves right back in the fight for Champions League qualification in fifth and just a point off Chelsea who are fourth.
Pochettino will have a crucial part to play in Spurs and their success for the last 12 games of 2017/18, though his sides performance in January is certainly worthy of a manager of the month accolade.
Predicted Winner: Carlos Carvahal, Swansea City.
Written by Tom Newman.
