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Brendan Rodgers vs Nuno Espirito Santo: How under-rated managers are threatening the established elite
Leicester and Wolves meet on Sunday with two well respected managers who have chosen the right clubs at the right timeByJohn Percy7 November 2020 • 3:00pm
Brendan Rodgers v Nuno Espirito Santo is an appealing collision between two clubs on an upward trajectory CREDIT: Getty Images
More than a hundred miles away from the latest gladiatorial duel between Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp, the battle lines are being drawn at the King Power Stadium.
It is a contest which may lack the stardust and potential for controversy that could unfold at the Etihad on Sunday afternoon, but Brendan Rodgers v Nuno Espirito Santo is an appealing collision between two clubs on an upward trajectory.
From opposite corners of the Midlands, Leicester and Wolves are threatening the established elite with two highly progressive, under-rated managers at the helm in what appears to be a perfect moment in their careers.
Rodgers and Nuno are from different cultures and backgrounds but at the same time are very similar in their work - both come alive on the training pitches and are devoted to the enduring pursuit of player improvement through the art of coaching.
Their squads possess a blend of gnarled experience, reliable professionals, generational talent and star quality, with both clubs highly adept in recruitment and scouting.
Leicester spent most of last season in the top four CREDIT: Getty Images
Both clubs are built on the strong foundations of their boardrooms, who provide support, sense, and a serene environment where managers and players can flourish.
Despite the frequent problems presented by Covid-19, which would never have emerged on any coaching courses, it seems that Rodgers and Nuno could not be happier. They have chosen the right clubs at the right time.
Whisper it quietly, but both managers should be far more prominent in the gossip columns when big managerial jobs become available.
If Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s turbulent reign at Manchester United does come to an end, or if Guardiola opts to leave Manchester City at the end of this season, Rodgers and Nuno should absolutely be at the top of both lists.
They have done more than enough in the Premier League to justify being discussed as realistic options for the traditional top-six, and particularly United.
Both managers are in their late 40s, with a wide range of experiences, and have shown a determination to follow their own path. They are intrinsically linked to an identity with their teams, a way of playing and working.
The question, though, is why would they want to leave?
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is feeling the heat at United and could become of the first big managerial casualties of the new season CREDIT: Reuters
United may be the biggest club in the world but seem to have been in a period of transition which is never-ending. They do not even have a sporting director, and have what appears a muddled transfer policy.
Rodgers, of course, has already managed one of Europe’s elite clubs, Liverpool, and a famous, historical club in Celtic.
His tenure at Liverpool was far better than most critics would have you believe, while there are inevitable snipes over his period north of the border being no more than a private member’s affair between Celtic and Rangers.
Yet he has already fulfilled Leicester’s ambition of returning to Europe and spent most of last season in the top-four, before an unfortunate downturn in results towards the end.
This season he has beaten Guardiola for the first time in his career, thrashed Marcelo Bielsa and schooled Mikel Arteta. Leicester have a 100 per cent record in the Europa League and this week recorded their biggest ever win in European competition.
Leicester’s players are relishing the ride, and there is a spirit and togetherness in this dressing room that evokes memories of the title-winning team in that historic 2015/16 season.
Their start is even more admirable when you factor in the injuries to Ricardo Pereira, Wilfred Ndidi, Caglar Soyuncu and, more recently, Jonny Evans and Timothy Castagne.
Leicester could top the table on Sunday night if they beat Wolves and Liverpool fail to take three points against Manchester City.
Rodgers is in a good place. “I’ve managed for over 550 games up until now but I think for the next decade I’ll be at my best because I’ve gained more experiences,” he said.
“Experience is invaluable as a manager, how you deal with players and situations. That allows me to coach and manage better.
“Sometimes when you’re younger you think you know everything, coming into the game as a coach or manager.
“At the beginning everything is new to you and what I find is that when situations arise, your response is more automated because you’ve seen it somewhere on the journey before. That allows you to be better at your job.”
And what about Nuno? Four years ago he was managing his beloved Porto against Leicester in the Champions League, with his squad including the likes of Diogo Jota and Ruben Neves.
He was harshly dismissed at the end of that season but few could have envisaged his remarkable impact with Wolves since his appointment a few weeks later [to little fanfare] in May 2017.
It has truly been one of English football’s most stirring stories of recent years, taking this famous old club to the Championship title, a Europa League quarter-final, and now to a level where they are genuinely seen as a threat to the big beasts.
He is evolving Wolves’s style of play this season, moving from a counter-attacking team to one more devoted to possession. Last Friday, against Crystal Palace, there were clear glimpses that the vision is coming together, though he is demanding more.
In Raul Jimenez, he has one of the best forwards in Europe, an outstanding captain in Conor Coady, and always an eye on the future: against Palace, 19 year old wing-back Rayan Ait-Nouri produced one of the best Premier League debuts from a teenager in recent memory.
Nuno said this week: “I don’t look at the future so often, I’m always focused on my present. I cannot have anticipated what would happen here.
“I’m a different person now to four years ago, but I don’t know if I’m worse or better. Just look at me [pointing to his beard] and compare a photograph of me from Porto to now.
“No matter when, every day is a moment I can learn from and become better. I think I can be better tomorrow than I am today.
“I’ve had a lot of admiration for Brendan Rodgers, not only since he joined Leicester but from before when he was at Liverpool and Celtic. He’s an amazing manager and I’ve got a lot of respect for him.”
By the time Guardiola and Klopp lock horns on Sunday afternoon, Rodgers and Nuno will have shown the nation what they are building. The revolution will be televised.
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