West Ham are one of 14 clubs hampered in their bid to sign a ‘super manager’
Top six Premier League clubs can offer an irresistible contract to a very top bosses when one becomes available
THE Premier League is so completely about financial backing that its top end could really be called the Bankroll League.
Such is the power of the owners’ cash in roubles, dollars and riyals that Manchester City, United, Chelsea and Arsenal hold the ruling currencies despite the mountains of sterling that TV pours into all of our coffers.
They are joined to an extent by Tottenham and Liverpool, who have been enriched by billionaires of a lower caste.
This is no bleat of envy from the vice-chairman of a wealthy club.
But on the theory the best generals are likely to win the biggest battles, each club’s hierarchy studies the list of bosses with a realistic chance of winning the league.
If they already have one, they make sure he is happy by paying him his weight in gold.
TOP STORIES IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE
Otherwise they offer an irresistible contract to one who becomes available.
Of the world’s top ten managers, probably six are employed by the clubs mentioned with five having revived the English challenge in the Champions League.
BEARDED GENIUS Antonio Conte reveals why he is growing a beard for the first time
But for us and the 13 other clubs below attracting these ‘super’ managers, we are hampered in several ways.
The ambition is there, but limitations on the hundreds of millions of pounds these managers instantly require make life difficult — and don’t forget my British owners pay British tax on their money!
We at West Ham thought Slaven Bilic, experienced as Croatia manager for six years, might be the young general to lead our troops to the top of the hill, or at least close to it.
Bilic is highly intelligent and an admirable coach but we are still just above the bottom of the hill and he is no longer with us.
We had a tilt on reasonable evidence that the manager would grow with his club and feel the same with David Moyes.
He proved over 11 years at Everton that he knows how to build a successful side.
Television money has since made the lesser clubs money-rich but they remain way short of the high rollers.
They are still unlikely to break what, with the recent exception of Leicester City, is close to a monopoly of the top six places.
It is not just the ability of Pep, Jose, Antonio, Mauricio, Jurgen and Arsene that decides this state of affairs.
Increasingly, the structures, right through from kids in baby boots to £250,000-a-week stars in slipper-fit coloured footwear, are football faculties created to raise billionaire owners’ ambitions to become silverware certs.
From training grounds adorned in Louis Vuitton wallpaper with a bevy of plunge pools, to saunas and yoga studios all installed for the players’ well-being.
You will notice that none of the managers above is recognisably British.
West Ham have one now and there are another eight in the top flight who came through our national systems.
The number has improved but when is one of our own going to be ranked alongside the super-managers?
