European Football New Managers: The Weekend awaits the start of a new life for 4 club managers who were recently unveiled, will look forward to managing their first match for their new club this weekend as club Football action resumes after a long international break for the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. From Xavi Hernandez, Steven Gerrard and Dean Smith, all will be
FC Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez will take charge his first home game against Espanyol while Steven Gerrard, Liverpool’s Legend will start life in the Premier League as a new manager for Aston Villa as they face Brighton Hove Albion. Dean Smith who was recently sacked by Aston Villa has returned to the Premier League as Norwich City’s manager. Eddie Howe who was famously known as the manager of Bournemouth will take charge over Newcastle as they face Brentford.
European Football New Managers: Xavi, Gerrard, Howe & Dean Smith to start new managerial Era – Check details
Home. 💜 pic.twitter.com/9HuiVhDdXK
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) November 18, 2021
Premier League: Only four managers lost their jobs in the Premier league last season, a small number by modern day standards. Perhaps it was down to a lack of ostensible fan criticism while games were played in empty stadiums. Or maybe the economic implications of firing a manager while club finances were being severely hit by the coronavirus outbreak.
European Football New Managers: Xavi, Gerrard, Howe & Dean Smith to start new managerial Era – Check details
A series of sackings (5) in over a month means three Premier League teams will be playing their first games under a new coach when the Premier League resumes this weekend after the latest international break.
Steven Gerrard, a great of the league as a player with Liverpool, is back in it as manager of Aston Villa. Eddie Howe returns after 18 months out of management, having been selected as the man to lead the Saudi-backed era at Newcastle. And then there’s Dean Smith, who was fired by Villa only to take a job six days later at last-placed Norwich.
European Football New Managers: Xavi, Gerrard, Howe & Dean Smith to start new managerial Era – Check details
Meanwhile, the manager who has had the most heat on him in recent weeks Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is still in his job at Manchester United, though a defeat at Watford on Saturday could leave the club’s hierarchy with little choice but to act.
Eddie Howe: “I’d love to emulate some of their incredible attacking football. That was a beautiful team to watch. I’d love to give the crowd some similarly special memories.”
“My Bournemouth teams always tried to be on the front foot. And I’m not going to come here and be a different manager. It’ll take gradual steps but my training will certainly be very different and, ultimately, I want to see the type of football that entertains. I think that’s what Newcastle fans want, too.”
Howe’s first game in charge will be at home to Brentford, while Gerrard also gets to start his tenure with a home match as Brighton visits Villa Park.
European Football New Managers: Xavi, Gerrard, Howe & Dean Smith to start new managerial Era – Check details
Steven Gerrard: “Everyone knows around the world what Liverpool means to me, but the focus and my commitment is very much on Aston Villa. I’ve said I’m all in, and I promise the supporters that’s the case.”
A new chapter.#NCFC pic.twitter.com/nSVx9f4Ltr
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) November 17, 2021
As for Dean Smith, he finds himself at a club faring even worse than Villa, albeit one coming off its first win of the season just before the international break when Norwich beat Brentford 2-1.
European Football New Managers: Xavi, Gerrard, Howe & Dean Smith to start new managerial Era – Check details
Dean Smith: “Yes, it hasn’t been the greatest of starts, hence why I’m sat here, but if you look at the teams who we had to play early on, it was tough. The win against Brentford was a big thing for the players. It should give them confidence to go on now.”
“We want to make defensive organization and structure stronger. “I think there’s enough quality. We won’t go away from the type of football that the club has been known for, but fans should expect to see an organized, hard-working team who won’t leave anything out on the pitch.”
La Liga: When Xavi Hernandez played for Barcelona, a game against Espanyol was normally an easy win. Now, Espanyol can ruin the former midfielder’s return to Camp Nou as coach of his boyhood club.
Xavi Hernandez has had two weeks during an international break to settle back in at Barcelona, where he played for 17 seasons and helped the Catalan club become the envy of world soccer.
European Football New Managers: Xavi, Gerrard, Howe & Dean Smith to start new managerial Era – Check details
The Barcelona he left in 2015 is not the Barcelona he has under his command. Gone are Lionel Messi and other top players because of the club’s financial difficulties, and the team that rarely went a season without at least one major title is now realistically looking at a top-four finish in Spain as a goal to ensure its presence in the Champions League.
Barcelona is in ninth place, 11 points behind leader Real Sociedad and six points behind fourth-place Atlético Madrid.
Xavi Hernandez takes over a team that under Ronald Koeman and caretaker coach Sergi Barjuan only managed to win four of 12 league games this season while losing to Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid. The former midfielder will now give orders to several of his former teammates. Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba, Sergi Roberto and Marc-Andre ter Stegen all played with Xavi Hernandez.
European Football New Managers: Xavi, Gerrard, Howe & Dean Smith to start new managerial Era – Check details
Editors pick
