All Change in the Premier League

Although United have named Ole Gunnar Solskjær as caretaker manager until the end of the season, the hunt for a permanent successor now begins in earnest. Meanwhile, the other two aforementioned clubs already have their new men installed at their respective helms.

Another Miracle Required

For Fulham, it is the legendary Claudio Ranieri and he may have to work a different kind of miracle to the one he performed back in the 2015/16 season with Leicester. That was the campaign in which the Foxes completed English football’s biggest fairytale of a generation by winning the Premier League.

Now the Italian manager will need to rely on all his years of experience in a bid to keep the Cottagers in the top flight, especially as the West London outfit currently possess the leakiest defence in the division.

“Inter-Atalanta serie A” Euro-Football via Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

This is likely to have punters casting a keen eye over the latest Premiership relegation odds. Paddy Power currently have Fulham at 4/9 to go down this season and although these aren’t the most amazing odds, it could well be a smart punt for this particular market.

Saints Alpine Gamble

If they are to stay up then it may well be at the expense of Southampton who have gone for more of an unknown quantity in the new man they have put in charge. They have looked further afield than the usual Premier League managerial merry-go-round, by appointing Ralph Hasenhuttl.

The Austrian takes charge after a brief managerial hiatus which saw him leave German outfit RB Leipzig at the end of last season. The 51-year-old’s stint in charge of Southampton did not get off to the best of starts, though, after a 1-0 away defeat to Cardiff in his opening game.

However, it was a much brighter outlook in his second, one that saw the Saints get the better of Arsenal by three goals to two. More importantly, it was a win that took the club out of the relegation zone by virtue of goal difference.

The New Manager Bounce?

It was a performance that showed the South Coast outfit’s new lease of life, courtesy of the man known as the “Alpine Klopp”. Southampton now seem to be playing with a new-found energy, something that could give them a real shot in the arm for the second half of the season.

Hasenhuttl has only been at the club a short while, but it is fair to say the transformation has been quick under his tutelage. This had to happen: time is a priceless commodity in the Premier League.

It is a bit too early to be heralding the effect of a new manager after just one win in isolation. But if Southampton can turn in more performances akin to their recent win over Arsenal, they should have enough to keep some distance between themselves and the bottom three, come the end of the season.

Rolling the Dice

Ultimately any change of managerial personnel can only be declared a success or a failure when we reach next May and the conclusion of this campaign. The three aforementioned clubs with their new men at the helm will have far differing objectives over the next few months.

For Solskjær it is all about trying to save a Manchester United side that has already been cast adrift by some margin in the race for a Champions League place. If the Red Devils can somehow finish in the top four, then it will be a job well done by the legendary Norwegian forward.

On the other hand, for both Ranieri and Hasenhuttl it is all about whether they can fight the biggest of fires and make sure that both Fulham and Southampton stay clear of relegation. If that does prove to be the case, then their respective club chairman will feel vindicated in their decision to change managers in the first half of the season. Only time will tell if all these changes do pay off in the long run.

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