This season nine Premier League clubs have new permanent managers in charge, each with unique aspirations for the year ahead.
Europe’s most competitive league is not for the weak, however, as last season we saw managers crashing and burning in spectacular fashion.
This ranged from Ange Postecoglou’s 39-day stint at Nottingham Forest to Graham Potter’s disastrous spell at West Ham.
Daily Mail Sport have run the rule over the new bosses – who include some familiar faces – on the touchline and predict how well we expect them to fare.
Enzo Maresca (Manchester City)
Maresca is arguably the man facing the toughest challenge of the new bosses, as can anyone really replace Pep Guardiola?
We have seen managers before struggle to replace legendary figures at clubs, with recent examples including David Moyes following Sir Alex Ferguson at Man United and Unai Emery succeeding Arsene Wenger at Arsenal.
Moyes and Emery have both shown their capabilities before and after their respective spells at Man United and Arsenal, but it just did not work out for them at those clubs.
Maresca will be hoping to avoid a similar fate at Man City, as he follows a man that led the club to six Premier League titles, the Champions League and multiple FA and League Cups.
It might well benefit Maresca that Man City were not crowned champions last season, while he has had time to prepare after being approached midway through last season, contributing to his abrupt exit from Chelsea.
Maresca also worked at Man City under Guardiola so there is still some familiarity there.
Confidence rating: 7/10
Enzo Maresca faces the tough challenge of following the legendary Pep Guardiola at Man City
Andoni Iraola (Liverpool)
The former Bournemouth manager joined the Reds after the sacking of Arne Slot and will be hoping to bring his high pressing and unpredictable tactics to Anfield.
The Basque native left his mark at Bournemouth, leading them to their joint-highest league finish, highest point tally and European football in his final season at the club.
Liverpool fans seem optimistic about Iraola and the front-footed football that he promises, but their patience is finite, as evidenced by Slot’s dismissal.
He will need to get off to a strong start and there are concerns over the defence – further highlighted by shaky pre-season form.
Iraola must provide substance to go with the swashbuckling style or the pressure will mount.
Confidence rating: 6/10
Andoni Iraola enjoyed success with Bournemouth and will hope to make the step up at Liverpool
Marco Rose (Bournemouth)
Marco Rose, the man tasked with replacing Iraola, has had a volatile coaching career thus far.
His most high-profile spells came at Borussia Dortmund, where he lasted for just one season as the club failed to make it out of the Champions League group stage.
At RB Leipzig he won the German League Cup but was fired two seasons later after disappointing results in the Bundesliga and Champions League.
His experience of developing young players, however, should suit Bournemouth’s recruitment strategy well.
Confidence rating: 4/10
Marco Rose was confirmed as Bournemouth boss in April and has had time to prepare for the Premier League
Xabi Alonso (Chelsea)
Alonso enjoyed a highly successful spell at Bayer Leverkusen, remembered fondly for the 2024 season where he led the German club to their first Bundesliga title as part of a domestic double.
Leverkusen completed a full unbeaten Bundesliga season, breaking the European record with 51 matches without defeat, making Alonso Europe’s most in-demand young coach.
The glaring blip on his resume is his stint at Real Madrid last season, where he was fired after a slow start to the season and in-fighting with some of the club’s top stars.
The Spaniard inherits a similar version of organised chaos in west London, where he will have 46 senior players at his disposal.
The hope will be that his experience playing and leading at the highest level will help bring the glory days back to Stamford Bridge, with a more balanced dressing room, it would be no surprise to see Chelsea compete for at least a domestic cup. There’s so much talent at Stamford Bridge, the Blues might even be dark horses as title contenders.
Confidence rating: 6/10
Xabi Alonso will aim to bounce back from his short stint at Real Madrid and show at Chelsea why he is viewed as one of Europe’s top young coaches
Alvaro Arbeloa (Fulham)
Another manager who struggled to impress at Real Madrid is new Fulham boss Alvaro Arbeloa.
The former Spanish international joined after Marco Silva’s impressive five-year spell at Craven Cottage came to an end.
Arbeloa’s first-team management experience is limited to his six months at Real Madrid, where he was unable to control the dressing room and secure silverware.
His ties to the club have helped him to bring Madrid duo Gonzalo Garcia and César Palacios with him to Fulham.
But there are significant doubts about his experience, combined with the high expectations set by Marco Silva. It is imperative Arbeloa hits the ground running. It would be no surprise at all to see Arbeloa winning – or losing depending on how you look at it – the sack race.
Confidence rating: 4/10
Alvaro Arbeloa struggled at Real Madrid and has big shoes to fill after Marco Silva’s successful stint
Matthias Jaissle (Newcastle United)
Jaissle enjoyed a hugely successful spell at Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg, where he won the domestic double and led the club to the Champions League knockout stages. After three years, he joined Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ahli where he won consecutive AFC Champions League titles.
Unfortunately for Jaissle, his Newcastle squad is a shell of what it was even at the end of last season following the departures of Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon. Jaissle will be hoping that youngsters Aladji Bamba and Bazoumana Toure can help ignite his new era.
The 38-year-old is unproven in major European leagues but with Champions League experience and backing from the Newcastle board he may just have what it takes to fill Newcastle’s Eddie Howe-shaped hole.
Confidence rating: 6/10
Matthias Jaissle will have to reshape a new-look Newcastle side after a summer of departures
Pierre Sage (Crystal Palace)
Sage joined after just one season with Ligue 1’s Lens, where he led them to the French Cup and a second-place finish, securing Champions League football.
This impressive record will be sure to excite Palace fans; however, his record lacks the sample size of other managers.
Sage, fresh off his French success, will be hoping his unfazed demeanour and fearless coaching will win over Selhurst Park faithful.
Confidence rating: 6/10
Pierre Sage impressed as manager of Lens last season and will look to adapt to the Premier League
Oliver Glasner (Nottingham Forest)
Glasner was won over by owner Evangelos Marinakis’s ambition and direction after calling time on a memorable stint with Crystal Palace.
The Austrian, a manager known for his impressive tactical knowledge, will be hoping that he can bring his deadly counter-attacking football to the City Ground.
The Forest job could be seen as a poisoned chalice but Glasner would have had his pick of attractive jobs across Europe and is a coup for the Tricky Trees.
Could he be the man to truly awaken the sleeping giant and elevate them even higher than Nuno Espirito Santo did or will the relationship with Marinakis wear thin as it has for a host of bosses?
Confidence rating: 8/10
Oliver Glasner surprised many by moving from Crystal Palace to Nottingham Forest this summer
Gary O’Neil faces the task of attempting to keep newly promoted Ipswich in the top flight
Gary O’Neil (Ipswich)
O’Neil replaced Kieran McKenna, who unexpectedly stepped down after leading the club back to the Premier League.
The Englishman’s last Premier League stint ended in December 2024, when he was sacked by Wolves with his side four points from safety and plagued with discipline problems.
It would be remiss to overlook, though, O’Neil’s spell with Bournemouth, where he guided them to a six-game unbeaten run in the 2022-23 season to keep the Cherries in the Premier League.
Confidence rating: 3/10
