EPL Managers : The Next Generation
For the last decade, the Premier League has been defined by the Klopp-Guardiola managerial axis.
Now is the time for new men to make their mark and assume the mantle.
Looking at the two greats, will their successors exhibit similar traits, or be their own men?
Jürgen had passion, was a smart tactician and surrounded himself with good lieutenants. He also had a side to him that was “human.”
Pep was influential and innovative. Other times, he appeared possessed—even crazy.
As I seek successors to the crown these managerial legends wore, I’m kicking off with another Spanish coach with a different set of managerial skills than Pep: Unai Emery.
RELATED: Red Co.
SUBSCRIBE & FOLLOW: YouTube / X (Formerly Twitter) / Instagram / TikTok / Patreon / BlueSky
Unai Emery: The Veteran Problem-Solver
At Aston Villa, Unai Emery leads a club that stands on the cusp of challenging the Big (Rich) Six.
To comply with the rules as they stand, Emery has had to sell his top players to meet financial regulations and start anew with a club that can’t afford to be in transition if it aspires to be a contender.
Pressure!
This season and last, Unai has had to navigate a tough start as he rearranges the hand he’s been dealt so Villa can give it their best shot.
In 2025–26, Villa started the season with a five-game run that included three draws, just one goal scored and elimination from the Carabao Cup. It was their worst start to a season in 28 years.
They had been forced to sell players, bringing in £131 million to comply with PSR rules.
Fan outrage at poor runs can prompt boards to wield the axe to get a season back on track.
It was not necessary with Emery.
Villa bounced back, rising to fourth in the table to claim a Champions League spot as well as winning the Europa League.
In anyone’s book, that has to be regarded as impressive coaching and management.
Logically, that should provide the foundation to build the club to greater heights this season.
Actually, no!
Once again, Villa had to sell to comply with Premier League financial regulations.
Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers, Ezri Konsa, Ollie Watkins, Emi Martínez and Lucas Digne—the core of last season’s side—all departed.
For Emery, it was back to the drawing board.
He had to handle a disastrous opening-day collapse: Villa went 4–0 down to Brighton inside the first 31 minutes. Scoreless outings against Arsenal and Hull City followed, as well as a 2-1 loss to Nottingham Forest.
Since then, Emery appears to have rearranged his hand. In all competitions, his team has recorded five wins and a draw in the last six games.
That is coaching!
Aston Villa are now secure in mid-table, and in the Champions League they boast a 100% record.
Can the Spaniard lead his team to even greater heights this season?
It won’t be straightforward, but from a distance, Aston Villa FC have a man at the helm who knows what he is doing.
He appears to have an ability to get a tune out of whoever is in his squad.
Fabian Hürzeler: The Young Gun
Emery is a veteran manager of 23 seasons.
Not so Brighton’s 33-year-old manager, Fabian Hürzeler.
That said, Hürzeler kicked off his managerial and coaching career at a youthful 23 with FC Pipinsried in the lower levels of German football.
He enjoyed great success at FC St. Pauli in Hamburg, saving them from relegation in his first season and leading them to promotion to the Bundesliga in his second.
At only 31 years old, he was appointed to the most visible football league in the world at Brighton & Hove Albion.
Under former professional gambler and mathematician Tony Bloom, Brighton are not your typical football club.
Consequently, the appointment of Hürzeler—a young manager with a résumé most would consider modest—came as a surprise.
Brighton’s analytical approach means the executive management team continuously maintains a data-validated shortlist of candidates for the club’s top positions.
It includes coaches, technical directors, scouts and players.
Algorithmic readiness mitigates the damage of sudden departures, ensuring that if a larger club poaches talent, Brighton can execute an instant, pre-planned replacement.
Under these conditions, Hürzeler hit the ground running, winning Manager of the Month in his first month.
Brighton finished eighth. They would have qualified for European competition but missed out after rivals Crystal Palace won the FA Cup.
In 2025–26, they finished eighth again, but the young manager faced heavy fan pressure after a significant mid-season dip. They did, however, qualify for the Europa Conference League.
This season, they stand an impressive third in the Premier League at the time of writing.
Brighton have scored 23 goals, kept five clean sheets and boast a +18 goal difference.
Hürzeler has also had to manage major departures throughout his Brighton tenure.
João Pedro left for Chelsea and Simon Adingra for Sunderland in 2025. This summer, Carlos Baleba moved to Manchester United, Danny Welbeck joined Chelsea and Jan Paul van Hecke signed for Tottenham.
Young he may be, Hürzeler appears to be a champion of exciting football, with the ability to be resourceful when called upon.
A great future lies ahead.
Others Deserve a Mention
Several Premier League managers deserve a shout for the incredible work they are doing: Keith Andrews at Brentford and Sergej Jakirović at Hull City.
Daniel Farke at Leeds has grown and adapted after the hard lessons he learned after twice bringing Norwich City to the Premier League.
Veteran David Moyes at Everton is worth mentioning after a transfer window that was very disappointing for their passionate fanbase.
Enzo Maresca at beleaguered Manchester City is also worth noting.
Not because he has his loaded—in every sense—squad at the Premier League summit, but because of what he did in the second half of the PSG Champions League tie.
After 45 minutes of being played off the park, he made bold changes and produced a very different match.
City may have fallen short, and as much as I have decried how the club has been run for years, I can’t deny this was brave coaching and worthy of admiration.
LATEST LIVE FROM AMERICAN SCOUSER TV
My focus, though, is on two managers who will be unwittingly paired against each other: Xabi Alonso of Chelsea and Andoni Iraola at Liverpool.
Xabi Alonso: The Liverpool Legend at Chelsea
Xabi Alonso is a Liverpool legend, having starred in midfield back in the Rafael Benítez era.
When the wheels were coming off Arne Slot’s Liverpool, Alonso was available after a short stint at Real Madrid.
He was the guy the Kopites wanted in charge, and yet he ended up in London at Chelsea.
Did the powers that be at Anfield not fancy him, or was it he who did not relish the Liverpool project?
That we may never know.
Alonso already has a significantly stronger trophy record as a manager than Iraola.
As a club, it’s fair to say that Chelsea only came to real prominence under the money of Roman Abramovich.
After he sold the club to Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, Chelsea became a merry-go-round of youthful signings for big bucks and lengthy contracts.
With Boehly now gone and Clearlake taking full control, Alonso promises more stability.
His early matches have highlighted defensive deficiencies compared with their stellar attacking force of Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, João Pedro and Pedro Neto.
He will have to contend with a fanbase that has become notoriously entitled; however, Alonso has shown before that he can overcome the odds.
His remarkable domestic double in 2023–24 with Bayer Leverkusen ended Bayern Munich’s long dominance of the Bundesliga.
That year, Leverkusen also set a European record with a 51-match unbeaten run.
Andoni Iraola: The Overachiever
A Cypriot Super Cup is Iraola’s only honour to date, paling in comparison with that of his rival.
Iraola has built his reputation for overachieving at every club he has managed.
After managing lower-level clubs in Cyprus and Spain, he moved to the Premier League and AFC Bournemouth.
After a sticky start, he broke the Cherries’ record points tally in consecutive seasons.
Last season, the team finished sixth, one place behind Liverpool, and qualified for European competition for the first time in their history.
Iraola showed an ability to get the most out of players and resourcefulness when he lost nearly his entire defence after his first season.
He is faced with a Liverpool team that unexpectedly fell into transition after spending big in the transfer market.
His early games highlighted the team’s limitations, but Iraola has quickly moved to fix them.
Over the long term, he will need to show whether he can get the Reds playing with the attacking verve he made his name with at Bournemouth.
Alonso vs. Iraola: An Unwitting Rivalry
Alonso and Iraola share a fascinating connection.
They grew up playing together at Antiguoko in San Sebastián, a remarkable youth club that also produced Mikel Arteta and Aritz Aduriz.
However, their tactical setups couldn’t be more different.
Alonso is possession-oriented, favouring patient build-ups, while Iraola favours aggressive pressing and attacking football.
Over the season, Iraola will be challenged by Liverpool fans if the team goes on a bad run while the former Liverpool legend is prospering at Stamford Bridge.
It’s an unwitting rivalry for the two childhood friends, and the first chapter is upcoming in the Carabao Cup.
On paper, this appears to have the ingredients of a new Klopp vs. Guardiola rivalry.
Unai Emery and Fabian Hürzeler may have something to say about that.
RELATED: Red Co. — The Search for Liverpool’s Next Manager
SHOP THE AMERICAN SCOUSER COLLECTION TODAY
Who Takes the Mantle?
In the final analysis, who is best prepared to take on the Klopp-Guardiola mantle?
Emery, Hürzeler, Alonso or Iraola?
A case could be made for each, but as we are constantly told, football is all about the results.
Who will score highest in the results department?
It’s early days in the 2026–27 campaign.
Who will be top amongst the four when next May rolls around?
Latest American Scouser Podcast
What Are We Watching?
Timucin, Gally and Bickler discuss the new version of the Premier League. Is this a soccer version of WWE? Who is at fault for stealing our joy?