The Premier League will reopen its doors from June 17 and they intend to wrap up the 2019-20 season by August 1, as per the updates.
And while this will be great news for a lot of clubs since the lockdown has really dried up their income but what’s about to follow is really going be nerve-racking for managers of each and every club.
After the season ends, the summer transfer window will open and according to pundit Paul Merson, the next few months could really test the mettle of all the Premier League managers.
Merson wrote for Sky Sports: “I just don’t think clubs are going to be in a position to pay £70m, £80m on players anymore. I don’t see that happening. If a player is 27 or 28, I don’t see them moving for massive money any more. Instead of £80m or £90m players, it could be more like £40m or £50m. And how do you sign players from abroad if travel is restricted?
“I quite like it because now coaches have got to be coaches, they’ve got to make these players better. I think clubs are going to be really, really cautious in the market.
“Before all of this happened, I thought sooner or later a player would be earning half-a-million pounds in the Premier League, no problem, but I don’t see that happening now, not any time soon. For me, this is where coaches become coaches. It’s all well and good buying £80m players all the time. Seriously, what do you need to coach an £80m player? If you’re coaching an £80m player, telling them what they need to do, he isn’t worth £80m.
“The good coaches will come to the fore, and those that aren’t will struggle. Some will blossom, some will not.
“I think this situation really helps youth players because you’re going to have to give them a chance. There are some brilliant kids out there who don’t get chances because clubs can go out and buy a £50m player in the blink of an eye.
“Managers like Jose Mourinho will have to start making youth team players better. He’ll have to start concentrating on bringing players through and showing how good a coach he is. Tottenham have some brilliant kids, don’t worry about that.”
Will all the Premier League managers live up to the expectations?
While some managers will most certainly look at the bright side of this lockdown but we have a feeling that there might be a big gap between the top and the bottom clubs by the end of the next season.
Merson feels the good managers will show their class but any coach is as good as the players he works with. And if the clubs cannot arrange funds for their managers then there’s no way we can expect top-class performances from these sides.
Also, talking about the academy players, we doubt if the smaller English club will be able to rely on their youth to pull them through since most of them will have to be sold off due to the requirement of funds.
So, all in all, there are only handful of managers who will benefit from this unexpected lockdown while most of them will have a tragic time, first during the summer and then during the 2020-21 season.
