Historic clubs acquired a new prefix last season.Mentions of ‘Frank Lampard’s Derby’ quickly proceeded from witticism to unfunny witticism. The more enduring, potentially more transformative tag is ‘Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds’. Perhaps no manager – not even the title winner Howard Wilkinson or the Champions League semi-finalist David O’Leary – since Don Revie has imposed his identity on Leeds as much as Bielsa.Eighteen months after his Leeds bow, their strengths are his strengths, their weaknesses are his idiosyncratic shortcomings. If Leeds do go up, it will be because of Bielsa. But if they don’t, it will also be because of him.If Leeds reach the Premier League, it will not be just another promotion. The size of the club, the tragicomic, traumatic...
Mateo Kovacic joined Chelseain 2018 on an initial season long loan move when Maurizio Sarri was manager at Stamford Bridge.The Croatian made 32 appearances under the Blues’ former manager as the west London club finished 3rd in the Premier League and won the Europa League.The 25-year-old then made a permanent switch to Chelsea a few days before Lampard was introduced as the club’s new manager, but Kovacic is full of praise for the former England international’s managerial competences so far.FourFourTwo spoke to Kovacic for the March 2020 issue, out in shops on Friday February 7 and available to pre-order now. He told us: “When the club announced him as their new coach, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I came...
Mané played half a season for Metz in 2012, scoring twice in 22 appearances for the Ligue 2 side but could not prevent his team from being relegated to the French third-ter.The Liverpool forward earned a move to Red Bull Salzburg in the summer of 2012 but Bussman reveals that Mané had a strong impact on the French team when he first arrived.In the March 2020 issue of FourFourTwo, out Friday February 7 and available to pre-order now, Bussman says: “Olivier Perrin had told us that a phenomenon was coming to Metz, but we had no idea he was that good.“He was rather quiet, but I remember how happy Sadio always looked – it was like he never felt the...
Tonight sees Tottenham take on Southampton in an FA Cup fourth round replay, as Mauricio Pochettino's last two teams go head to head.We've listed his 10 most played players at Southampton - where he managed during the 2013/14 campaign - and Tottenham, where he managed from 2014 until last October.You've got fiveminutes to name as many as you can. Tweet us with your scores@FourFourTwoand we'll retweet the best ones.THEN TRY...Quiz! Can you name every Bundesliga champion since 1962? Spurs and the Saints teams have a little bit in common.Both fanbases sing about their teams "marching in". Both teams have employed the mighty Kenyan himself, Vincent Wanyama.And most notably, both have been managed by Mauricio Pochettino.We love how bonkers Jose Mourinho...
Pep Guardiola lost and drew his first two games as Barcelona boss in 2008 to Numancia and Racing Santander.He would go on to win the treble in his first season in charge at Camp Nou, but was under pressure at the start of his managerial bow.Speaking exclusively to FourFourTwo in our March 2020 issue, in shops on Friday February 7,legendary midfielder Iniesta confirmed rumours that he helped Guardiola stick to his principles after disappointing results on the pitch.“It’s true,” he said. “He was under pressure because this is Barça and the pressure is high – I have known that as a player since I was 12, but if you’re the coach it’s even higher.“People were already doubting him and the...