If, as appears increasingly likely, Manchester United secure yet another Premiership title at some point in the not too distant future, it may well have ramifications that extend beyond the mother of all parties at Old Trafford – that is, auditions for managerial positions among the glitterati can commence in earnest.
Vacancies, after all, would appear inevitable. Only last week, Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini reacted angrily to suggestions that his job could be on the line. City’s capitulation in the Champions League group stages, combined with the likely relinquishing of their league title to their great rivals has placed pressure on Mancini, a fact betrayed by his increasingly fractious press briefings.
His musings to the effect that his side, rather than United, would be crowned champions this season had Robin Van Persie pulled on a light blue shirt rather than a red one last summer sounded particularly defensive, whatever their veracity.
Sir Alex Ferguson, of course, looks to be going nowhere in a hurry. Chief Executive David Gill’s resignation last week is likely to be the only departure at the champions elect, with Ferguson giving away little in word or deed to suggest he too may be about to vacate his post.
For several seasons now, it has been suggested that, should Ferguson win the Premiership and/or the coveted Champions League, he might decide to retire on a high. What better way to bow out than as a winner, goes the adage. But the man from Govan clearly has no intention of moving aside or upstairs or whatever, and therefore would-be suitors will have to bide their time, patiently or otherwise.
Unlike Ferguson, however, Mancini may not have the ultimate say in determining his exit stage left. Whichever way you look at it, his side’s relatively poor form this campaign has represented a substantial drop in standards from last season, albeit the calamitous performances in Europe may well do for Mancini far more than the return of the Premiership crown to the red part of the city ever could.
Talking of Europe, Arsenal’s startling implosion against Bayern Munich last week has heaped further pressure on Arsene Wenger, and, in time-honoured fashion, the Frenchman berated the assembled press a few days ago for daring to call his position into question. An eighth trophy-less season renders the question a reasonable one, but Wenger, of course, was having none of it.
Meanwhile, Rafa Benitez is another whose tenure at Chelsea is unlikely to extend beyond the end of the current season. Already loathed by the fans down Stamford Bridge way, the Spaniard is, in all likelihood, destined never to be relieved of the ‘interim’ as part of his job title, before becoming the latest casualty of a wealthy Russian’s whimsical nature.
That Fernando Torres’ form hasn’t exactly been rekindled by his fellow countryman – we were told this was one of the reasons Benitez was taken on – will hardly have enhanced his prospects of longevity either.
For now, Andre Villas-Boas appears to making a decent fist of his duties at Spurs, and even the possible loss of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid this summer would fail to dampen the spirits of the White Hart Lane club should, as appears likely, Champions League qualification be secured for next season.
Meanwhile, David Moyes looks as if he’s in with the Goodison bricks. And, like AVB, Brendan Rodgers, despite having done precious little to boost Liverpool’s credentials on the face of it, appears set to be given time to restore the Reds’ fortunes.
Of course, managerial musical chairs was partly assuaged by the appointment of Pep Guardiola at Bayern. Chelsea wanted him, but he wasn’t interested. You suspect that Man City, too, would have jumped at the chance of signing him up.
Whatever the case, you wonder how much of Guardiola’s decision to focus on German football for the foreseeable future was about avoiding the glare of the Premiership, or yet another indication that German football, like Spain, is where it’s at for the moment.
There’s another name which might just enter the fray shortly, one which can never be ignored. José Mourinho is becoming more vocal by every passing week on his burning desire to return to management in England, and, ironically, this might be brought a step closer to fruition should Madrid fail to overcome Manchester United in their eagerly-awaited Champions League last 16 return match next week.
On that score, there has been much speculation that Mourinho and his former boss, Roman Abramovic, have settled their previous differences, and the Special One will return to his beloved Chelsea this summer. Watch this space.
It’s all ifs, buts and maybes at the moment, but you can be sure that the managerial revolving door will be more intriguing than ever over the next few months.