Five EFL Managers to Watch in 2023/24

bettingodds.com

31 July 2023

Five EFL managers to watch in 2023/24

With the new EFL season getting under way on Friday, EFL pundit Gab Sutton has picked out five managers to watch in 2023/24.

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Paul Hurst (Grimsby Town)

Pete Wild and Luke Williams, of Barrow and Notts County respectively, are managers we’re expecting big things from in 2023/24 but, having covered their genius extensively elsewhere, we’ll make Paul Hurst our League Two representative.

Hurst had been Grimsby boss for five years, and took the Mariners up from the National League at the fifth attempt, before leaving for Shrewsbury in October 2016 in their first season back in the EFL, with the club outside the Play-Offs on goal difference.

The former left-back worked miracles at Greenhous Meadow, keeping Salop up having been six points adrift when he took charge with one game to spare, accruing the midtable form of 41 points from 31 games, and what followed was incredible.

Hurst inspired the Shrews to a shock automatic promotion challenge the following season, and they were unlucky at the high standards set by third-tier powerhouses Wigan and Blackburn, which meant a whopping 87 points still left them nine points shy.

That 2017/18 campaign, though, showed what Hurst is capable of at his very best: building a solid, industrious team that can control games without the ball, through efficient pressing, with a modest smattering of individual quality as Jon Nolan that season pulled the strings in his creative role.

Unfortunately, what happened thereon saw Hurst’s stock drop, as a controversial courting of the Ipswich job arguably hindered his side’s Play-Off Final performance, with the team losing 3-1 to Rotherham.

Things didn’t go well at Portman Road, where he was perceived to have tried to change too much, too quickly and as internal relations frayed, Hurst was sacked with Town bottom of the Championship after one win in 14.

Then again, that record looks more understandable when considering the club’s subsequent troubles under Marcus Evans, including in the league below.

Hurst then had another short stint, at Scunthorpe, but there his exit was more over budgetary differences than footballing matters, before returning to Grimsby later in 2020.

The returning boss solidified the Mariners in 2020/21 but was unable to save them from the drop, but after the takeover from Jason Stockwood and Andrew Pettit gave the club a new lease of life, he delivered promotion at the first attempt, via three Play-Off comebacks.

That theme of Hurst galvanizing people in adversity continued in League Two, when he delivered not only the club’s highest finish in 17 years, but also the best FA Cup run in 84.

The Mariners became the first side to beat higher league opposition in the competition five times, all after the qualifying rounds, enjoying a memorable night at Southampton as they won to reach the Quarter-Final.

Town are very much trending upwards and after a top half finish last season, fans are hoping they can challenge for the Play-Offs this season.

It’s a stronger league, but does that make Grimsby underdogs? That suits Hurst down to the ground.

Odds correct as of 2023-08-23 18:40 Odds subject to change.

John Mousinho (Portsmouth)

Portsmouth’s highly-rated Sporting Director, Richard Hughes, seems to like first-time manager appointments.

At Forest Green, his first pick was Rob Edwards and, two years down the line, the former England Under-16s boss is shaping up to do battle with Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp on Premier League touchlines.

Hughes is therefore hoping his first pick at Portsmouth, John Mousinho, can enjoy a similarly meteoric rise.

Mousinho, though, was arguably even more of a gamble, seeing as he didn’t have the same coaching pedigree as Edwards and is managing a club in Portsmouth where mistakes tend to be magnified more.

Nonetheless, ‘Moos’ has completed all of his coaching badges, and has clearly studied the art of public speaking and people management, because he made a huge impression in his interview, evidently, and came across very well in his first media appearances as Pompey boss too.

Being well-spoken and articulate is not the only aspect of management – far from it – and Mousinho still has to prove, tactically, he can mix it with the likes of Ian Evatt and Neil Critchley, who have more impressive CVs.

Nonetheless, he made a positive impact after arriving in January, overseeing 39 points from 23 games, which earns a comfortable Play-Off finish over a full campaign, even if it wasn’t enough from a mid-season starting point.

The fact Mousinho could hit the ground running and deliver good form having had so little time to find his managerial sea legs suggests, after a summer to get his feet under the desk and strengthen the squad, the form could be even stronger.

12 new additions hitch up at Fratton Park, half of whom are players in the 22-27 age bracket, who were very highly rated at youth level, like Conor Shaughnessy and Ben Stevenson for instance.

These players haven’t quite filled their full potential for various reasons – formational, stylistic or cultural fit, or injury issues - which the club feel they can get to the bottom of and correct through the way they manage them.

They’ve also gone for young talents like Terry Devlin and Christian Saydee, who could be potential assets, bringing energy and exuberance in midfield and attack respectively.

Kusini Yengi looks the star addition, meanwhile – quick, strong and lethal at his best, either down the middle or cutting in from the left, he could cause serious problems at this level if he settles after a move from Western Sydney Wanderers.

It looks exciting for Portsmouth, who seem like a club with a plan – and Mousinho is right at the heart of it.

Odds correct as of 2023-08-22 16:59 Odds subject to change.

Dino Maamria (Burton Albion)

Dino Maamria has been something of a survival specialist in his career so far, having taken Nuneaton, Stevenage, Oldham, and Burton from perilous positions into more stable ones, but hasn’t had the opportunity to build on that progress.

The Tunisian left Nuneaton for Boro, where he delivered a ninth-placed finish, the club’s best in the post-Westley (third-stint), pre-Evans era in his only full season at the club, while Oldham were a basket case where survival was the only achievable aspiration under Abdallah Lemsagam.

At Burton, Maamria has the chance to build on the foundations he’s established, under an owner in Ben Robinson who is extremely loyal to managers: throughout the club’s 14-year Football League history, he’s only sacked Paul Peschisolido and Jake Buxton.

Maamria will be given the backing to implement what he wants, especially after last season’s fantastic turnaround.

The Brewers were bottom of the table with just one point to their name from their first seven when Maamria took interim charge, and the team subsequently took 55 points from 39 games – top 10 form over a full season - to ultimately finish 15th.

The 49-year-old has had to rebuild the squad again, after the losses of key loanees Zac Ashworth and Dale Taylor, plus box-to-box man Deji Oshilaja’s likely departure, but recruitment looks strong.

Steve Seddon looks a fine replacement for Ashworth in a tenacious wing-back role, while Taylor will be replaced by Cole Stockton – a motivated version of this lad can tear up League One, as we saw at Morecambe in 2021/22.

Stockton’s hold-up play could complement strike-partner Josh Gordon’s direct running, which could be slightly from the right as it was at Walsall, in turn leaving space for Mark Helm to create delightfully in the left channel, as he did after joining midway through the previous campaign.

Key, though, is keeping Sam Hughes – the centre-back provides pace the Brewers defence cannot cope without, as we saw when the high-line was breached religiously in his absence, in January maulings against Morecambe and Shrewsbury.

Retain Hughes, though, and Maamria’s Burton could be the surprise package.

Odds correct as of 2023-08-22 16:59 Odds subject to change.

John Eustace (Birmingham)

The mood around Birmingham City this summer is far more positive than it was last.

Naturally, that’s mainly because of the takeover led by Tom Wagner, whose early comments suggest a plan and vision for the club, with a transparency supporters have been craving for decades.

On the other hand, there’s also a feeling among Bluenoses that John Eustace has shown enough potential as Head Coach in 2022/23, to suggest he could be part of what is hoped to be a glorious new era for the club.

It was a 7/10 maiden campaign for Eustace, who inherited a wafer-thin squad and still managed to get things clicking from the off, though the late additions of Tahith Chong and Hannibal Mejbri from Manchester United – permanently and on loan respectively – helped a lot.

Blues were scaling the relative heights of 11th in November, four points off the Play-Offs with a game in hand after victory at Stoke, before three wins in 16 – via five and four-game losing streaks - launched them back into the familiarity of a relegation dogfight.

From that point, Eustace did well to settle on a formula to lift the B9 outfit away from trouble, showing more tactical flexibility, perhaps, than predecessor Lee Bowyer.

Three wins in four extended Birmingham’s gap to the drop zone to nine points, as the boss ditched the 3-5-2 in favour of a 4-2-3-1, and showed the courage to drop one of the better players in Mejbri.

The result was a balanced side, with Tahith Chong cutting inside from the right, January loanee Reda Khadra providing pace and thrust on the left, and George Hall breaking from an advanced midfield position, beyond target man Lukas Jutkiewicz.

Alfie Chang and Krystian Bielik provided the midfield stability for Blues to get a grip hold of their games, and the hope is that they can re-establish that synergy this season.

After eight additions, all before August, this team looks better equipped for a Championship season, and Eustace will have more depth to work with.

On the one hand, this removes the excuses he may have been granted during last season’s barren runs, with a group of veterans, teenagers and players not quite at the level on the bench – it won’t be the case this time.

On the other, there’s excitement that comes with that, given the potential Eustace has shown and the ability to coach individuals to new heights.

Last season, Eustace was credited for getting a sinking team out of a rut – this time around, there’ll be less understanding for the rut happening in the first place.

Modest progress is expected, a top half finish with continued development of potential assets is the target – and Birmingham have the person to deliver it.

Odds correct as of 2023-08-22 12:00 Odds subject to change.

Michael Duff (Swansea)

It feels counter-intuitive to list Michael Duff as an EFL manager to watch, when anyone who has followed his work in the lower leagues will know how good he is.

Duff inspired Cheltenham to comfortable safety from a difficult position in 2018/19, thanks to impeccable home form, before leading them to the first top-seven finish at this level in seven years in an automatic promotion challenge the following season.

After the Play-Off heartache of a spurned first leg lead against Northampton, the Robins responded emphatically the following season by winning the title.

Ironically, Duff’s 2019/20 side were arguably the better footballing team than the class of 2020/21, but the latter were resolute defensively, through the trio of Charlie Raglan, Will Boyle and Ben Tozer, whose long throw threat was the difference.

Going up to the level for the first time, Duff steered Cheltenham to not only comfortable safety, but also a 15th-placed finish, their highest ever in the Football League.

After taking the Barnsley job the following summer, the Northern Irish boss transformed the culture at the club, implemented a clear style of play and got great results all in his first season.

It took Duff three months of competitive football to get his ideas across, but from that point the Reds caught fire, amassing a whopping 86 points to reach the Play-Offs, as the mood around the club that had been sour the year before was turned on its head.

Sure, Tarn lost the Play-Off Final to Sheffield Wednesday through Josh Windass’ 123rd-minute header, but Duff is long overdue his opportunity at Championship level.

Fears the 45-year-old will compromise “The Swansea Way” are not entirely without merit, seeing as his sides haven’t always been afraid to play forward early to a springy striker, like Luke Varney at Cheltenham or James Norwood at Barnsley.

On the other hand, they have played some good football too, and he’s got the best out of deep-lying playmakers like Jake Doyle-Hayes, at Cheltenham, and most notably Luca Connell at Barnsley.

The quality of Duff’s coaching was so often in evidence at Oakwell, because rarely did they rely too much on one star individual creating something out of nothing, all their creative output came through combinations and relationships across the park.

Left wing-back Nicky Cadden, for instance, had a great understanding with wide centre-back Liam Kitching and midfielder Herbie Kane on his flank, likewise right wing-back Jordan Williams with midfielder Adam Phillips, on his.

Barnsley, under Duff, popped the ball around delightfully when they needed to, especially with Connell pulling the strings from the base of midfield, not unlike Grimes at Swansea.

The biggest difference will be how Duff organises his side without the ball, and how he imposes on them the basics of defending, which could really make the difference for Swansea when it comes to winning the high-pressure games.

Russ Martin is a great coach, but he doesn’t have half the CV Duff does in terms of concrete achievements – so Swansea appear to have upgraded their manager, and been paid for the privilege.

Odds correct as of 2023-08-22 12:00 Odds subject to change.

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