da casino： With just four games remaining before another Premier League season draws to a close, both players and managers can begin to look forward to a well earned break.
da bet sport： It can be a stressful job managing a top-flight team, as Nigel Pearson has shown full-well this week after making the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
But as his team make a late bid for survival following four-straight wins, it’s time to start reflecting on the season and the jobs that those in charge of every Premier League club have done.
While there have been plenty of comings and goings, some managers have faired better than others as the contenders for Manager of the Season begin to emerge.
Titles, record point tallies and Premier League survival mean these five are the front runners for the award, and while only one can take the accolade in the coming weeks, each of these managers deserve a lot of credit for the jobs they have done this season.
Choosing a winner certainly won’t be easy…
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Tony Pulis
Tony Pulis has once again shown why he is one of the best around after guiding West Bromwich Albion to Premier League safety to stake his claim for another Manager of the Year award.
Having performed miracles at Crystal Palace last season, Pulis took over from Alan Irvine at the Hawthorns at the start of January with the Baggies in real peril.
Just one point above the bottom three, relegation looked a real possibility, but in typical Tony Pulis fashion he has guided West Brom up the table with minimal fuss.
Just four defeats in 14 games highlight the new-found solidity he has established in his side, and following their goalless draw with Liverpool last weekend; they now find themselves up in thirteenth position with just four games remaining.
A seven point buffer looks to have ensured another season of top-flight football for West Brom, and for Pulis it’s job done yet again.
Garry Monk
Swansea boss Garry Monk deserves plenty of credit for the way he has masterminded another successful season in the Premier League for the Welsh club.
Having already equalled their record points tally of 50 with four games remaining, the Swans look set to achieve their highest ever finish if they can maintain their spot in eighth place.
Despite losing their star man in January, Wilfried Bony’s departure hasn’t had too big an effect on results, and for a man that had no previous managerial experience, Monk’s first full campaign in charge of the club will go down as a huge success.
Ronald Koeman
After losing their manager as well as whole host of star players, many people were already tipping Southampton for relegation before the season had even got underway. How wrong they were.
Under the stewardship of Ronald Koeman, the Saints have enjoyed a terrific campaign that had them challenging for a top-four spot for much of the season, having spent 19 weeks in the Champions League places.
And although that is now out of reach, it shouldn’t detract from what a terrific job the Dutchman has done at St Mary’s.
His side have the best defensive record in the division with just 26 goals conceded, and with a Europa League spot looking increasingly likely, Koeman has to be considered for the Manager of the Year award.
Just a point off fifth-placed Liverpool, they have already guaranteed a club record points total, but could be in for another difficult summer after a number of their players have caught the eye once again.
Alan Pardew
It’s not inconceivable to suggest that Alan Pardew has actually managed to keep two Premier League clubs in the division the season.
Since leaving Newcastle in January, his former side have been in retched form and it’s looking like the points they won under Pardew will make all the difference in their bid to beat the drop.
Not only that, but he has transformed the fortunes of Crystal Palace since his arrival, that has seen them shoot up the table, climbing out of the place they occupied in bottom three when he took over.
Two straight defeats might have dampened spirits slightly, but sitting just two points off the top half with four games left shows what a great job he has done at Selhurst Park, and it’s something he deserves tremendous credit for.
Jose Mourinho
Chelsea go into this weekend’s fixture with Crystal Palace knowing that a win will secure their first Premier League title since 2010, and the first for Jose Mourinho since taking over for his second spell in charge at Stamford Bridge.
A huge 13 point lead over their nearest rivals shows just how impressive the Blues have been this season, and despite being criticised for his tactics in recent weeks, Mourinho has masterminded another great season.
His side have the best goal difference in the division, and have lost just twice all season in running away with the title.
There’s no doubting they have been the best team this season, and for that reason alone Mourinho has to considered for Manager of the Year.