he new 2025/26 season has started on a bright note. This has seen managers and players signed by various clubs. On the other hand, fans are optimistic that their club will show more improvement as the season progresses.
While some managers are eager to perform well, others intend to create a new style of play. The question then arises: What managers would impress in the second half of the season? This article entitled: ‘Football Managers To Look Out For As The Second Half of the Season Resumes’ will answer that question for you. Have a good read.
Managers To Look Out For As The Second Half of the 2025/26 Season Kicks Off
Here are some of the managers to look out for as the 2025/26 season kicks off.
Arne Slot
Arne Slot is one of the few managers to look out for this season. He is the current gaffer for Liverpool FC. Arne Slot had an impressive track record with his last season as a Liverpool manager. Arne Slot managed to win the league in the 2024/2025 season. In the first half of the season, Arne Slot struggled to replicate the success of the previous season.
However, Arne Slot would be looking to start the second half of the season on a good note. So far, he has had impressive results in matches he played just before the Christmas break was observed in the EPL. Arne Slot had lost just one match out of four matches his team played before the break.
Arne Slot would be looking to turn the criticisms into praises as the second half of the season gets underway. In addition, he would be looking to receive his star player Mo Salah since he crashed out of the semi final of the AFCON tournament in Morocco. Right now, almost all of his players back and there would be no excuses when the results doesn’t come in.
Hansi Flick
Hansi Flick is the manager of FC Barcelona. He is one of the few coaches with an impressive CV. Hansi Flick is known for his success in managing FC Bayern Munich. He won over seven trophies in three years for the club.
Coming to Barcelona, he has also laid an impressive record in his first season. In his first season, he would the prestigious La Liga and Copa Del Rey title. Unlike other managers at the club, he has been given full backing by the board.
In his stay so far, Hansi Flick has introduced a style of football that is new to the Catalan club. He has opted for the 4-2-3-1 formation with emphasis on vertical passing. This is quite different from the traditional 4-3-3 which the club are used to playing. To implement this system, Flick has purchased highly technical players. Some of them include Dani Olmo and Pau Victor.
He started the 2025/2026 season on a poor note but has been able to pick up from where he left off. At the moment, his team are on a winning streak of over 5 matches even beating Real Madrid in the process. No doubt, Hansi Flick is one of the managers to watch as the 2025/26 season resumes after the Christmas break.
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3. Vincent Kompany
Vincent Kompany is another coach to keep an eye on in the 2025/26 European season. Kompany was credited for his role in leading Burnley to the Premier League three seasons ago.
Now, he is an FC Bayern Munich manager and has been able to secure the league title in his first season for them. Along with this, his style of play caught everyone’s attention. His tactics revolve around holding the ball for a long time.
After last season success, Vincent Kompany would be hoping to replicate the same success in his second season. So far, he has lost less than five matches in the second season in his Bundesliga campaign.
This shows that the second half of the looks promising for him and the club. He would also be looking at making a statement in the UEFA Champions League and even winning it for FC Bayern Munich.
Liam Rosenior
Liam Rosenior is the current manager of Chelsea Football Club. He is one of the coaches that had attracted interest from other clubs. However, he chose Chelsea because of the project they had. Similar to Kompany, Liam Rosenior had an impressive season at the Championship. He led Hull City back to winning ways in the championship.
He was signed by Chelsea majorly because of his style of play and his team’s ability to grind results. Recall, that Chelsea had sacked Enzo Maresca due to his lack of results. While in Hull City, Liam Rosenior built a team that knew how to keep the ball. Right now, Liam Rosenior has had the backing of the Chelsea Football Club.
His young stature would surely help him communicate with the players more. In addition, his performance at the second half of the season would also be watched by the Chelsea board. So he had every reason to perform as the new Chelsea FC manager going into the second half of the 2025/2026 season.
Michael Carrick
Michael Carrick is another manager to look out for as the second half of the 2025/2026 season resumes. Michael Carrick has had the opportunity to work with the current Manchester United players before when he was hired as interim coach when Ole Gunnar Solskjær was sacked.
So, it would be interesting to see how Michael Carrick works with the current crop of Manchester United players. It would also be interesting to see what tactics he would deploy to teams since many of the EPL teams he played against has adapted to the modern style.
Conclusion
Managers who intend to adopt a style of play need time to perform. They need time to implement their ideas to give them a distinct style. Managers like Kompany and Michael Carrick are coaches who believe in the possession-based football strategy. So, it would require some patience from fans to see them winning matches convincingly. Having said that, we wish the managers the best of luck as the second half of the new season in Europe resumes.