Premier League player power is under siege with arrival of hard-line bosses like Antonio Conte, Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho and Jurgen Klopp
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PLAYER power is now under siege.
After two decades in which Premier League stars and their agents called the shots, managers are showing pampered squads who’s boss.
Even Sir Alex Ferguson once bemoaned: “Some English clubs have changed managers so many times that it creates power for the players in the dressing room. That is very dangerous.
“Football management in the end is all about the players. You think you are a better player than they are and they think they are a better manager than you are.”
Ex-Scotland boss Alex McLeish, who played under Fergie for Aberdeen, also warned: “Modern-day players can be uber-sensitive if they feel they’re being hammered.
“I encountered it with Rangers. At half-time I called out the players — individually and collectively.
“But as they went out for the second half one of my top foreign stars said, ‘How can he expect us to play well now, when he’s just killed us’.”
Yet this summer, things already feel different.
Jose Mourinho, Pep Guardiola, Antonio Conte and Jurgen Klopp are taking charge of their first full seasons at their respective Prem clubs.
Forget the era of soft-soap management, empathy and understanding.
Now, it seems, is time for the whip to be cracked — and hard.
Klopp’s decision to send Mamadou Sakho home from Liverpool’s US tour was a strong signal of intent.
Recent weeks have shown the nasty side of Liverpool manager Klopp, who likes a laugh and a joke — but takes no prisoners.
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The German’s call served to underline the new wind blowing through the top flight.
Mourinho ordered his Manchester United players in for training at Carrington at 6.30am on Tuesday — just 90 MINUTES after touching down from their 11-hour flight from Beijing.
The Special One had fears over their fitness during their disastrous tour of China. At rivals City, new chief Guardiola has very similar concerns.
Instead, they will do only conditioning work until they are back in shape.
Former Barcelona boss Guardiola has also banned certain food and drink on City’s menu, including some juices and pizza.
Over at Chelsea, Conte is putting his stars through their paces with a string of tough double sessions.
The ex—Italy manager spelled out his intent upon his Stamford Bridge unveiling, when he said: “I like to work and I know only this road to win.”
And Tottenham gaffer Mauricio Pochettino has already shown he has no time for unruly members in his squad.
Last week, he hooked Clinton Njie, Nabil Bentaleb, Federico Fazio and Alex Pritchard from the club’s flight to Australia after deciding they simply did not meet his expectations.
But players at the other end of the table are hardly having it any easier these days either. David Moyes took his first Sunderland training session in the French spa town of Evian on Tuesday morning.
The Scot was heard shouting, “Do you understand the language?” to his squad during a below-par session.
This promises to be the season in which managers really do rule the roost again.
Because order has been well and truly restored by the big-name bosses.
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