Neil Humphreys: Manager mayhem in top-four race
Ahead of the transfer window's closure on Friday morning (Singapore time), we look at the other top-four contenders, and their potential managerial crises
1) NO SIGNING BIGGER THAN OLE
Manchester United's astonishing summer of discontent suggested that one Harry Maguire doesn't deliver silverware.
He's an excellent addition, a left-sided centre-back, but his purchase only highlighted United's corporate quagmire.
In May, executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward asked Leicester City to name their price.
The Foxes insisted on £80 million (S$134.3m). Woodward spent the next few months negotiating, and then signed Maguire for £80m.
And there you have it. The cartoonish nature of United's transfer travails is indicative of their diminished stature.
Paul Pogba wanted to leave, but couldn't. He still might.
Romelu Lukaku wanted to leave, but couldn't. He still might.
There's only one club naive enough to squander exorbitant sums on such erratic talent, and the duo are already playing for that club.
Woodward has little leverage in the transfer market because he allowed partisan sentiment to cloud his judgment when he gave the managerial gig to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Norwegian made a couple of fine signings in Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (with Daniel James also showing signs of promise).
He also overhauled the academy and promoted Mason Greenwood to the first team.
But Solskjaer still has no elite track record. He may confound the sceptics, but the club's handling of Pogba, Lukaku and even Maguire, to a degree, stresses their dysfunctional nature.
Based on pre-season games, Solskjaer favours a fast, high press. But the Red Devils are lumbered with inconsistent forwards.
Marcus Rashford may be preferred over Lukaku, but the Englishman's scoring ratio - 27 league goals in 111 appearances or one every 248 minutes - is not sufficient for the top four.
Solskjaer may deploy Anthony Martial up front because he doesn't trust Rashford and insists on ushering Lukaku towards the exit; such is the maddening confusion.
If early results go the wrong way, can Solskjaer recover?
Progress won't be the top four. For Solskjaer, progress will be keeping his job.
Prediction for United: Fifth, barely
2) PATIENCE WILL WEAR THIN, EMERY
Unai Emery had one overwhelming character trait in his favour last season.
He wasn't Arsene Wenger.
For the more apoplectic Arsenal supporters, the Spaniard earned a season's respite for taking on the poisoned chalice.
Emery finished one place higher and seven points better off than Wenger's farewell campaign, but the season was otherwise unremarkable.
Hence, the £72 million signing of Lille winger Nicolas Pepe, a definite upgrade on Arsenal's right flank.
Pepe solves the Mesut Oezil conundrum. In a loose 4-3-3, Pepe plus Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette equals no Oezil, especially if loan signing Dani Ceballos impresses in central midfield.
Pepe's stats at Lille - he scored 23 times last season and picked up 11 assists - bode well for the Gunners.
But their defensive frailties remain. The bizarre strike action of skipper Laurent Koscielny, which concluded with a move to Bordeaux, hints at deeper problems.
Shkodran Mustafi isn't universally adored and those holes at the back are still gaping.
Maybe Emery will pull a defender through the closing transfer window. If he doesn't, the fans won't be so forgiving the second time around.
Prediction for Arsenal: Sixth, and Emery will be off
3) LAMPARD GETS FREE HIT
Ironically, the homecoming hero finds himself in the same position as Emery last season.
Frank Lampard could conceivably miss out on the top four and drop his trousers in King's Road and still survive.
Even the most jaundiced of Chelsea followers acknowledge Lampard's predicament and the club's unavoidable period of transition.
He has the fans and, most critically, the myopic board in his corner for now, despite his limited experience (just one season at Derby County).
To him, the academy is also more than an incubator for lesser clubs, which must give hope to Callum Hudson-Odoi.
At 23, centre-back Andreas Christensen can also expect more game time, especially after Gary Cahill was released.
That's the good news.
On the down side, the Blues have replaced Maurizio Sarri, who finished third and won the Europa League, with a managerial novice.
For all the criticism of "Sarriball", the Italian's pragmatism allowed Chelsea to overachieve.
Now, Eden Hazard has left and the transfer ban remains in place until next summer.
But Lampard finally gets to select Christian Pulisic.
Kepa Arrizabalaga, Antonio Ruediger and Cesar Azpilicueta remain dependable and Lampard will probably return N'Golo Kante to his natural position, as the league's best defensive midfielder.
Lampard requires a rare commodity from Chelsea: Trust. He'll get a pass, but only for this season.
Prediction for Chelsea: Fourth, as long as the veterans deliver
4) POCH GETS TO BE BORING
Mauricio Pochettino might find himself in the best and worst position.
He risks becoming the forgotten man, neither a threat nor a farce. The Spurs boss requires an unlikely miracle to break the duopoly of Liverpool and Manchester City, and only a crisis could instigate a fall from the top four.
Spurs are spared the usual pre-season chaos.
No World Cup hangover for half the squad.
No stadium delays.
No penny-pinching.
In fact, they bought Tanguy Ndombele for £55.4 million, the kind of muscular midfielder that Pochettino reveres.
Harry Kane and Dele Alli are rested and there's a fresh crop from the youth production line.
Life is good for Tottenham. It just won't be great.
Liverpool and City are still primed for greatness.
Prediction for Tottenham: A comfortable third
TOMORROW: NEIL'S WISHLIST FOR THE NEW SEASON
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