Official 2012/13 Premier League thread

[Lineker]

Swansea City are close to revealing Michael Laudrup as their new manager.

The former Real Madrid, Barcelona and Denmark star is expected in Wales on Friday to finalise a deal with the Premier League club.

Swansea, searching for a new manager for the third time in the past four years, hope to name Laudrup as Brendan Rodgers' successor over the weekend.

It is thought Laudrup's style is in keeping with the playing philosophy that Jenkins is keen to retain.

The 48-year-old, a former manager at Brondby, Getafe, Spartak Moscow and Real Mallorca, has previously spoken of his desire to manage in the Premier League.

Swansea, who finished 11th in their debut Premier League season, have been without a manager since Rodgers accepted the Liverpool vacancy in May.

Blackpool boss Ian Holloway was the other leading candidate for the role, although the Seasiders have denied receiving any approach for the 49-year-old.

Former France captain Marcel Desailly, Wigan assistant and ex-Swansea number two Graeme Jones and Brighton and Hove Albion boss Gus Poyet had also been linked with the job.

Laudrup, who won five Spanish league titles with Barcelona and Real Madrid as a player between 1991 and 1995, played a style of attractive, passing football that would suit Swansea's philosophy.

He has been out of work since resigning as Mallorca manager, where he was in charge for 14 months, in September 2011 after the club sacked his assistant Erik Larsen.

Laudrup retired from playing while at Dutch giants Ajax and started his coaching career aged 36 as Denmark coach Morten Olsen's assistant in 2000.

He helped inspire the Danish team to win their 2002 World Cup pool, which included Uruguay, Senegal and reigning champions France, before they were beaten 3-0 by England in Niigata.

Laudrup took the manager's job at Danish side Brondby after the World Cup in South Korea and Japan and he guided the side to the 2005 league and cup double with a young squad playing an attractive short-passing game, similar to Swansea's brand.

He was linked with a managerial vacancy at former club Real Madrid when he left Brondby in 2006 before Laudrup joined Spanish side Getafe, who he guided to the 2008 Spanish Cup final and the Uefa Cup quarter-final.

Laudrup was reportedly a contender for jobs at Valencia, Benfica, Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United when he resigned as Getafe boss in May 2008 but took over at Spartak Moscow in September 2008.

He was dismissed seven months later following their Russian Cup loss to Dynamo Moscow and was heavily linked with Spanish side Atletico Madrid but Laudrup and the club were unable to agree terms.

He was appointed Mallorca manager in July 2010 and kept a struggling team in Spain's La Liga but left the club citing frustration in his working relationship with director of football Lorenzo Serra Ferrer.

Jenkins has a reputation for appointing and developing young managers who share his football philosophy to ensure squad stability.

The subsequent departures of Martinez to Wigan, Paulo Sousa to Leicester and Rodgers to Liverpool have earned Swansea almost £10m in total compensation.

[Jimmy]

I really hate it when people point to managers and say he's won nothing. Because in the English league, unless you manage a top four team, it's almost impossible to win anything. And if people win an FA or League Cup we barely consider that an achievement. Moyes has done a fanastic job, for over ten years, with a club he keeps helping overachieve. He has been consitantly good for ten years. I definitely think he deserves a chance at the next tier of clubs. I'd definitely take him at Spurs.

[brenchill]

Yeah, I agree, it does deserve a chance at the next tier of clubs. I'm not disputing that.

Manchester United certainly aren't just one tier above Everton.

[Jimmy]

You're not wrong, but people definitely assume United will want someone with logitivity, which Moyes has proved he has - and he's still more than young enough to build a legacy at United. To be fair, I see Mourinho as the natural successor, but hey.

[brenchill]

I can't see anyone other than Mourinho taking that job. But he's a bit of a journeyman.

[Johnny Drama]

You give Moyes a budget and I reckon he could bring in some top talent and he clearly can get the best out of his players. I don't think the Spurs job is above him at all. I think Moyes would do a better job than someone like Rafa.

[Lineker]

EWB should make a list of which clubs are in which tiers.

Obviously we'd need to list the tiers first.

[brenchill]

I know you're being an arse, but it's fairly simple:

Manchester United

Liverpool, Chelsea, Man City, Tottenham and Arsenal

The rest

[Lineker]

lol, brench entertains arses.

But I'd put Newcastle there too.

[stokeriño]

Oh God, I see the "X is a bigger club than Y" argument limping painfully over the horizon.

[brenchill]

[stokeriño]

Quite.

[Johnny Drama]

AVB now odds on for the Spurs job apparently although these markets change very quick. Would like to see AVB get a second crack at the EPL

[Summers]

Laudrup confirmed according to Sky Sources.

[Pesci]

As far as the Man United job goes, I think they'll want, among other things:

- Somebody who's there for the long term

- Somebody whose ego won't overshadow the club - the club must come first

So really, I don't see it being Mourinho, because he has a history of using his clubs as a platform for personal success. I see it being a young-ish British manager with a knack for discipline who's shown he can grow something over time. Maybe not Moyes, but when Ferguson was appointed he was appointed on the back of his success in the Scottish league - the Scottish league is absolute balls now, so what's the equivalent of that success? Probably doing well in Portugal/Holland or something, so maybe it'll be a young manager from that league. The British part is hard now given that you've got a dearth of successful British managers, but I definitely don't see them approaching Mourinho.

[Johnny Drama]

For Man Utd maybe someone like Martin O'Neill I reckon

[Lineker]

Summers would have an anyeurism.

[brenchill]

Ferguson did win the UEFA Cup with Aberdeen. That might have swayed it...

[Sam]

I cant see Martin O'Neill there, maybe someone like Laurent Blanc but I would imagine the favourite is Jose Mourinho

[brenchill]

They could just get Howard Wilkinson in.