Cabin BLV: Several Premier League giants set for transitions starting next season

When the Premier League curtain falls, the top teams start plotting their next moves. Apart from United sticking with Michael Carrick for continuity, City, Liverpool, and Chelsea will undergo transitions involving both players and the managerial bench.

1. Among the four giants mentioned, United arguably faces the smoothest path, as they simply need to promote Carrick from interim to permanent manager. However, the challenge for the 44-year-old next season is immense, with United having to balance their efforts in the Champions League. Carrick has never managed a top-tier club, so his ability to rotate the squad through a packed fixture list will be the biggest test of his coaching career.

United's greatest achievement under Carrick has been his sensible tactical choices. This has been bolstered by the team's strong physical foundation, as they only played 40 matches. When Carrick took over early this year, United had already been eliminated from cup competitions, allowing them to focus entirely on the Premier League. His managerial capabilities will face a real trial next season, as United must sign new players to ensure squad depth across multiple fronts. Whether the summer recruits will gel with the style he has established at Old Trafford remains a puzzle that will take time to solve.

Another club maintaining stability on the coaching bench is Liverpool. Barring any major surprises, Arne Slot is likely to take charge at Anfield next season, despite the criticism he has faced throughout this campaign. In truth, Liverpool was unlucky from the start due to a traffic accident that led to the sudden death of striker Diogo Jota last summer. This incident somewhat affected the mentality and focus of several Liverpool players. Slot's transfer plans were also disrupted; although he brought in quality attackers like Isak, Ekitike, and Wirtz, they suffered injuries and needed time to adapt to the Premier League. Additionally, Salah's unexpected dip in form forced Slot's Liverpool to work hard just to secure a Champions League spot for next season.

2. For Manchester City and Chelsea, these two sides will undergo upheavals in their managerial positions. In City's case, it marks the farewell of Pep Guardiola after a decade of service. Although he could not win the Premier League title in his final season, the Spanish manager still managed to build a new core in recent years. Winning a domestic double could be seen as a fitting goodbye for Guardiola. In my personal view, whoever succeeds Guardiola will benefit from the squad he has assembled. Therefore, it is no surprise that Enzo Maresca, a former Guardiola assistant who understands City's operational structure, will likely need little time to implement the football philosophy Guardiola left behind.

Chelsea's story is slightly different, as the club has just endured a chaotic season, finishing 10th. This means Xabi Alonso will not have the opportunity to experience European competition with Chelsea next season. That is a considerable setback for the Spanish coach, who previously only spent half a season in charge at Real Madrid, with his experience limited to Champions League group-stage matches. However, from a certain perspective, Alonso might benefit from a season without European fixtures, allowing him to settle down and fully dedicate time to instilling his playing ideas into the Chelsea squad. The Blues need maximum focus on domestic objectives, especially the Premier League. This could help Alonso's Chelsea quickly return to their rightful position after a turbulent season.