Disappointing Manchester bosses have reason to hope ope

The Premier League title will have a new home next month but not the one that many pundits predicted at the start of the season. There was an expectation that the silverware would end up in Manchester, with both Old Trafford and the Etihad Stadium seen as equally likely destinations; not this year.

One of Chelsea or Spurs will deservedly win the league, and great credit goes to Mauricio Pochettino’s team for making a title race of it when the press had crowned Chelsea champions back at Christmas time. The London sides have been the best two teams in England this season with the outstanding individual performers.

So what’s gone wrong in Manchester? Pep Guardiola has admitted that this season, his first in England, has been a lesson for him. It’s also Antonio Conte’s first season in the Premier League but his Chelsea side are on course for a double.

It could be argued that Conte inherited a side that were champions the season before last while Pochettino has had the benefit of continuity at Spurs and another season to develop the squad who went so close last campaign. Either way it’s telling that both Spurs and Chelsea have the most settled starting lineups.

Contrast that stability with the Manchester sides: City are yet to name an unchanged lineup this season and Mourinho, even accounting for injuries, seems some way from knowing his best first 11. Both coaches might say that they are still imparting coaching philosophies on their new charges, but Mourinho and Guardiola came with reputations as “super coaches” and have not yet lived up to that.

Instead, they want new personnel and the summer’s shopping list has been drawn up in both boardrooms. A couple of signings could be the difference for next season but they certainly haven’t got the best out of what they had at their disposal this time out.

Both coaches have admitted that this season has not been good enough, but they are getting the benefit of the doubt because neither side are a million miles away from where they want to be. Guardiola’s coaching is working based on his side’s Barcelona- esque second goal against Hull City on Saturday and they are still in the FA Cup. United, meanwhile, have won the League Cup, are on a 21- game unbeaten run in the Premier League and are still in the Europa League.

If United can improve in front of goal and City can stop other teams scoring, then there’s no reason that next season Mourinho and Guardiola won’t deliver what everyone expected from this one.