5 Memorable Premier League Manager Debuts
Liverpool have a new manager.
News which hasn't exactly flown under the radar is that Jurgen Klopp has taken charge at Anfield, and the charismatic German will be hoping for a memorable Premier League debut to kick off his tenure when the Reds travel to White Hart Lane on Saturday afternoon.
Having not even overseen a game yet, the former Borussia Dortmund man has been dealt a fair few rough blows, with both Joe Gomez and Danny Ings ruled out for the season with knee injuries earlier in the week.
Nonetheless, all eyes will be on north London on Saturday to see just how the new-look Liverpool will fare.
It got us thinking, how have some of Klopp's peers got on while taking the hot seat for the first time?
Here are five Premier League managers' debuts to remember.
Alex Ferguson (Manchester United)
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November 8, 1986: Oxford United 2-0 Manchester United
Alright, so it's not exactly a Premier League game, but it would be harsh of us not to include Fergie, the most decorated manager in league history.
Alex (who was yet to become Sir) Ferguson's first game in charge of Manchester United is an iconic moment in the club’s history.
A rather unglamorous First Division defeat away at Oxford was the start to a decidedly glamourous 26 years in charge of one of the world’s biggest clubs in which the Scotsman won a staggering 38 trophies.
Fergie took his time in endearing himself to the Man United faithful though, as David Atkinson reflected for the Daily Mail.
Atkinson was disappointed by the departure of United's former boss, his namesake Ron, he said before labelling Ferguson “the dour Glaswegian who appeared to have an absolute disdain for flair.”
"I was miserable leaving the stadium. I could not see how this new appointment was going to make United a better team.
I’d been satisfied winning cups and, although a League title would have been special, there was something swashbuckling to me about winning big cup games and going to Wembley, rather than grinding out results week after week at places like Norwich.
I was actually hopeful of a short Ferguson reign, by which time the United board could have lined up a more spectacular and appropriate gaffer.
"
Proved the doubters wrong, did Fergie.
David Moyes (Everton)
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March 16, 2002: Everton 2-1 Fulham
Writing for the Observer, Paul Wilson echoed the words of Everton’s match-day announcer when David Moyes took his seat for the first time as manager: “Remember this date, 16 March, 2002, because the good times are coming back to Goodison Park.”
The Scotsman must have thought the gig was easy after David Unsworth scored within a minute of kick-off, before Duncan Ferguson gave the Toffees a 2-0 lead inside the opening quarter of an hour.
They made life difficult for themselves when Thomas Gravesen saw red, and Fulham pulled one back in the second half.
Moyes led the struggling Merseysiders to safety in his first season in charge, and quickly became one of the most well-respected managers in the Premier League over the next 11 years, before something happened in Manchester in 2013-14.
Claudio Ranieri (Chelsea)
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September 23, 2000: Manchester United 3-3 Chelsea
The Leicester City manager’s first game in charge of Chelsea in the 2000-01 season was about as tricky as they come: Manchester United at Old Trafford.
But the Italian’s side fought out a classic with the defending champions, first taking the lead with a glorious volley by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink before a stirring comeback when goals by Paul Scholes, Teddy Sheringham and David Beckham looked to have made the game safe for Alex Ferguson’s side.
However, two goals from Tore Andre Flo ensured Ranieri would return to Stamford Bridge with a point.
The game was of such high quality it brought the most brilliantly complimentary write-up from BBC Sport, who said: “Indeed, only dullards and knaves could glean nothing from such a goal-feast.”
Slaven Bilic (West Ham)
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August 9, 2015: Arsenal 0-2 West Ham
Arsenal were finally dreaming of the title again after beating Chelsea a week earlier in the Charity Shield. Then came Bilic's West Ham on the opening Sunday of the season.
As memorable as a win over cross-town rivals Arsenal can be, Slaven Bilic’s first game in charge of West Ham will be remembered for the superb influence of 16-year-old midfielder Reece Oxford, who his boss described as a “cool guy” and who made Arsenal’s star-studded midfield seem very subdued.
Jacob Steinberg of the Guardian was of more eloquent praise than the Hammers manager as he wrote: “His maturity in defensive midfield was staggering. Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil was barely allowed a kick and to put that into context, Oxford will get his GCSE results next week having sat them towards the end of last season at Alexandra Park school in north London."
Brendan Rodgers (Liverpool)
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August 18, 2012: West Brom 3-0 Liverpool
The man Jurgen Klopp takes over from at Liverpool endured a pretty miserable start to his tenure as the head of Anfield.
A 3-0 defeat at the Hawthorns and without a win until his sixth Premier League game, the Northern Irishman was under pressure from day one.
Zoltan Gera's stunning first-half strike, followed by goals for Peter Odemwingie and Romelu Lukaku ensured a bright August day was decidedly gloomy for Rodgers.
On the flip side, it was a fairly enjoyable first Premier League outing for West Brom boss Steve Clarke, who was sacked as Kenny Dalglish, Rodgers’ predecessor, cleared out his office on Merseyside, per Phil Kirkbride of the Liverpool Echo.
Klopp will be praying for something completely different against Tottenham on Saturday.
