Miguel Delaney answers your Premier League questions – from the next manager to be sacked to surprise January transfers | OneFootball

January has so far been defined less by transfer drama than by instability at the top of the Premier League – something that came through clearly in my latest Ask Me Anything live Q&A.

Many of your questions centred on the growing strain between head coaches and club hierarchies, prompted by Chelsea’s split with Enzo Maresca and Manchester United’s sudden decision to sack Ruben Amorim.

There was also strong interest in the managerial market more broadly. Xabi Alonso’s abrupt exit from Real Madrid featured heavily, with readers keen to know where he might end up next and which Premier League clubs could move.

Elsewhere, questions reflected rising pressure on managers already in post. Thomas Frank’s position at Tottenham and Arne Slot’s situation at Liverpool were both raised as results falter and elite alternatives re-enter the conversation.

Here are some of your questions – and my answers from the Q&A:

Wolves1997

A: This is something Thomas Tuchel has been very conscious of, and I think the biggest impact will be on how England play. You simply can’t play an intense Premier League style in those conditions, despite Tuchel’s instincts. That said, some matches will be indoors with air conditioning.

Ultimately, this is going to be, scientifically, the best-prepared England team ever. I also think Spain’s possession game is particularly well suited to the circumstances.

Anonymous

A: I’m actually going to say no. I have written a bigger piece on this, but I think it will rumble on for multiple reasons. And yes, that is absolutely farcical. It only raises further questions about how the game is run.

Robbie

A: Right now, it’s unlikely. The club have a big budget for the summer and were prepared to use some of that this window if the right deal appeared. They would have gone for Semenyo, for example. There is an acknowledgement they need a midfielder, but the guiding stance is that they won’t make January signings they wouldn’t also make in the summer. Most of their top targets are ungettable right now – not least because clubs like Forest don’t want to destabilise their season by losing players like Elliot Anderson. So at the moment, no, unless the right deal suddenly emerges.

Robbie

A: They are definitely looking at it, while knowing it’s unlikely. United want to take the next five months to properly think about what comes next, but Alonso will feature in that thinking as one of the best coaching names on the market.

There’s a realisation that his Liverpool connection matters, and that other jobs may currently be more appealing given recent performance and structures. United do feel they are improving on that front, though.

Anonymous

A: I think there’s a considerable chance, yes. Possibly even Manchester City, given his closeness to Hugo Viana. Probably not for some time, and he may need a role that rebuilds his reputation slightly. But it doesn’t feel as though the United experience will be terminal to his standing at the top level.

Anonymous

A: Ultimately, it came down to Maresca chafing against the parameters of his role. He wanted more power and more recognition, whereas Chelsea now actively want to restrict the head coach’s authority in favour of a wider structure. Other factors didn’t help – issues with the medical team, inconsistent performances – but it really comes down to how the role was defined.

Q: How did Conor Gallagher end up at Spurs, despite his Chelsea roots?

Anonymous

A: It’s the modern game in a nutshell. Gallagher is a Chelsea boy, but once the club discards you, other professional and personal considerations take over. Spurs can usually offer Champions League contention. They’ve recently won a trophy. He has family reasons for staying in London. If you strip away childhood emotion, it becomes a viable choice. That’s why you often see players remain in the same geographical area later in their careers – moving families matters.

Anonymous

A: The Gallagher move certainly came out of nowhere, and I expect similar over the next two weeks. Last year followed a similar pattern – slow at first, then frenetic. Clubs wait to see what’s available. Spurs, Newcastle and Villa all want to spend, and Spurs in particular could pull off another surprise in attack.

Q: What’s gone wrong at West Ham – and are they going down?

Jimmy

A: West Ham are a club that have needed to be sold for years. They lack direction and energy, and you can feel it structurally. Speak to people in football and they’ll tell you West Ham come across as one of the most dysfunctional clubs around. They’ve drifted for years but survived thanks to London advantages and spending power, which eventually runs out.

As for relegation, the gap to Forest looks too big now, so yes – those three. Wolves’ momentum is at least interesting.

MattAllenby

A: I’ve long felt multi-club ownership is the worst development in football – almost anti-football. At its core, the game is about communities forming clubs that represent them. Once that identity is distorted by a wider ownership structure, it’s no longer the same.

Then you get practical issues: only one club from an ownership group can enter certain European competitions. If both Chelsea and Strasbourg qualified for the Champions League, who gets priority? It’s soulless, and against what football is supposed to be.

Anonymous

A: Every club in Europe wants him. I’m told he won’t move this January, but if everything aligns in the summer and Salah leaves, he becomes an obvious option. There’s the emotional pull, and the fact Liverpool compete for major trophies. His camp also feel he’ll have even more options after a World Cup with Ivory Coast.

Anonymous

A: There have already been enough issues that should have forced change. Sadly, the way football is run prevents it. Fifa is a top-down executive structure where the president only needs just over half of the 211 votes. Funding programmes effectively secure support from many federations. The profitability of this World Cup will only reinforce that. Big nations feel isolated and are often reluctant to speak out. Real change may instead come through European legal cases challenging football’s structures – but ultimately, the entire system needs reform.

SammyW

A: I’ll say Frank, simply because things could slip out of his control. Spurs want to give him time with key attackers returning from injury, but if results don’t come quickly, pressure will mount.

SimonL

A: I think the idea of a fixed “big six” is over. Newcastle changed the dynamic, and Villa are now firmly in that group. They’ll likely sit somewhere between third and seventh, with the occasional push higher. PSR has limited them, but the new SCR rules should help. Much depends on Unai Emery – the club is heavily anchored to him. If he ever left, it would require a major reset. For now, though, Villa are in a very good place.