Six Premier League head coaches lost their jobs in the 2024-25 season - seven if you count Ivan Juric walking away from a doomed Southampton - but now is the time to reflect on successes as opposed to sackings.
The world of top-level management is a brutally unforgiving one - something that every boss will be aware of before taking the reins - and their jobs are already strenuous enough without a whirlwind of stories about their futures circulating.
However, there are a select few whose positions are not up for debate whatsoever, from just the fifth manager to win the Premier League in his first season to one who ended his team's 30-year exile from European football.
Those two dominate our latest award category, as the Sports Mole team selects their Premier League Manager of the Season for the 2024-25 campaign.
Barney Corkhill, Editor - Arne Slot
© Imago
Firstly, a very strong honourable mention needs to go to Nuno Espirito Santo, whose achievement in taking Nottingham Forest from relegation battlers to Europe should not be understated despite their relative loss of form in the final months of the season.
However, Arne Slot is the clear winner for me when it comes to a Premier League Manager of the Season award.
I fear the ease with which Liverpool have coasted to the title could lead to some underestimating the scale of the achievement, and the arguments that Man City have dropped off, Arsenal have had injuries or, ludicrously, that the Premier League has been 'weak' this year (Man United and Spurs would surely disagree!) threaten to undermine what has been a truly remarkable season for the now 20-time champions.
It is very likely that they would have reached the 90-point mark had they needed to fight until the end of the season - their points-per-game average prior to wrapping up the title would have left them on 91 or 92 points. Arsenal, incidentally, have only reached the 90-point mark once in their history - the Invincible season.
All of this comes with the distant backdrop of Liverpool being entirely unfancied at the start of the season. No-one on our team, nor in most other writer or pundit teams, predicted Liverpool to be particularly close to winning the title, and it was a far more common belief that they would miss out on the top four than finish top of the pile.
Add to that the fact that the previously relatively-unknown Slot was stepping into the enormous shoes of one of Liverpool's most iconic and beloved managers ever, and the job Slot has done truly has been incredible. As other clubs can attest to, replacing a legendary former manager is no easy task, but Slot has not only managed that transition successfully, he has improved Liverpool from the final seasons of Jurgen Klopp, which is not something many thought possible so quickly.
Matt Law, Football Editor - Nuno Espirito Santo
© Imago
Arne Slot deserves a huge amount of praise for what he has achieved at Liverpool this season, but it is very difficult to look past Nuno considering Forest's campaign.
Forest ultimately fell short in terms of the Champions League spots, which was hugely disappointing considering how much they had put into the season, but to secure European football for the 2025-26 campaign is a monumental achievement.
Many tipped Forest to be battling against relegation this term, but their performances have been outstanding, and Nuno has also had to deal with a lot of off-the-field distractions.
Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter - Arne Slot
© Imago
Slot deserves all the plaudits that come his way for seamlessly picking up the baton from Jurgen Klopp and delivering silverware in his debut campaign at Anfield, steering the club to their second Premier League title in imperious fashion.
Few backed the Dutchman to make such an impact, especially after a quiet summer transfer window, but he managed to get the best out of the players at his disposal, most notably transforming Ryan Gravenberch into a top-tier defensive midfielder and giving Mohamed Salah the freedom to work his magic in the final third.
Nuno Espirito Santo deserves a special mention after orchestrating a remarkable turnaround at Nottingham Forest, but it is difficult to ignore how Slot quickly made Liverpool into an efficient and far superior winning machine.
Ben Knapton, Senior Reporter - David Moyes
© Imago
Why not?
The majority of the plaudits will rightly go to Santo and Slot, whose feats at the City Ground and Anfield respectively were nothing short of magnificent, but David Moyes's achievements have maybe flown under the radar slightly.
Everton lost each of their first four games of the season under Sean Dyche, but the Toffees only suffered the same amount of defeats in their last 19 top-flight games of the campaign under Moyes, whose side were only taken down by Aston Villa, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City in the league.
Reverting the Toffees to a hard-to-beat, stingy defensive unit, Moyes also masterminded three straight wins at the end of the season, and it was only fitting for him to be on the touchline during Goodison Park's final Premier League parade.
Joel Lefevre, Senior Reporter - Arne Slot
© Iconsport
For as great of a campaign as Nuno Espirito Santo has had at Nottingham Forest, Arne Slot was clearly the best manager in the Premier League last season.
The former Feyenoord boss had no major signings during last summer's transfer window, yet he brought out the best from a cast of characters the opposition knew all too well. Slot has done a marvellous job at just tinkering with the squad without implementing any massive tactical changes.
Mohamed Salah seemed to carry this team at times, and he was at his best in part because Slot reduced his defensive workload, which maximised his attacking talents. We saw many Liverpool players take a giant leap this season under Slot's tutelage, such as Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones. Taking over from Jurgen Klopp must have felt like an impossible job, but Slot has not only shown he's up to the challenge but has the potential to best the German at Anfield long term.
Andrew Delaney, Reporter - Nuno Espirito Santo
© Imago
Even though Nottingham Forest may have missed out on the Champions League, getting the club back into Europe is a phenomenal achievement by Nuno, just one year on from keeping the club in the division amid financial trouble and points deductions.
It was always going to be a tough ask to hold onto a top-five spot with the likes of Man City, Chelsea and Newcastle breathing down their neck, so the achievement of getting the club Conference League football should still be noticed.
Joshua Ojele, Reporter - Arne Slot
© Imago
While questions were raised about Arne Slot having what it takes to fill the void left by fan-favourite Jurgen Klopp, the Dutchman has not only silenced critics but also stamped his name in Premier League history.
In his first season at the helm of affair, Slot guided the Reds to the PL title, a feat Klopp achieved just once in his nine-year stint, while also equalling Manchester United's record for league wins (20).
The Dutchman has taken several squad players up a notch, highlighting his effective coaching and man management (Ryan Gravenberch being a prime example) while also securing the futures of two key Liverpool players in Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk.
Ademola Adedeji, Reporter - Arne Slot
© Imago
Winning the Premier League in his first season is commendable, however, his ability to help the team transition seamlessly from the Klopp era to the current one is more impressive.
Anthony Brown, Reporter - Nuno Espirito Santo
© Imago
Arne Slot is probably the popular call, considering his title-winning year when many felt Liverpool's ceiling was a top-four/five finish.
However, this writer opts for Nottingham Forest's Nuno Espirito Santo, whose transformation of the Tricky Trees has seen the Portuguese manager elevate them from relegation strugglers to Conference League qualification, ergo returning to Europe after a 30-year absence.
Babatunde Kolawole, Reporter - Arne Slot
© Imago
Yes he had a solid team that challenged last season under Klopp, but to come in and immediately find a recipe for winning in a tough league is commendable.
Antony Nolan, Reporter - Arne Slot
© Imago
Nuno Espirito Santo did a remarkable job at Nottingham Forest despite slipping down the table on the final day, but Arne Slot just about takes the Manager of the Season title.
Succeeding a legendary figure like Jurgen Klopp is, on paper, an incredibly tough ask, but the former Feyenoord boss came in and, during a campaign that was expected to be a transitional period, won the league in his first year at Anfield.
Ben Knapton
