- New analysis has revealed which Premier League manager’s transfer ambitions have caused the most discussion and debate so far
- Based on social media reactions gathered from Twitter, Reddit, news articles and Facebook, the most talked-about manager so far is Erik ten Hag
- Meanwhile, the most controversial manager is David Moyes, as articles about his ambitions have the highest ratio of negative to positive reactions
- The West Ham manager has pleased in some aspects, however, with discussions around Youssef En-Nesyri boasting a 97% positivity rating
New research has revealed which managers’ ambitions during the transfer window have fans talking the most, and who fans are less keen to support, based on online reactions.
The analysis, from casino reviewer Bonusetu, collates engagement rates and sentiment reactions from Twitter, Reddit, Facebook and articles during the transfer window, to assign each Premier League manager a popularity score, as well as positivity/negativity ratio.
From the 1,000+ posts and 621,000+ Tweets made referencing EPL managers and the transfer window in January, most are about Manchester United’s Erik ten Hag (32%).
The former Dutch pro has made his four primary transfer targets public earlier this week, with reports stating he’d like to acquire Ajax’s Jurrien Timber, Kenneth Taylor and Devyne Rensch, and AZ’s Jesper Karlsson and PSV’s Joey Veerman before the window closes.
Fans seem most interested in midfielder Kenneth Taylor’s movements, as Google Trends data shows he’s received the most Google searches of the five Man Utd targets in January.
Generally speaking, ten Hag’s aspirations this year are backed by fans, with articles written about the manager this month garnering a 97% positivity to 3% negativity ratio so far.
However, he’s not the most supported manager this transfer window, with Leicester City’s Brendan Rodgers boasting a near-perfect 99% to 1% positivity-negativity ratio.
It’s worth mentioning that this doesn’t mean all of his fans are happy with his decisions or transfer aspirations – rather that they may be less keen to make their disagreement known online, versus the following behind other managers and teams.
Articles discussing the Northern Irish manager reveal he’s pursuing Florentina winger Nico Gonzalez, reportedly “refus[ing] to give up” in replacing loanee Ademola Lookman.
Gonzalez’ fans won’t be too keen to see him go if Leicester are able to leverage a deal, however, with articles mentioning him and the transfer primarily receiving sad reactions.
Despite rumours that Rodgers is losing fan support due to difficult fixtures on the horizon, player injuries and a drop in morale after the World Cup, it seems he’s not rustling too many figures when it comes to acquiring new talent for his team.
On the other end of the scale, the most divisive manager this transfer window is West Ham’s David Moyes, with articles mentioning his transfer ambitions holding a 41% negativity rating.
News surrounding the Scottish association football manager orients around his determination to hold onto Declan Rice, which fans approve of if the 96% positivity to 4% negativity reaction ratio is anything to go by.
Fans also appear to approve of Moyes’ ambitions to procure Moroccan striker Youssef En-Nesyri – so where are the divisive social media reactions coming from?
The articles with the most negative reactions cover Wolverhampton’s offer for Craig Dawson, who was notably absent from last Saturday’s match. It could be that fans are frustrated at the player’s lack of loyalty for his current side, rather than criticising Moyes.
However, Moyes’ evasion of why Dawson didn’t appear on the pitch could be irritating for fans who want clarification on the centre-back’s place at West Ham.
The analysis doesn’t take into account articles about other topics that could be impacting sentiment around the West Ham manager – such as calls to sack him if the Hammers lose to Everton – but they could well be affecting how far fans trust him generally.
Top 5 most-talked about managers in transfer window
- Erik ten Hag
- Mikel Arteta
- Graham Potter
- Pep Guardiola
- Jurgen Klopp
On the other end of the scale, managers that are flying mostly under the radar when it comes to transfer news so far are Bournemouth’s Gary O’Neill, Leeds United’s Jesse Marsch, and Southampton Nathan Jones.
Top 5 most-controversial managers in transfer window
- David Moyes (41% negativity rating)
- Frank Lampard (33% negativity rating)
- Jurgen Klopp (17% negativity rating)
- Unai Emery (12% negativity rating)
- Steve Cooper (10% negativity rating)
When it comes to what else is captivating fans’ attention during the transfer window, a look at related terms around Premier League transfers shows people are particularly interested in Barcelona winger Raphinha, who Mikel Arteta is hoping to snag.
Other dominating discussion topics came out as Bayer Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby, with Newcastle and Arsenal vying for the winger, and Napoli’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who Man City is currently ‘keeping tabs on’.
Speaking on the analysis, a Bonusetu spokesperson said: “The transfer window is always a tense time for fans who are keen to hold onto their star players and also acquire new talent – and this year even more so, as we’re fresh off the back of the World Cup.
“The pressure is on David Moyes to make solid decisions since he’s rumoured to be facing the sack after another loss, whilst Frank Lampard will also need to tread lightly when making ‘last roll of the dice’ decisions before the transfer window ends.”
Credit to bonusetu.com for post
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