Podcast Summary: The Athletic FC Podcast

Episode: Who are the Premier League's most powerful figures?

Date: March 24, 2026
Host: Ayo Akinwolere
Guests: Matt Slater, Carl Anker

Overview

This episode delves into the question: who truly holds the power in the Premier League? Is it the players, managers, sporting directors, or the owners? Host Ayo Akinwolere, with Matt Slater and Carl Anker, dissect the evolving landscape of influence in the league. Drawing on both historical context and present-day dynamics, they explore how roles have shifted, where true authority now lies, and how these shifts impact club success and stability.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Evolution of Power in the Premier League

[01:22 – 04:10]

• Growth of Influence: While influential individuals have always existed, the Premier League's increasing global stage amplifies their prominence.
• From Manager to Multilevel Leadership:
  • In early Premier League days, the manager did four or five jobs; now, those duties are compartmentalized among sporting directors, technical directors, and more.
  • Carl Anker: “Manchester United right now hire more people in charge of their academy than they had across their entire club in their treble winning season.” [03:22]

2. The Role and Impact of Players

[04:21 – 11:55]

• Players as Short-Term Influencers:

  • Star players can be pivotal, especially in a single season, but rarely shape a club's long-term trajectory.
  • Comparisons with Messi and Ronaldo, noting few approach such transformative importance.
  • Player departures are often overcome; clubs adapt, new favorites emerge.
  • Carl Anker: “Ronaldo's a really interesting figure in that his impact...are mostly in terms of socials and the online metrics…he's not so much a football player as he is a...phenomenon.” [06:36]
  • Matt Slater: “None of those people are players. None. Not one. They're not really in the debate [for most influential].” [04:54]

• Medium and Long-Term Decisions:

  • Impactful decisions about stadiums, finances, or club direction surpass what players can influence.

3. The Shifting Influence of Managers

[14:53 – 26:33]

• Managerial Power: Then and Now:

  • Few managers today wield Sir Alex Ferguson-level control; the “manager as king” era is waning.
  • Modern managers often frustrated by limited powers, especially in recruitment.

• Maresca and Amarin Case Studies:

  • Tensions arise when head coaches want more say; sporting directors and execs hold key decision-making roles.
  • Carl Anker: “If you look at the first ten years of the Premier League...managers had a longevity that just does not exist anymore.” [15:34]
  • Managers' job security is increasingly precarious due to financial stakes and heightened expectations.

• Structural Changes:

  • Managers now focus more on team affairs; overarching strategies and club identities shift to directors/executives.
  • Communication becomes a larger part of the manager's public role.
  • Matt Slater: “So much of the manager’s job is communication…at times it is as simple as ‘Why did you lose that game?’ to ‘You haven’t paid the wages last month.’” [19:14]

Notable Quotes:

• Matt Slater on the myth of managerial impact:
  "Sir Alex Ferguson is an outlier...plus eight points on his wage bill... Pep Guardiola, Arteta right now at about plus four. Managers don’t really move the needle that much." [27:46]
• Arteta as Exception:
  • Arteta's promotion from ‘Head Coach’ to ‘Manager’ at Arsenal illustrates rare modern instances where a coach accrues greater influence after success. [24:19]

4. Sporting Directors: The UK “Teething Process”

[30:40 – 39:26]

• Theory vs. Practice:

  • The sporting director model is promising but inconsistently executed in England.
  • Their primary perception remains recruitment-focused, unlike continental clubs where their remit is broader.

• Success Rate & Transferability:

  • Good sporting directors in one league may flounder elsewhere due to contextual differences and the importance of networks.
  • Carl Anker: "The hit rate on getting a good sporting director is really, really hard...it's not necessarily as transferable as the same way a good football manager is." [37:28]

• Case Studies & Examples:

  • Monchi (Sevilla vs. Roma, and Aston Villa), Edwards (Liverpool), Dan Ashworth (FA, Newcastle, Manchester United).
  • Tension and incompatibility between managers and directors often lead to instability.
  • Matt Slater: "Has one really delivered to the point where I think they are the most important person at a British club?...I don't think so. Not yet." [32:57]

5. Owners as Ultimate Power Brokers

[41:21 – 47:29]

• Financial Realities:

  • Most clubs are loss-making businesses; owners’ willingness to fund shortfalls determines survival and ambition.
  • Ownership's appetite for risk, vision (or lack thereof) directly sets the club's trajectory.
  • Matt Slater: “Most of the time at most clubs, the most important person is the owner…if that stops, the club’s got an immediate short-term problem.” [41:43]
  • Types of Owners/Executives:
    • Some clubs are significantly shaped by the owner (or their direct executive). E.g., Daniel Levy at Spurs.
    • For “aspirational clubs,” the owner’s investment and strategic vision are paramount.

• Case Example: Manchester United:

  • Carl Anker’s “Power Timeline” Model:
    • Short-term: star player (Bruno Fernandes)
    • Medium-term: sporting director (Jason Wilcox)
    • Long-term: owner/investor (Sir Jim Ratcliffe)
  • Carl Anker: “Tactics is Bruno Fernandes, strategy is Wilcox, and logistics is Sir Jim Ratcliffe, or indeed the person Sir Jim deigns to put in charge.” [44:51]

• Risks of Over-centralization:

  • Clubs that hand total power to a manager (e.g., Klopp at Liverpool, Emery at Aston Villa) risk major upheavals upon eventual departure.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Time | Quote | Speaker | |----------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------| | 03:22 | “Manchester United right now hire more people in charge of their academy than they had across their entire club in their treble winning season.” | Carl Anker | | 04:54 | “None of those people are players. None. Not one. They're not really in the debate [for most influential].” | Matt Slater | | 06:36 | “Ronaldo's... impact in the last five to six years... are mostly in terms of socials and the online metrics... a phenomenon.” | Carl Anker | | 15:34 | “If you look at the first ten years of the Premier League...managers had a longevity that just does not exist anymore.” | Carl Anker | | 19:14 | “So much of the manager’s job is communication…at times it is as simple as ‘Why did you lose that game?’ to ‘You haven’t paid the wages last month.’”| Matt Slater | | 27:46 | “Sir Alex Ferguson is an outlier...plus eight points on his wage bill... Pep Guardiola, Arteta right now at about plus four. Managers don’t really move the needle that much.” | Matt Slater | | 37:28 | "The hit rate on getting a good sporting director is really, really hard...it's not necessarily as transferable as the same way a good football manager is." | Carl Anker | | 41:43 | “Most of the time at most clubs, the most important person is the owner…if that stops, the club’s got an immediate short-term problem.” | Matt Slater | | 44:51 | “Tactics is Bruno Fernandes, strategy is Wilcox, and logistics is Sir Jim Ratcliffe, or indeed the person Sir Jim deigns to put in charge.” | Carl Anker |

Key Timestamps

• 01:22 – 04:10 | Framing the debate: Has individual influence grown along with the league?
• 04:21 – 11:55 | Players’ influence: short-term impacts, star power, case studies.
• 14:53 – 26:33 | Managers: old vs. new powers, specific club examples (Amorin, Maresca, Arteta).
• 30:40 – 39:26 | Sporting directors: theory, practice, case studies (Edwards, Ashworth, Monchi).
• 41:21 – 47:29 | Owners and club custodians: financial power, examples (Man United, Spurs).
• 44:51 – 47:29 | Composite model of influence at clubs; rationale for divided power.

Conclusion

The episode compellingly unpacks the myriad layers of influence in modern Premier League clubs. While star players still captivate fans and managers remain in the public eye, the real long-term power rests increasingly with well-resourced owners and, to a lesser but growing extent, sporting directors. Yet, English football is still finding its footing with the sporting director model. The fundamental argument: true power and enduring influence in football are less about an individual and more about the structures—and people—who steer clubs over the long arc of seasons and decades.

For further exploration, Matt and Carl drop several book recommendations, including "Soccernomics" and “How to Win the Premier League,” for those interested in data, recruitment, and management in modern football.