Football management is a precarious role and coaches know what to expect when they take on a job.
The lifespan of a boss in the game we all love is short and players in the Premier League’s top flight in particular are under pressure that normal people cannot comprehend.
Four coaches have already lost their jobs this season after Nuno Espirito Santo was sacked by Nottingham Forest ahead of Graham Potter’s turn at West Ham.
Forest president Evangelos Marinakis used his trigger finger again as he dismissed Ange Postecoglou in near-record time and Vitor Pereira recently lost his job at Wolves despite having only signed an extension this year.
Ange Postecoglou locked lips during an interview with TNT Sports after Nottingham Forest lost 3-2 to FC Midtjylland
There were only 10 games on the Premier League calendar domestically this season, but other bosses are always nervous about the prospect of suffering the same fate.
And we at FootballBlog have taken a closer look at five coaches who are under scrutiny in the top flight this season as the ‘bag season’ arrives.
Premier League managers are under greatest pressure
According to the GuardianNovember is a key month for sacking managers, while December is also a crucial time of the season throughout history when it comes to managerial changes.
They report: “In eight of the 31 Premier League seasons, there has not been a single dismissal until November 21. Many clubs are waiting until the international break to make changes so they can field their replacements during the two-week domestic break in league fixtures.
“It’s a logical decision but something that is relatively recent. Before last season, only nine managers were sacked during the first international break of the season.
“Instead, redundancies are popping up at different times. In the 2019-20 season, five managers were sacked in a five-week period from mid-November to the end of December; in 2016-17, three clubs made changes over the Christmas period; roll back the calendar to 2001-02 and struggling Leicester, Derby and Southampton all made changes in a three-week period in October after a slow start to the season.”
Of course, we’ve only just reached the beginning of November and that coincides with recent history and managers losing their jobs.
There are currently five bosses at risk…
Daniel Farke – Leeds United
Leeds United were promoted from the EFL Championship this season after winning the league by 100 points.
It has been an excellent campaign for Germany boss Farke, but his side have not started the season particularly well at the time of writing.
The Whites are in 16th place after matchday 10 and have won just three games from their opening matches.
Not exactly the worst start to a term for the club, as history suggests, but Farke has had his critics.
Fans have taken to social media to complain about their head coach and while that isn’t always a problem, it is often an indicator of what supporters are really thinking and can provide guidance to the boardroom if they decide to heed it.
Leeds were completely outclassed by Brighton on Saturday afternoon and it didn’t look like the Seagulls would be in major trouble.
That will have to change under Farke.
Scott Parker – Burnley
Burnley, another promoted side from the Championship, pushed Leeds to the final day and also ended their year on 100 points.
Only goal difference prevented Parker’s team from lifting the trophy and the 45-year-old manager received all the rightful compliments for a successful season.
Fast forward a few months and the Clarets are struggling in 17th place and are just three points above the relegation zone, ahead of West Ham, who have already replaced a manager.
Burnley have averaged one point per game in the league this season and Parker has them playing demonstrably inventive and fast football.
The issue is and always has been to translate that into things he knows he needs to do to keep the hierarchy off his back.
Eddie Howe – Newcastle United
Newcastle have invested heavily in the squad under Eddie Howe and he has repaid them with consistent European football in recent seasons.
The Magpies have finished seventh and fifth in the last two seasons and are currently in the Champions League, having won two of their first three games in the league stage.
Domestically, however, they are thirteenth with just three wins and three draws out of ten, which by their own standards is a poor return for what they have spent.
Some £240 million was spent this summer, but the results were sometimes poor. So it begs the question: is Howe under pressure at the moment?
You would be naive if you thought the answer was no.
Yes, firing the Englishman at this point might seem harsh and would also make him a victim of his own successes.
But 13th place for Newcastle cannot be considered good enough at the moment and Howe will need to improve results at St James’ Park and away from home to turn the tide.
Otherwise he could get into trouble.
Ruben Amorim – Manchester United
Amorim has already been fired from Manchester United this season.
But we guess that comes with the territory at Old Trafford.
The Portuguese coach hasn’t had any problems in the past year and a half, but it’s arguable that last season was about finding the players he thought he could work with and clearing away some dead wood.
Last season’s results were terrible and at times they have been just as bad this season, with the Red Devils currently sitting eighth in the Premier League.
Three wins and a draw in the last four – including a stunning win over rivals Liverpool at Anfield – have shown consistency, but he needs to show more if United are to top the league.
Amorim also needs to win more games to keep the sack calls at bay and the fans out of the game.
Arne Slot-Liverpool
Liverpool’s form in this campaign has been chaotic in recent weeks and that has led to a number of problems.
Mo Salah scored against Aston Villa, but the Egyptian has been out of trouble at Anfield this season as his statistics have fallen short on all counts compared to recent years.
Alexander Isak hasn’t done the job since arriving for mega-money and Slot has had defensive problems, including conceding too many goals from set-pieces.
Liverpool won the title last season, but have shown no rival form with five defeats in their last eight games. They are third in the table and seven points behind Arsenal, who show no signs of slowing down.
Slot has been seriously questioned by fans and pundits and he will be desperate that their 2-0 win over Villa will be enough to turn the tide.
Liverpool don’t often fire managers, as we have seen in recent years. But if you fall too far behind too early and are also struggling in the Champions League – currently 10th in the league stage – the boss will have to make excuses and hope they stick.
#EPL #managers #pressure #layoff #season #looms