It isn’t the kindest thing to speculate on, but that doesn’t stop fans and pundits in England talking about the Premier League ‘Sack Race’ and which manager will be the next for the chop.
So I’ll join in!
The pressure on top flight managers is huge and, seven games in (six for some teams) two bosses have already been potted. After the sacking of Thomas Tuchel by Chelsea’s new owners, Graham Potter has the task of moulding the group of players into a team of winners. He hasn’t yet got his feet under the table but Potter takes over a team in seventh place with ten points.
It’s not a dreadful return but, at the start of the campaign, the Premier League 2022 betting odds backed the Blues for a top three finish, and already it looks like they have a tough fight on their hands to make it to the top four.
Scott Parker was sacked by Bournemouth after a 9-0 thumping at the hands of Liverpool and that after just four games! Interim head coach Gary O-Neil has guided the Cherries to two draws and a win and he is in the running for the job permanently, with former Burnley boss Sean Dyche also highly fancied.
There are a few other managers sitting rather uncomfortably at the moment so let’s take a look at a few.
Brendan Rodgers: Leicester City
Bottom of the league table with just a single point is not where Leicester City fans expected to be after seven games and the Foxes are already five points from safety. They have lost their last two games by big margins, 5-2 away to Brighton and 6-2 at Tottenham Hotspur. There was no doubt that Antonio Conte’s Spurs could smell blood when they met the Foxes last week and they simply ripped them apart.
Rodgers is one of the most highly respected and highly paid managers in the top flight, so the cash strapped club may find it difficult to pay him off and he may be given some time to turn things around.
But a quick look at the latest Premier League 2022 news won’t do Rodgers any favours. Leicester are now at odds of 2.85 to be relegated and that makes them the uncomfortable third favourites to take the drop, after new boys Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest, both priced at 1.50 here at SBOTOP.
Frank Lampard: Everton
Everton are fourth favourites to go down and after the Toffees had a miraculous escape last term that’s not exactly the position the owners would expect to be in. Last week Lampard celebrated as if Everton had just won the Premier League, when they scraped past a hopelessly out of form West Ham to earn their first win of the campaign. The victory took them up to 13th and three points clear of the drop zone but, with their next two fixtures against Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, three points is not a big cushion… particularly as two of the bottom three places are occupied by Leicester and West Ham, two teams with plenty of talent.
The loss of Brazilian striker Richarlison to Tottenham has left the Toffees short of firepower and genuine class up front, but the recruitment of James Tarkowski and Conor Coady at the back has made Everton harder to beat.
But Lampard needs more wins as surely he will not be allowed another relegation battle.
Ralph Hasenhuttl: Southampton
He’s kept Southampton in the top flight without spending much but the amiable Hassenhutl has become one of the favourites to leave early in the campaign. There has been a big turnover at the club and the Austrian boos has a young set of players, and there was some optimism after comeback wins against Leicester and Chelsea. But defeats to Wolves and Aston Villa have left the Saints 14th in the table with seven points from seven, and behind their south coast neighbours and relegation favourites Bournemouth.
Hassenhutl is a popular figure in Southampton but his team’s habit of going on long losing runs could cost him.
So who else is under pressure? Well, looking at the league table you’d have to say Steven Gerrard will want his team Aston Villa to improve on their 15th placed position and pretty quickly, while West Ham boss David Moyes is not a happy chap at the moment.
After establishing the Hammers as a top half team and with consecutive European campaigns, he finds himself in 18th place. West Ham are at odds of 14.00 to go down and still backed to make a top half finish and I’d say Moyes has plenty of credit in his favour.
Steve Cooper at Nottingham Forest looks more vulnerable. On their return to the top flight Forest have spent hugely in a gamble to stay up but, while newcomer cubs generally make a bright start, Coopers’ honeymoon was painfully short. Forest picked up four points from three games including a draw against toothless Everton and a very lucky win over West Ham, but they have lost their last four league games, conceding 14 goals.
I can’t see them improving on their 19th position.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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