Odds on the Next Premier League Manager to Be Sacked: A Closer Look at the Favorites
Let’s find out who will leave first.
With a new Premier League season, comes a plethora of elite players arriving for astronomically high transfer fees. A team that finished last year in the bottom half is most likely still in the bottom half, and the spectre of numerous managers losing their jobs.
Throughout the summer, there have been bench changes at five different clubs. For example, Enzo Marseca left newly promoted Leicester City to take Mauricio Pochettino's place at Chelsea, and Jürgen Klopp said goodbye to Liverpool.
This season, who will hit the eject button first?
Eddie Howe (Newcastle)
After Eddie Howe was named Newcastle's manager at the end of 2021, the former Bournemouth manager has done a fantastic job of leading the Magpies to new heights. After taking over midway through the season, he led the Magpies to 11th place in the 2021/22 league. In his first full season, they finished in the top four, qualified for the Champions League, and reached the League Cup final. Given the support Howe has received, there is undoubtedly pressure on him to perform well this year after they finished seventh in the previous campaign and crashed out of the Champions League in the group stages.
If things don't get better this year, expect to see Howe go as Newcastle's owners are looking to bring in a better manager to continue developing their project at St James' Park. They seem to be very ambitious about it.
Eric Ten Hag (Man United)
Manchester United finished in eighth place in the Premier League last season despite their dismal play, but they did manage to qualify for Europe by winning the FA Cup. This meant that they had won a trophy in each of the two years that Ten Hag has been manager, with their victory over Man City in May being the only thing that kept him in the job following their dismal 2023–24 campaign. And the Community Shield clash was almost in the bag, but the penalty shootout is kinda like a lottery. As always.
Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee, two highly promising youth prospects that United signed well this summer, have increased the pressure on ETH given their spending since his arrival. Ten Hag is expected to need United to make it into the Champions League in order to avoid being cut, though it's unclear if they'll be able to do so considering the caliber of teams they'll be up against.
Espírito Santo (Nottingham Forest)
After being brought in just before Christmas, Espírito Santo did what was required of him last year, leading Forest to safety. Even though they only managed to win six games the rest of the season, their performance along with the draws they were able to secure kept the Reds in the division. Since joining the Premier League in 2022–2023 Forest has made significant spending commitments, bringing in as many as thirty players in an attempt to cement their place as a Premier League team going forward.
Because of this, their owners will undoubtedly be hoping for them to finish in the middle of the table this season rather than facing relegation like they have the last two years. Expect Forest to fire Espírito Santo and bring in a replacement more qualified to fulfill their lofty goals if they have a poor start to the season and appear to be headed for relegation once more.
Steve Cooper (Leicester City)
After Chelsea signed former manager Enzo Maresca, the former Forest boss was already facing challenges before the season began. Steve Cooper was appointed manager of Leicester over the summer. The Foxes appear destined for a points deduction in the near future, which will severely damage their chances of surviving in the long run. Leicester has not yet replaced either of the two players they lost this summer — captain Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Kelechi Iheanacho — due to their financial circumstances. After being promoted last season, Leicester will be hoping to stay in the Premier League this season, which may be beyond Cooper's capabilities.
With the team and resources he had at his disposal at Forest, it's reasonable to argue he should've performed better than he did. Cooper was ultimately fired in December 2023 following a run of disappointing performances. The likelihood that Leicester will replace Cooper if things don't go as planned seems plausible because he won't have nearly the same level of financial support this time around.
Russell Martin (Southampton)
Paul Heckingbottom of Sheffield United was the first manager fired last season, and we predict that history will repeat itself in 2024–2025 when a newly promoted team wearing red and white stripes panics following a dismal start to the season.
Although Russell Martin was given a new contract over the summer, the jump to the Premier league is probably too much for the former MK Dons and Swansea manager, even though he led Southampton to victory in the play-offs. The Saints' team should have been much closer to automatic promotion from the Championship.
The Saints fan base is very supportive of the former Swansea manager, but this will be a true litmus test for him.
Sean Dyche (Everton)
The circumstances surrounding Sean Dyche at Everton are representative of a tenure full of difficulties on and off the field. Ever since taking over, Dyche has worked to instill tenacity and a spirit of determination among the team members.
Nevertheless, these expectations are radically at odds with Everton's actual performances and outcomes. The Toffees' current situation, which included problems with FFP, tells that Dyche is a real target and could become a job applicant in the near future.
Arteta’s job “secured”, Pep "closer to leaving than staying"
As the head coach of Arsenal, Mikel Arteta has a clear vision: he wants to win the Premier League. He hopes to accomplish it as head coach because it is a regrettable accomplishment he was unable to have as an Arsenal player and captain. He came agonizingly close to doing so two last seasons, but it will only fuel his desire to defeat Man City and win the title the following year. Arsenal naturally wanted to secure his long-term future before the 2024–2025 season started, and triumphed. By doing this, you can make sure that everyone is in agreement and reduce any worries about Arteta's future at the conclusion of the next season.
And what about Pep? With his contract at the Etihad set to expire at the end of the current campaign, Guardiola's future at the club is currently shrouded in uncertainty. Although there have been hints that the Catalan could stay in Manchester past his ninth season, Guardiola stated in May that he is "closer to leaving than staying."
Michael Owen talked about Pep's future: "It's almost as if City are not gonna be really in the race after 10 games, then their priority could shift elsewhere – I think there could be a big surprise this season. I'm going to go for Arsenal first, Liverpool second, Aston Villa third and Manchester City fourth. "I think City will either win it or they'll drop away a few places and probably miraculously win the last 10 games to reach Champions League football next season or something strange like that."
Take note, because anyone can become the new Bayern coach after being sacked. Kompany is in danger, just like a season ago when he was fired from relegated Burnley.
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