There are plenty of constants in football. In fact, it could be argued that the only major surprise in the Premier League of the last decade is Leicester City somehow winning England’s top prize despite starting as 5,000/1 outsiders. We’d long been promised that Liverpool would eventually win the Premier League, after all, although it’s debatable whether anybody expected the Reds to take three decades to claim another title.
One of the more dynamic and polarising constants in modern football is the revolving door of managerial roles. At its most extreme, 53 positions were vacated throughout English football in 2001/2002, while 2015/16 saw 34 resignations or sackings between June and December, including Liverpool’s ex-coach Brendan Rodgers, Jose Mourinho, formerly of Chelsea, and erstwhile Sunderland manager Dick Advocaat.
The passage of time has tempered football’s fragile patience with the men in charge but the annual ‘sack race’ continues regardless. So, as the Premier League begins its 30th season, let’s take a look at the managers who have already been tipped by the bookmakers to lose their jobs. Spoiler alert: it’s unlikely to be Pep Guardiola (Manchester City), Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool), Brendan Rodgers (Leicester), or Leeds’ Marcelo Bielsa.
1. Xisco Munoz, Watford
There are some managerial positions that are tailor-made for the likes of Steve Bruce, Sam Allardyce, and Neil Warnock, people who have a knack for staving off relegation. Xisco Munoz is unproven at the top level and Watford are evens for relegation, which is a risky combination if we’ve ever seen one. Watford got rid of four managers in one season the last time they faced a fight against the drop.
2. Patrick Viera, Crystal Palace
Palace are 63/50 for the drop at Space Casino and while Viera does have some notable managerial credentials, including MLS’ New York City FC and OGC Nice from France’s Ligue 1, he’s still a bit of an unknown quantity in a position more suited to a grizzled veteran. Sadly, Palace’s best chance of survival may have been former coach Roy Hodgson, who is on a managerial hiatus.
3. Steve Bruce, Newcastle United
At the end of March 2021, the Telegraph claimed that almost every Newcastle United fan wanted Bruce shown the door. However, the journeyman manager managed to avoid the axe despite his own players’ belief that he’d been sacked after a 0-3 loss to Brighton just a few days prior. Bruce is a bit of a wildcard. The club is not exactly known for listening to the fans and the board may choose to validate their earlier decision by sticking with him.
4. Rafa Benitez, Everton
While it might seem like an odd choice for this list, Benitez is not popular with the Everton faithful for a large number of reasons just over the A59. The ex-Liverpool coach has endured protests from fans since his appointment. With little done in the way of squad strengthening, Benitez is taking a team with no momentum into a battle for mid-table. Early results will be crucial if the Spaniard is to make it past Christmas.
