With the Premier League entering its 10th week of matches, the sack race is heating up. But which managers are on the hot seat?
Francesco Guidolin was the first managerial casualty of the season, as Swansea’s new owners decided they wanted to take the team in a new direction under Bob Bradley. Guidolin could count himself relatively unfortunate under the circumstances, but there are several other managers in the Premier League who have struggled mightily. Here’s a look at the four managers on the hottest seats as we enter Week 10.
Honorable Mention: Jose Mourinho
No self-respecting sack race would exclude the Special One. The gig may be up on Jose Mourinho. Maybe not the actual gig, but in the larger sense Mourinho’s antics and gamesmanship seem to have worn out. A club as willing to spend money as Manchester United have shown themselves to be would not hesitate to cut its losses sooner rather than later if the board felt like the club’s not headed in the right direction. After all, when you’re willing and able to spend $120 million on one individual player’s transfer fee (has anyone seen Paul Pogba lately, by the way?), shelling out another $30 million on Mourinho’s contract buyout is entirely plausible.
After last Sunday’s embarrassing loss to his former club, Chelsea, Mourinho’s seat has gotten a lot warmer. Obviously, the result itself was frustrating enough for the club, but it was also the manner in which they lost and the demeanor of the United coach that raised some serious concerns about Mourinho’s future with the club. The team lacked fight and inspiration on the field, with their manager looking defeated and uninspiring on the sideline.
An increasing number of reports continue to point to a very bumpy honeymoon period for Jose and United. The latest report intimates that Mourinho’s employing a very hands-off approach in training, leaving some of his players stunned.
Obvioulsy, when you spend $200 million on transfer fees and bring in a coach with Mourinho’s stature and ego, you need to allow for more than a two month adjustment period. Their next two fixtures in the Premier League feature games against Burnley and Swansea. Those are the kinds of games that Manchester United absolutely need to win, and win convincingly in order to get the pressure off the manager’s back. Any slip-up in any of these two games and the Special One will be moving up the sack race rankings.