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Erik ten Hag has won the Premier League sack race by being sacked from Manchester United before the calendar even turns to November, but once the first manager falls, eyes turn to who will follow. As the relegation picture in the league becomes clearer, the manager’s chairs are starting to get hot, but there is one who has no need to worry at the bottom of the table: Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna.
The Tractor Boys are 18th, just two points off safety after and following three consecutive defeats, but they have been quite competitive despite allowing twenty goals in the league and yet to win. With a squad not fit for life in the Premier League and having given Mckenna a new contract ahead of the season, even if Ipswich go down he will likely be the man at the helm.
The same might not be said about other managers on this list, so let’s take a look at who in the Premier League could be worried about the future:
Probably safe: Eddie Howe, Newcastle United
After coming under new ownership, ambitions were high for Newcastle United, with a lot of money wasted and the club qualifying for the Champions League. But then they disappointed, crashing out in the group stage last season and also failing to finish in the top four for consecutive seasons. After another slow start, the Magpies have already dropped to twelfth place. They may be six points behind Aston Villa in fourth place, but passing that many teams is easier said than done.
With the injuries and suspensions Newcastle are dealing with, there is a chance that a move won’t be made for Howe until the end of the season, but a goal will be scored per game despite strong forwards Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak . something has to change. If this doesn’t happen soon, it looks like Newcastle will miss out on Europe again, which could lead to change.
Concerns are growing: Oliver Glasner, Crystal Palace
No manager had a bigger new managerial bump than Oliver Glasner who took over from Roy Hodgson last season, but without Michael Olise and with more game tape on Palace’s available to other teams, the goals have dried up as they were conceived. Jean-Phillipe Mateta and Eddie Nketiah struggled to take charge and everything seemed disjointed. Had he not beaten Tottenham to get out of the relegation zone, Glasner might have been higher on this list, but staying out of the bottom three might give him enough time to get the attack going.
If a team makes the move to Eberechi Eze in January, it could be the final straw that sends Crystal Palace into a relegation spiral from which they cannot escape.
We’re buzzing: Gary O’Neil, Wolverhampton Wanderers
Gary O’Neil took over Wolves last season and was quite impressive in securing a 14th place finish, just three points off finishing in the top half. That’s all gone now. Pedro Neto has left for Chelsea, the midfield has disintegrated and no team has allowed more goals than Wolves’ 25. Not much is going right in the nine games of the season, Wolves are without a single win and their next two games will be critical. Facing Crystal Palace and Southampton, losing either could be the final straw as ground is lost to other teams looking to avoid relegation.
The floor is made of lava: Russell Martin, Southampton
In some ways it is surprising that Russell Martin has not yet been let go by Southampton after picking up just one point in nine games. The Saints have scored six goals in the league while allowing nineteen goals for the second-worst goal difference at minus-13, and there are no signs of improvement. No matter what combinations of attackers Southampton try, they can’t seem to find the net and scoring is the most important thing to avoid a fall. It won’t be long before five points can rise to ten, and from that point on, securing safety will become quite unlikely.
Dark horse candidate: Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham
Tottenham are not allowed to acquire Ange Postecoglou. But they also sit eighth in the Premier League despite having the third best goal difference in the league and beating teams 4-1 or losing 1-0 with no in between. Consistency is what is lacking at Ange-ball, but working with Dominic Solanke while Heung-min Son is missing for part of the season will lead to that. The defense needs to improve and this team needs to fight for a place in the Champions League, but there are several routes to that.
With nine points from nine in Europa League play so far, that’s going to plan, but if that spirals without improving league play, the pressure could prove too much. The pressure on him is high. How patient will Spurs be if that consistency isn’t met?