Because the 2024/25 Premier League season enters crunch time, the stakes are getting increased for the golf equipment and managers alike.
One of many strangest campaigns since Leicester Metropolis’s iconic triumph in 2015/16 has already seen six managers lose their jobs.
Regardless of lifting home cup trophies in back-to-back seasons, Erik ten Hag was the primary to go as Manchester United sacked him in October.
Lower than a month later, the Foxes reduce Steve Cooper unfastened after an underwhelming begin to their comeback top-flight season.
December was the scourge of Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Gary O’Neil and Southamptons’ Russell Martin.
West Ham United relieved Julen Lopetegui of his duties towards the top of the final calendar yr after solely six months.
Sean Dyche grew to become the most recent managerial casualty in January, doubling the full variety of dismissals in comparison with your complete 2023/24 marketing campaign.
Nevertheless, with the season nearing its conclusion, some managers could also be beginning to really feel the warmth, prompting betting websites to replace their odds on who could be subsequent.
Van Nistelrooy on the brink
Leicester’s hopes of turning their fortunes round by dismissing Cooper proved nothing greater than wishful pondering.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, who picked up the mantle in November, noticed off West Ham 3-1 on his touchline debut, giving the Midlands devoted false hope.
All the pieces since has been doom and gloom for the Foxes as they entered March’s worldwide break 9 factors adrift of security, with solely 9 video games left.
A 3-0 residence defeat to Man Utd on the stroke of the two-week hiatus from membership soccer condemned Van Nistelrooy’s costs to a seventh consecutive league loss with out a reply.
After making an undesirable Premier League historical past, the Dutch legend seems to be set for an early exit, with the bookies contemplating him the front-runner on this ignominious race.
All eggs in a single basket for Ange
Caught ten factors behind Tenth-placed Bournemouth, Tottenham Hotspur will in all probability should accept a primary end outdoors the highest ten in 17 years.
Until we witness a once-in-a-lifetime miracle, Spurs will end outdoors the European spots, with the stress on Ange Postecoglou reaching new heights.
With only a handful of video games remaining, Tottenham’s solely likelihood of salvaging their season is to carry residence their first piece of silverware since 2008.
That’s additionally the one likelihood for Postecoglou to avoid wasting his job because the Londoners pursue Europa League glory, having arrange a quarter-final tie towards Eintracht Frankfurt.
Ivan the ‘Horrible’
Like Leicester, Southampton had hoped to discover a approach out of a dire begin on their top-flight return by altering faces within the dugout, solely to face an utter disappointment.
Nevertheless, the Saints have set one foot within the Championship, trailing Seventeenth-placed Wolves by a whopping 17 factors amid one of many worst seasons in Premier League historical past.
Ivan Juric, introduced in to avoid wasting the membership from a sure doom, will doubtless wave goodbye to St Marry’s in June regardless of penning a year-and-a-half contract in December.
Juric’s contract on the south coast features a summer season break clause, making him among the many hottest Premier League managers to go away subsequent.
From dream to nightmare
When Man United introduced Ruben Amorim’s appointment on the eve of November’s worldwide break, the devastated membership supporters have been stuffed with renewed hope.
The extremely anticipated arrival of the highly-rated Portuguese supervisor was meant to sign a recent begin, a brand new chapter after greater than a decade of turmoil.
Nevertheless, what ought to have been a dream has rapidly become a nightmare, with the 40-year-old failing to regular the ship after discovering wreckage in Ten Hag’s wake.
Regardless of dealing with a primary bottom-half end within the Premier League, the Pink Devils will doubtless follow Amorim and supply him with vital monetary backing in the summertime switch window.
However that doesn’t change the actual fact he hasn’t been the ‘Lightbringer’ many Man Utd followers had hoped him to be.
Italian job might nonetheless go incorrect
Final however not least, Enzo Maresca completes this unenviable top-five checklist.
Chelsea had been a part of the title conversations in December earlier than a dreadful run of 4 victories from 13 league outings compromised even their top-four hopes.
A gut-wrenching 1-0 defeat to bitter rivals Arsenal final weekend ramped up the stress on the Italian supervisor, despite the fact that the Blues completed the spherical in fourth, a degree away from Manchester Metropolis.
Whereas issues haven’t gone easily for the London powerhouse within the Premier League these previous few months, they’re within the driver’s seat to overcome the Europa Convention League.
Lifting Europe’s third-tier title would hardly be any comfort ought to the Pensioners miss out on a top-four league end for the third season on the trot.