Premier League - Sack Race - Man United - Tottenham - Arsenal
Like an awful Halloween nightmare for some, the sack race is officially on. Not that it wasn’t since week one; however, as we inch closer and closer to Christmas and the January transfer window, clubs are beginning to show their cards, and for a few teams, replacing the gaffer will be their first order of business.
Today I’ll dive into who I believe are the most vulnerable managers currently in the Prem and who we might see replace them if they are booted. This also might provide some groundwork for anyone looking to make some bets on who gets sacked first and their potential replacement.
Let’s get into it.
Unai Emery – Arsenal
The most obvious answer is Unai Emery. The former Barca manager has never really found his groove at Arsenal, and as things are currently looking, he may be axed before he ever figures it out. Cries for Emery Out have become louder and louder in previous weeks.
The loss to Sheffield United and the home draw to Crystal Palace really ratcheted up the criticism. If that wasn’t bad enough, things boiled over with Gunner’s captain Granit Xhaka after he was booed off the field against Palace, prompting him to taunt the crowd back.
We’ve got everything in the making for a Emery to be sacked. He’s failed to get key points needed, Gunners are slipping down the table, and the locker room is falling apart. He’s loosing the fans, and a poor showing against Wolves on Saturday could be the end for Spanish manager.
Who Might Replace Him:
Jose Mourinho – You’ll see his name brought up a couple of times. He commented about the position last week, saying he would be open to considering the position. I couldn’t think of someone worse for Arsenal than Jose—completely different style that’s not fitting for the Gunners. Easy pass.
Patrick Vieira – The former Arsenal star player has now been tipped as the next manager for the club. He’s cut his managerial teeth by coaching both the New York City FC and Nice, but it remains a big question if he has what it takes to manager an enormous club like Arsenal.
Thierry Henry – The French Arsenal legend has reportedly made the shortlist for the Arsenal job. His time at Monaco was less than ideal, and I’m not sure if he’s ready for a job like this. He’s also been linked with taking over a MLS club, which would be better fitting for him right now. He still has much to learn about managing, and Arsenal would be foolish to give him the position at this moment.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer - Manchester United
Solskjaer has been knocking around the hallways of Old Trafford for decades now. Player, assistant manager, and now head gaffer—he’s done it all for the club. And, just as fate smiled on him to get the job, it might be ripped back from his fingers.
Solskjaer was never supposed to be the long-term manager. He was merely meant to be a stop gap before United could replace Jose long-term, but Solskjaer quickly got onto winning ways once taking over, giving him the chance to hold on to the position for the next season.
But here we are a year latter with United sitting in 7th place. Not even within Europa League qualification, and Ole Gunnar is getting hot under his collar. However, the one-all draw against Liverpool, followed up by 3-1 away win against Norwich bought Ole a bit of time, but if United are still outside 6th place come Christmas, Ole will be gone.
Who Might Replace Him:
Mauricio Pochettino – A man whose job is also in trouble has been linked to the United job since the start of the season. Poch has his own issues brewing in London, but nevertheless, he’s been linked with the United job for months now. If he doesn't go to United, we might see him leave the league. His likely next destination: Germany.
Brendan Rogers – The North Irishman is odds-on favorite to take the United job next but seems like a disastrous idea. If he would get the job, it would be is 6th Premier League team he’s managed. If Rogers is given the job, I seems unlikely Spurs will allow him to direct transfer moves in January.
Mauricio Pochettino – Tottenham
Spurs have flirted with the idea of sacking Poch for what feels like awhile now. Despite the success Poch brought the club early in his tenor, he has fallen on extremely hard time this season. Sitting in 11th place, Spurs haven’t been able to accumulate half the points Liverpool has in the first 10 weeks. Spurs are barely averaging a single point per match.
I do believe we are seeing the end times for Poch at Tottenham. Even a quick turnaround would likely still see Spurs outside the top 6. Spurs were remarkable to finish 3rd last year in one of the most competitive league finishes in recent times, yet failing to bring home any meaningful silverware makes the whole thing pretty pointless.
The rumor coming from Germany is Bayern are eyeing Poch to replace Niko Kovac in Munich. The previous Bundesliga Champions are currently sitting in 2nd place—a single point behind Monchengladbach. Poch has said within recent weeks that yes his job is under threat, but he isn’t losing any sleep over it. It that because he already has a job lined up?
Who Might Replace Him:
Gareth Southgate - The current England Nation Team manager had been linked with the job previously, and apparently, he still has his admirers within the club. Seems unlikely that the club would go after the current National Team manager, but we are certainly in a new era of the game and anything can happen.
Max Allegri - Within recent weeks, Allegri has come out as the likely frontrunner to replace Poch. Allergri is certainly on the move, but he’s also been tipped as the likely replacement at Man United and Chelsea as well. I think it’s very likely we see the Italian in the Prem by the New Year, but with what team, who knows.
A Race to the Bottom
There you have it: three Prem League managers who are going to have nightmares on this Halloween. A lot can happen still, but for the above mentioned managers, it would take a holiday miracle to turn their seasons around.
Unai Emery is losing the players and the fans. Solskjaer can't keep a massive club like United within top 6th, and Poch has Spurs playing like an absolute horror show right now. For me, these are the most vulnerable managers who might not have a job come Christmas.
I would love to here your thoughts in the comments below.