Crystal Palace, Hull and Swansea have all had different levels of success since changing their managers. Palace’s decision to appoint Sam Allardyce is looking unwise, while Swansea and Hull are proving half the football ‘pundits’ wrong with their moves to bring in Paul Clement and Marco Silva respectively.
The bottom clubs have shown a willingness to chop and change bosses when required this season, with Bob Bradley, Francesco Guidolin, Mike Phelan and Alan Pardew already having been handed their P45s. Change could be coming elsewhere in the table, mind, here are three managers who saw their job’s come under greater threat this weekend…
Claudio Ranieri
It is almost beyond belief, but Leicester’s league winning manager is the favourite to be sacked at 7/4.
The Foxes have slumped to only a point above the relegation zone and lost four straight in the league. Their latest 3-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester United will have hurt, but it is the sloppiness of their recent performances that is the gravest concern. Open defensively and without any sign of creativity in the final third, their heroes of last season now look short of the quality to compete at this level.
Although it seems unthinkable to many, Ranieri’s job is under threat. Relegation might be a price that fans are willing to pay for the success of last season, but it is one all too dear for the owners.
Sam Allardyce
Okay, Big Sam has only just been appointed by Crystal Palace, but this is not impossible. After the humiliation of their defeat to Sunderland at home, the Eagles are only goal difference away from falling to the bottom of the table. Allardyce has not had the impact that many expected, nor does he seem to be taking the team forwards.
A midweek victory over Bournemouth made a false dawn for Palace. While it looked as though they had turned an important corner, defeat to the league’s bottom team so emphatically undermines all of that.
He remains at odds as long as 12/1 to be the next manager sacked and, while replacements are limited, that presents good value considering Palace’s dire performance this weekend.
Claude Puel
Reaching the EFL Cup final means that Puel remains in credit with Southampton. However, he has slipped to third favourite to be the next Premier League manager sacked at 8/1.
Three points taken from their last 21 available in the Premier League and a limp FA Cup exit have contributed to this. Puel saw his Saints swept aside by West Ham this weekend, as the losses of Jose Fonte and Virgil van Dijk continue to hit the team hard defensively.
Relegation is yet to creep into the peripheral vision of Southampton and Puel, but a cup final defeat and a continuation of this form and he will quickly be under serious pressure.
