In The Mixer: Who will be the first Premier League manager to go?
Sports Journalist at FST, Gareth qualified as a journalist after graduating from university and spent over a decade as a freelance broadcast journalist, commentator and tipster before joining FST. Now living in Manchester, he is a long suffering Bolton Wanderers fan who also enjoys boxing, the NBA, tennis and rugby league.
In The Mixer is FST’s weekly column where we catch up with our team of football betting experts and get their opinion on the hot topic of the week.
The return of the Premier League is just a few days away not the international break is nearly done and dusted, and we thought now would be a good time to ask our team of experts who they think will be the first top flight manager to leave their club.
Paul Heckingbottom was the first manager axed last season but it wasn’t until December that he was shown his marching orders by Sheffield United. In the season before, three managers had left their clubs before the end of September and one had gone before August was over and there are a few managers who look vulnerable in the early stages of the current campaign.
Erik ten Hag and Sean Dyche are the current joint favourites at 11/4 and both get honourable mentions from this week’s panel. However, the majority have gone for bigger price options with two managers getting two votes each.
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Struggling Saints could be tempted to change
Alex Hilton
While Erik ten Hag is unlikely to last the season, the Manchester United hierarchy will probably give him more time simply to save their own faces following their shambolic summer search for a new manager that resulted in them giving the Dutchman a new contract.
Sean Dyche would be in serious danger of the sack if there was anyone actually making any key decisions at Goodison Park, so I’ll plump for Russell Martin at Southampton, as I can’t see the Saints winning anytime soon and club bosses are sure to get fed up with too many more hammerings following three defeats from their opening three matches.
Aaron Rogan
Erik ten Hag and Sean Dyche look safe for the time being, with Manchester United and Everton unlikely to make any rash moves. Last season’s first sacking didn’t come until December, so there’s plenty of time for an outsider to hit a poor run.
While it’s harsh to dispense of managers who have just won promotion, Russell Martin stands out as the next manager to leave at 9/1. Southampton’s possession-heavy style has brought three defeats so far. The Saints are conceding too many chances and look toothless in attack.
Unless things drastically change for the Saints, they could get cut adrift at the bottom. A change in approach is needed and Martin seems committed to his style, making him a tempting shot.
O’Neil under pressure at Molineux?
Jamie Griffith
Erik ten Hag is the obvious pick, but Manchester United stood by him last term and may do so again.
Gary O’Neil has some credit in the bank at Molineux but his odds look big and any repeat of last month’s 6-2 thrashing at the hands of Chelsea could have the Wolves board looking elsewhere.
Wanderers were unimpressive against Nottingham Forest last time and a run of games against Newcastle, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Brentford, Manchester City and then Brighton is unlikely to yield many points and could result in some more routs, potentially leaving O’Neil vulnerable.
Tom McGarry
The speculation surrounding Erik ten Hag’s future at Manchester United continues to dominate the headlines and that means there is value to be had looking further down the betting for the first managerial casualty of the season.
One name that jumps out is Gary O’Neil at Wolves. After a difficult summer that saw key players Max Kilman and Pedro Neto depart, Wolves have taken one point from their opening three games and will face Newcastle, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Manchester City before the end of October.
Poor form has been a problem for O’Neil for some time – Wolves ended last season by winning just once in ten matches – a change in manager could, therefore, be in the offing at Molineux.
Support for the favourites and a 22/1 outsider
Henry Hardwicke
It’s easy to see why Erik ten Hag and Sean Dyche are the market leaders, but Manchester United have hardly been known for making sensible decisions in recent years and Everton may lack the funds to replace Dyche.
Tottenham host Arsenal in the north London derby at the weekend and I think the pressure on Ange Postecoglou could ramp up should Spurs lose to their rivals.
Free-flowing and attacking football is usually a recipe to get Spurs supporters onside, but the Tottenham faithful have become expectant of Champions League football in recent years and Postecoglou’s men looked a long way off top-four level when losing at Newcastle before the international break.
The 22/1 on offer about the Aussie being the first manager out looks a little too big.
Will Maxwell
While I do believe that Erik ten Hag’s tenure at Old Trafford may not last the full season, the faith that the Manchester United hierarchy have already shown the Dutchman leads me to believe that he will not be the first to fall in the managerial sack race.
That unfortunate honour may come to Sean Dyche at Everton.
Two heavy defeats followed by a late capitulation at home to Bournemouth to start the new season does not make for positive reading and, with a new stadium on the horizon, Dyche may have to make way for Everton to avoid a financial catastrophe.
Aidan Perkins
Manchester United have insisted that they intend to stand by Erik ten Hag but the Dutchman may just be one more bad result away from losing his job.
Back-to-back defeats to Brighton and Liverpool have cranked up the pressure on the former Ajax coach and he knows he simply must get a win at promoted Southampton, who have lost their opening three league games, after the international break or he could be shown the door.
Ten Hag could limp on for a few weeks but if performances and results have not improved by the end of the month, he will surely be in serious danger of the sack.
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