Next Premier League Manager to Leave Odds

Here we have taken a look at all of the odds of who could be the second Premier League managerial casualty in England’s top flight during the 2023/24 season following Julen Lopetegui's departure from Wolves just days before the start of the current campaign.

Last season, Scott Parker was the first manager to be sacked in the aftermath of Bournemouth’s 9-0 loss to Liverpool on matchday four, being replaced by Gary O’Neil who was ironically the final managerial casualty from the 2022/23 season, with the Cherries opting to swap the 40-year-old with ex-Rayo Vallecano coach Andoni Iraola for 2023/24; however, O'Neil has since replaced Lopetegui at Molineux.

Sheffield United’s Paul Heckingbottom, in charge at the club since 2021, is currently the Premier League manager most highly touted with being given his marching orders.

The Barnsley-born boss saw his side ship an astonishing eight goals to Newcastle last Sunday in what is surely already a season nadir, and a result that saw the Blades plummet to the bottom of the league behind fellow strugglers Burnley and Luton Town, albeit on goal difference.

But, Sheffield United’s unconvincing performances so far this season, which have seen them gain just a solitary point on the board after six rounds of fixtures, coupled with last weekend’s thrashing at the hands of the Magpies, may be enough for the decision to fire Heckingbottom to now be made across the next few rounds of fixtures.

Gary O’Neil, ex of Bournemouth but now at Wolverhampton Wanderers, is the next manager who is thought to be in serious danger of losing his job soon, and those calls will now surely be louder following on from Wolves’ shock 3-2 defeat in midweek to Championship side Ipswich in the Carabao Cup.

With a home clash against champions Manchester City to play this Saturday, with the Citizens having scored 10 goals across their last three league matches, things will not be getting any easier for O’Neil and the club anytime soon. Meetings with Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Newcastle await Wolves in October, with their away trip against the Cherries their only realistic chance for points.

If the West Midlanders fail to show any improvement on their current form during what will be a tough upcoming month, having only picked up just one win so far this season and having failed to beat lowly Luton last time out, then O’Neil’s time in the Molineux dugout could well be up just a mere couple of months into his reign.

Sean Dyche’s brief for this season at the Everton helm will be exactly the same as last season - keep the Toffees in the top-flight.

The Merseysiders just about avoided relegation in 2021/22 under Frank Lampard’s leadership, but his sacking in January 2023 of the following season after a run of poor form and performances saw old Burnley boss Sean Dyche drafted in to stop the rot. And Dyche, who had worked wonders with a fairly average squad and while on a shoestring budget for years at the Lancashire side, did his thing again at Goodison Park, picking up 4 vital wins alongside some crucial draws to ensure Everton’s survival in 17th place.

But, the Toffees have started this campaign in worse fashion than last, already tasting defeat four times to leave them in 15th. A much-needed win against Brentford last weekend has now slightly relieved some of that pressure, but it will be a long and tough season for the club, with Dyche’s name certain to remain high on lists like this for the rest of the campaign.

Surprisingly, minnows Bournemouth were one of the biggest spenders in the summer transfer window, with the Cherries outlaying over £100m on new faces to add to their squad. On a list of the club’s 10 most expensive signings ever, four of the names on that list were brought in just this summer.

But, despite all the activity off the pitch, the Cherries have had a slow start on the pitch after drawing three and losing three of their opening six matches under new boss Andoni Iraola. They have scored just five goals and conceded 11 in that time, which would have otherwise left them in the relegation zone were it not for the promoted trio of Luton, Sheffield United and Burnley being worse than them.

Instead, Bournemouth are 17th, and the decision to bring in Iraola is already being questioned in some circles. Despite coming highly-rated following the style of play he implemented on his teams during his time in his native Spain, the Premier League is a very different kettle of fish, and if Iraola cannot get results anytime soon, especially after such a huge outlay in the summer, then the Spaniard might soon be relieved of his duties on the south coast.

Chelsea finished a lowly 12th-place in 2022/23 in what was a campaign to forget for everyone associated with the club. But the appointment of ex-Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino (who had spent time in Ligue 1 with PSG after leaving White Hart Lane) before the new campaign began was deemed a smart move by many – this, after all, was a man who had worked wonders at Spurs and nearly led the club to surprise league and European glory.

If anyone could sort out the mess currently engulfing Chelsea, then perhaps it was the Argentine? However, Pochettino has struggled to get a tune out of his squad so far, with the Blues sitting in 14th place after just one win and three losses from their opening six matches – last weekend’s defeat to Aston Villa means that this is Chelsea’s worst start to a season since 1978, some 45 years ago.

Bearing in mind the Blues’ transfer market strategy, which has now seen over a billion pounds spent on new players, if Pochettino cannot get this squad of players to produce anything, then he will likely be shown the exit door sometime this season.

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