Premier League manager sack race: the five favourites to leave first including Man Utd & West Ham men

The early stages of the new Premier League season have already produced plenty of talking points and a number of managers including Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag already find themselves under pressure to turn results and performances around.

As it stands, ten Hag is the early favourite to be the first managerial casualty of the campaign. The Dutchman has been a fairly polarising figure amongst Red Devils supporters since his arrival from Ajax in the summer of 2022. But in recent months that pressure has risen to new heights as many question whether he is the man to take the team forward.

On the one hand, Ten Hag can say that he inherited a Manchester United team that were without a trophy in six years and explain that he has resolved that problem by winning two prestigious trophies in the League Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024, whilst treating fans to famous Wembley nights which had been the norm under Sir Alex Ferguson.

The 54-year-old has also had to contend with upheaval both on and off the pitch, with the Cristiano Ronaldo saga, the INEOs takeover, unrest surrounding the Glazer ownership, injury problems to key stars and the persistent criticism that comes his teams way after almost every poor result.

However, last season marked a lowest ever finish in the Premier League era for Manchester United as well as dismal low points in the league, including a 3-0 loss to Bournemouth, a 4-0 defeat to Crystal Palace as well as a humiliating group stage exit in Europe.

Those results, compounded with results with more recent poor showings against the likes of Brighton, Liverpool and most recently Tottenham Hotspur have led to some such as Alan Shearer questioning if the team have any real identity and whether they are regressing under the Dutchman’s stewardship.

Pressure is rising for ten Hag to turn the tide at Old Trafford ahead of challenging tests against FC Porto and Aston Villa this week.

As it stands, ten Hag is the seventh longest serving manager in the Premier League, but will he get more time to turn things around?

Other managers at risk

Elsewhere at the other end of the table, Southampton boss Russell Martin is seen as the second favourite to lose his job at a club that have proven over the years that they are very trigger happy when it comes to sacking managers.

As it stands, Southampton have had 26 different managers since 1992, with only Crystal Palace (27) changing more times in the Premier League era.

Martin has credit in the bank from leading Southampton to promotion via the Championship play-offs in his first term, but criticism is growing around the team’s persistence around playing it out from the back and the manner of goals that they are conceding.

As it stands, Southampton are winless after six matches and with games such as Arsenal and Manchester City on the horizon, pressure is rising on Martin to make the team harder to break down.

Wolves boss Gary O’Neil is the only manager to find himself in a lower position than Southampton in the league after six games, albeit only via goal difference. He is the third favourite to be dismissed first this season, despite a credible first season at Molineux.

So far, the problem this term has been keeping the ball out of the net. Wolves have conceded 16 in six games - the most of any team in the league - and the losses of club captain Max Kilman and goalkeeper Jose Sa appear to be hitting the team hard at this point in time.

Everton boss Sean Dyche is the fourth most likely manager to lose his job with the betting experts. He recently eased pressure surrounding his future with a first win of the season against Crystal Palace, but his team have lacked their usual solidity and have already conceded 15 times in the opening six games.

Defender Jarrad Branthwaite’s return to action couldn’t have come at a more crucial time for the Toffees who are under immense pressure to avoid relegation with a new stadium on the horizon.

The fifth favourite for the sack, according to the bookmakers, is West Ham United boss Julen Lopetegui who is only six games into his tenure at the London Stadium.

The Spaniard inherited the job from David Moyes and has ushered in big money signings such as Max Kilman, Niclas Fullkrug and Crysencio Summerville. However, as of yet with just one win from six, the team looks a long way off competing for Europe and the manner of defeats to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup as well as Chelsea in the league will be a cause for concern.