The Premier League season is well underway, and we are in the midst of yet another international break for the next week and a half. This period often gives club managers time to assess their team’s performance so far. However, some managers will be happier than others. While the first manager sacked this season was Manchester United’s Erik ten Hag, there are a few other managers that could be set to depart following dismal starts to the season:
5. Steve Cooper (Leicester City)
Although The Foxes recently secured vital wins against Southampton and Bournemouth, Leicester fans are far from happy with Steve Cooper’s performance as manager. They only secured 1 point in their first three matches of the season, and are relying on an aging Jamie Vardy to provide them with goals. They have the third-worst xG (expected goals) in the league so far this season, averaging roughly 1.10 xG per game. They are currently sitting 15th in the table, and rumors are continuing to swirl of David Moyes being set to replace Cooper. Ruud van Nistelrooy, who briefly managed Manchester United as interim coach to impressive results before Ruben Amorim took over, has also been floated. If the Foxes aim to stay in the Premier League, they may look to replace Cooper sooner rather than later.
4. Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace)
It seems Oliver Glasner’s reputation in the league has flipped on its head. Last season, Crystal Palace finished 10th and was briefly in the conversation for European places — an impressive achievement on its own. This season, however, Palace are in a relegation fight that they perhaps were not expecting, currently sitting 18th in the table with 7 points. The departure of key figures like Michael Olise and stalwart defender Joachim Andersen would have no doubt played a role in the decline, and star player Eberechi Eze could be set to depart should the Eagles go down to the Championship.
3. Sean Dyche (Everton)
It seems every time Dyche’s Everton takes one step forward, they take two back. After a major 2-0 win against relegation rivals Ipswich, they go on to draw 1-1 at Fulham, lose 1-0 to a dismal Southampton side, and then draw 0-0 against a manager in an even hotter seat. Chief among their problems is in the offense. Their defenders are capable of keeping clean sheets, but striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin — with 2 goals in 11 games this season — simply isn’t good enough to win you a relegation fight. Their best player and top goalscorer, Dwight McNeil, has often been their saving grace this season. But that might not be enough to save Dyche’s job, nor Everton’s relegation hopes.
2. Julen Lopetegui (West Ham)
After a large transfer spend in the offseason, West Ham still stinks. They are worse than last season — currently sit in 14th place and are only five points away from the relegation zone. They look like a shadow of the side that finished 9th last season while obtaining impressive results. Lopetegui was rewarded with a large transfer budget in the offseason and he signed Max Kilman ($52 million), Crysencio Summerville ($32 million), Niclas Fullkrug ($30 million), Luis Guilherme ($25 million), Aaron Wan-Bissaka ($19 million), and many more. Despite the significant investment, they have conceded 19 goals in 11 games and have struggled to keep opposition strikers quiet. New midfield signings Guido Rodriguez and Carlos Soler have failed to impress, and have left the midfield static and easy to exploit.
The fact that Lopetegui personally signed these players to suit his system of play may grant him some extra time at West Ham, allowing the large influx of new players to gel with his playing style and pace of the Premier League. If West Ham drops any lower in the table, however, Lopetegui’s job would be in real danger.
1. Russell Martin (Southampton)
20th-place Southampton looks set to drop right back down to the Championship after having 7 points after 11 games. History typically says that if you have that few points at this point in the season, you are likely to be relegated. Huddersfield Town had the same amount of points after 11 games in the 2018/19 season and finished on 16 points — one of the lowest in league history.
Martin’s Southampton prefers to play a patient, possession-based game that has worked well in the Championship, but so far has failed to translate in the Premier League. In their 2-0 loss against Wolves, Southampton had over 70% possession but failed to register a single shot on target. However, considering Southampton has the sixth-youngest squad in the league and a squad with inexperience playing top-flight football, the Southampton ownership may give Martin more time and a January transfer window to make amends. Any move right now may be too little, too late, however.
