September is a month that has proved to be the most popular month for the first managerial departure in the past. In the 24 years of the Premier League, 17 managers have been sacked in the month of September.
However, the Premier League sack race, as per the bookies was proven incorrect last season. One fine example was Claudio Ranieri, who took the helm at Leicester City at the start of 2015-16 season, was the favourite to be sacked, but nine months later, he led the team to the title and finished 10 points clear at the top of the table.
The much anticipated 2016-17 season got underway on 13 August and the burning question on everyone’s mind is which manager will be sacked first?
Here are the five managers who are early contenders to get sacked.
#1 Mark Hughes
There is no denying the fact that Mark Hughes is now a strong favourite to become the first Premier League manager to be sacked, after his team failed to beat West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. The Potters have a habit of starting the campaign slowly under Hughes, but they have never finished outside the top 10 since the Welshman took the helm in 2013.
However, this time, the intensity and the fighting spirit is missing from the team, which puts serious doubts on whether Hughes could lead the Stoke team to a top 10 finish for the fourth time in a row. The team looks jaded and disorganised and the strong defence, which has been a nightmare for opposition attackers in the past, has already conceded 15 goals in the six Premier league matches.
With just 2 points in 6 PL matches, Hughes will face a tough trip to Manchester United on Sunday and it's unlikely that his team can get a headline result against Jose Mourinho's men.
With the rumour mill buzzing about Steve Bruce reportedly in the frame to replace Hughes, the 52-year-old Welshman has got to go back to the drawing board and get some wins under his belt.
#2 Slaven Bilic
West Ham’s first six matches last season had three headline results - victories against Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City. The Hammers started the season strongly under Bilic last time and went on to finish 7th, just four points behind Manchester City and Manchester United.
However, this time around, the London outfit started the season poorly and are currently languishing in 18th place with just three points from six matches.
It is the club’s worst start to the season in 14 years, since they were relegated in the 2002-03 season. Despite signing 11 players in the summer, Slaven Bilic still hasn’t been able to find the right combination and the team have already endured miserable defeats at the hands of Manchester City, Watford, and Southampton.
The West Ham fans have all but given up on the Croatian and it was evident when thousands of home supporters left the London stadium before the final whistle on Saturday.
“I am sick to the teeth and fed up of hearing excuses for Slaven Bilic,” said an angry fan on BBC’s live radio. “I’m fed up of the non-stop tinkering around in formations. It’s totally fallen apart and we’re going to need to have the placebo effect to get rid of Bilic.”
#3 Tony Pulis
There has been uncertainty surrounding Tony Pulis’ future since he replaced Alan Irvine at the start of 2015. However, Pulis has always insisted that the only way he would leave West Bromwich Albion is if the club sacks him.
West Brom started the new campaign by defeating Crystal Palace but suffered five straight defeats, including an EFL cup ouster at the hands of Northampton.
Moreover, the Baggies have won just one of their last 15 league matches and the fans have already turned on Pulis because of the team’s style of play and lack of ambitions.
At the start of the season, the 58-year Welshman was the bookies favourite to be the first Premier League manager to get sacked and it seems, it may well turn out to be true, with constant boos and unrest growing among the supporters.
#4 David Moyes
The frustrated Sunderland fans have started calling for David Moyes’ head after just 6 games into the season. The Black Cats lost against Crystal Palace on Saturday after a late Christain Benteke header.
The latest setback leaves the former Manchester United manager with just one point from his first six matches in-charge of Sunderland.
Although Moyes said at the start of the season that Sunderland would be involved in a relegation fight, the frustrated supporters have run out of faith already. “Moyes just drains all the colour of the room at the moment, impossible to imagine any team doing well under him,” one fed up fan said after his team’s 1-0 defeat to Spurs last week.
#5 Francesco Guidolin
Francesco Guidolin, the 60-year-old Italian manager is under severe pressure after an indifferent start to the season, which has seen them fail to win since their 1-0 victory against Burnley on the opening day.
Guidolin has been described as “dead man walking” by Swansea sources in the past week and it’s been speculated that the Italian’s fate will be decided this weekend when his team goes head to head against the in-form Liverpool on Saturday.
The home defeat to Jurgen Klopp’s men could possibly end Guidolin’s nine-month tenure in South Wales, as Swansea’s chairman Huw Jenkins is reportedly keen to appoint Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs, before the international break.
