5 managers who are favourites lose their job this season

There’s nothing more inevitable in football these days than a manager getting the sack. In this day and age, being in one job for three years is a long tenure as clubs become more short-term focused and loyalty is simply an afterthought.

With that in mind, it is relatively easy to pick those up who could be in maximum danger of facing the chop in the upcoming season. Some coaches might have narrowly saved their jobs this summer, while others might face unrealistic expectations and get sacked ultimately.

Here’s a look at five managers who are teetering on the edge of getting the sack.

#5 Slaven Bilic – West Ham United

After narrowly missing the chop at the end of last season, it’s hard to see the Croatian dodge Gold and Sullivan’s swinging axe this season. A superb season in 2015/16 to close out the club’s time at Upton Park, Slaven Bilic was seen as the hero that could bring the Hammers back to Europe.

However, the move to the London Stadium saw their form dip dramatically back to the mid-table scrap pile.

The board decided to keep him in charge and have invested heavily in some new attacking talent to back up the oft-injured Andy Carroll and have also roped in a big-name goalkeeper in Joe Hart. However, the England number one’s shaky time at Torino and no reinforcements for an ageing defence look like a recipe for disaster.

Bilic is not one to hide in the face of adversity and his side might at least be more entertaining this season but the club’s ambition might exceed what he can extract from his squad. A rough start to the season could even see him be the first boss to be given his marching orders.

#4 Bruno Genesio – Olympique Lyonnais

Can Genesio deliver without his stalwarts?

A period of transition can be a killer for some managers but for those already under the spotlight like Bruno Genesio, it has disaster written all over it.

The Ligue 1 club has lost its shining lights Alexandre Lacazette and Corentin Tolisso this summer and without the same quality to replace them, they are bound to go backwards. Add to that the resurgence of teams like Marseille and Lille, who have invested heavily in this window, then you have to admit Les Gones are facing an uphill battle.

The former assistant coach steadied the ship when Hubert Fournier was sacked two seasons ago but missing out on Champions League football by some distance was seen as a big failure. His regular switches of tactics have irritated some, with the Frenchman never quite settling on a regular formation or a personnel group.

With more youngsters needing to break through to help and new signings needing time to settle, a slow start might see them left in the dust. A lot of the Lyon faithful are still pretty baffled that Genesio is in charge now, so surely the 2017/18 season will be his last.

#3 Michel – Malaga

Can Michel point Malaga to the right direction?

This one purely comes down to stats. Regardless of how well he’s done, the former Real Madrid midfielder has only lasted around two years max in any of his previous six jobs, so why would he buck the trend in the Costa del Sol?

Michel managed to help Malaga stay afloat last season but his spell at Marseille left a lot to be desired. His only real success was with Olympiacos, who have a habit of binning even winning managers, but his previous stints in Spanish football has been extremely mixed.

A club of this stature losing its top scorer in Sandro Rodriguez only adds to the issue. Without a regular source of goals, the club from southern Spain is relying on loanees like Borja Baston to rediscover their previous excellence in La Liga.

After a middling first half of the season where Malaga don’t quite get going, one can expect them to fire Michel just if they drop towards the relegation places.

#2 Gian Piero Gasperini – Atalanta

Gasperini

The Italian league has a habit of binning managers as soon as things go a bit sour. Teams also have a precarious record on firing coaches that have one spectacular year that is then followed by an unremarkable one.

What a potent mix for Gian Piero Gasperini to be facing for this upcoming season, then.

For starters, they have lost two key starters to AC Milan in right-back Andrea Conti and midfield marvel Franck Kessie. Then you have to worry whether the likes Alejandro Gomez can produce the same kind of brilliance he did during the 2016/17 campaign.

The young squad have a year’s experience now under their collective belts but that also means that teams are more aware of their capabilities, along with retooling themselves. It’s an unfortunate one, where you hope Gasperini beats the odds, but it’s an all too familiar pattern for teams that go well above their means.

#1 Domenico Tedesco – Schalke 04

This one is much less on the manager but definitely on a club that has only given a year to their last three managers.

The appointment of the 31-year-old came a little out of left-field, having mainly managed youth teams until a spell with 2. Bundesliga side Ergebirge Aue last season. He saved them from almost certain relegation, managing to get them as high as 14th by the end of the season, but his inexperience will worry many fans in Gelsenkirchen.

A poor season last time out and without huge reinvestment, it’s hard to see Schalke rising back into the Champions League fight anytime soon. They have a gifted young squad but with a few already eyeing a move and others coming off spells on the sidelines, it will be a difficult job to get them firing again.

This smells of the Schalke board again jumping on a bandwagon, given the successes of another young German manager in Julian Nagelsmann at Hoffenheim. However, with huge expectations at Schalke, Tedesco will be facing a monumental battle if he ever finds a period of indifferent form.