5 managers who could be sacked before next season

Being a football manager these days is a precarious business. Job security only seems to decrease each season and it's very doubtful that someone will ever be allowed to stay in charge of one team for as many years as Sir Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger.

Frank de Boer, for instance, was fired after only six games of this EPL campaign, and really had no chance to see if he could make Crystal Palace into a good team.

The league season is nearing its end now, with only 7 EPL fixtures remaining, but that will still be enough time for some managers to find themselves out of a job.

Either a fractured relationship with the club or poor performances on the pitch, this article considers 5 managers who could be sacked when the season ends.

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#1 Unai Emery (PSG)

Emery will know that the Champions League exit will affect his position

It seems crazy to even think that a coach who has guided his team to the top of the league with a massive 16-point gap between them and their nearest challengers could be in danger of losing his job, but that's the way at the truly elite clubs. Under their rich owners, PSG is a giant project and the aim is the Champions League, so when they came crashing out of that competition against Real Madrid in the last-16, the writing was on the wall for Emery.

In truth, PSG deserved to exit and their opponents were a class above them. Emery must take some of the blame: Zidane was tactically superior over the two legs and the ex-Valencia manager made his team too open at the Santiago Bernabeu.

PSG did win the Coupe de la Ligue recently but this still won't be enough. It was surprising when Emery even survived into this season after Monaco shocked everyone to win Ligue 1 last season and the success-hungry owners won't tolerate the Champions League performance this season.

The fact is that there are numerous managers who could take over at the club and win the league but they need a coach to take them to the truly highest level; Emery, although, he has won three Europa League titles with previous club Sevilla, appears to be in the cadre just under the elite coaches of European football.

#2 Paul Lambert (Stoke City)

Lambert needs to do well with Stoke after a poor recent managerial run

The Scottish manager was an underwhelming appointment when he took over from Mark Hughes in January. His last spell in the EPL had ended miserably, with a 29.6% win ratio with Aston Villa.

Two poor periods with Blackburn Rovers and Wolverhampton Wanderers followed, and Lambert seemed like a manager who had lost his way. Little wonder, then, that Stoke fans might not have been so enamored with him joining their club.

The team haven't fared well under his tutelage so far either: he has overseen just one win out of nine games. Stoke currently sit second bottom of the league, three points from safety. Lambert maintains they have a good chance of avoiding relegation but it will be a tight call (the team above them, Southampton, have a game in hand, for example).

They still have Liverpool and Spurs to face in their remaining fixtures, and Lambert will need to inspire his players but this looks to be difficult. Striker Saido Berahino has reportedly been banished from the club's trading ground after a falling out with his boss; Xherdan Shaqiri has publicly lambasted the quality of his teammates, something that won't please Lambert.

He seems like a manager struggling against fate. He was appointed on a two and a half year contract but if Stoke are to be relegated this season, Lambert will certainly be replaced.

#3 Vincenzo Montella (Sevilla)

Montella is looking to put his poor spell as AC Milan coach behind him in Spain

Montella met his end in charge of previous club AC Milan after a league run that belied the incredible spending spree the club went on during last summer. Financed by the team's new owners, Milan splashed out over $200 million in transfer fees, looking to mount a challenge to rivals Juventus.

Montella struggled to control his team, however, unable to find the correct formation to suit his new players. After winning just six of his first fourteen Serie A games, he was sacked; the fiery Rino Gattuso has since overseen a transformation in Milan's fortunes, highlighting Montella's failings even further.

In just one month, Montella found his next role, taking over from Eduardo Berizzo at Sevilla. The unexpected defeat of Manchester United in the Champions League last-16 will have won him many plaudits but they look likely to depart the competition to Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals. It's La Liga, though, that matters most to the club and Montella has won just five of his games in charge, losing six.

Sevilla currently occupy seventh place and face the real possibility of missing out on European qualification for next season. Given their renowned history in European competition, this would be disastrous for the club.

Montella has eight games to succeed but one feels that Sevilla may seek out a new, more experienced head if he doesn't take the team further up the table.

#4 Zinedine Zidane (Real Madrid)

Zidane has seen his team improve massively in form since January

Earlier in the season, it was unlikely that Zidane would even make it to January as manager of Madrid but slowly their campaign has turned around. After comfortably seeing off PSG in the last-16, Cristiano Ronaldo inspired the team to a 3-0 first-leg win over Juventus, virtually securing passage to the Champions League semi-finals.

The league has been over for a while now - Barcelona are 13 points of their foes - but Florentino Perez cares about the Champions League trophy more than any other.

It's almost certain that winning it this season is all that will keep Zidane in the job but his side are looking very dangerous: Ronaldo has hit imperious form at exactly the right time, Gareth Bale is slowly returning to the first-team scene, and Isco was highly impressive in Turin after his amazing display for Spain during the international break.

With the pressure of La Liga gone, Zidane can afford to rest his key players for the Champions League, something which will benefit them greatly.

The competition is strong this year though. Juup Heynckes has returned Bayern Munich into an effortless and effective team and Ernesto Valverde has Barcelona playing some excellent football. Simply put, if Zidane wins an unprecedented third Champions League in a row, he'll be granted a reprieve but if they are to exit the competition, Perez will be expected to sack the Frenchman in preparation for a new manager next season.

#5 Antonio Conte (Chelsea)

Conte in typically animated fashion on the touchline

One of the likeliest to depart his club this season, it's surprising that Conte has lasted this long, given Chelsea's troubles so far. After cantering to the EPL title in 2016/2017, they find themselves 28 points behind league leaders Manchester City, an unacceptable amount to the notorious Roman Abramovich.

New signings haven't impressed, including forward Alvaro Morata, and defensive midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko. Conte hasn't seemed happy at his squad situation, even publicly bemoaning Ross Barkley's signing after the player came on as a substitute in an EPL fixture.

The Italian looks tired, weary, and frustrated on the touchline. A return to coach the Italy national team has been mooted, given his good spell in charge of them before Chelsea, and turning his country around might tempt the proud Italian.

The relatively stress-free international football scene may also provide a needed break after the tough exertions of the EPL season. Conte was never going to be given time to create a long-term project at Stamford Bridge - Abramovich doesn't tolerate any level of failure - and he'll fully be expecting to be leaving Chelsea this season.