Premier League football is a pressurised environment and club owners are rarely afraid to make cut-throat calls when it comes to the man in charge.
Scott Parker became the first managerial casualty of the season after leaving Bournemouth last month and there are a number of coaches already feeling the heat after mixed starts to the new campaign.
So for those of you who like to follow the odds on the best online sports betting sites like Topsport, here are the five favourites to be the next manager sacked.
Frank Lampard – 12/1
Frank Lampard was parachuted in at Everton last season following the failed tenure of Rafael Benitez and guided the struggling side to safety in the final stages of the season.
The jury remains out on Lampard despite his strong connection with the club’s fanbase, having lifted the mood after a fairly toxic period at Goodison Park. The Toffees are 13th in the table, after recording their first win of the campaign against West Ham last weekend.
Goals remain a problem for Everton, but just two defeats indicate an improvement in solidity with the cut-price additions of Conor Coady and James Tarkowski having strengthened the spine and character of the side.
Frank Lampard is buzzing with his first win of the season! pic.twitter.com/Fgt39ZmuXb
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 18, 2022
Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s impending return could prove crucial to Lampard, with the forward – who is yet to feature in the Premier League this season – the club’s most reliable source of goals. The England international scored 36 goals across the 2019/20 and 2020/21 campaigns, before a wretched run of fitness problems last season.
David Moyes can also be found at 12/1, with West Ham in the Premier League’s relegation places.
Steven Gerrard – 9/1
Steven Gerrard is another who has faced criticism of his management this season, with Aston Villa having made a slow start to the campaign. After an initial bounce after taking charge last season, Villa’s performances dropped off over the second half of the season and have continued into 2022/23.
Villa won just one of their opening five league games, but have shown improvement and grit after holding Manchester City to a draw and in Friday evening’s 1-0 win over Southampton.
FULL TIME: Steven Gerrard lets out a passionate shout of relief after Villa keep their first clean sheet of the season! pic.twitter.com/VIxfk0QQH1
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 16, 2022
Gerrard has the tools available to turn Villa into contenders for European football, but has so far failed to find the best combination between his attacking talent. Bringing the best from Philippe Coutinho will be crucial to his success, with Villa a better team when the Brazilian is on-song.
Bruno Lage – 6/1
Are Wolves in a relegation battle?
Bruno Lage was handed significant funds during the summer window with the likes of Matheus Nunes and Goncalo Guedes arriving as part of a recruitment drive which exceeded £100m.
Familiar flaws remain however, with Wolves a toothless team in attack. Raul Jimenez is not the player of old, while Lage was given a dose of misfortunate after summer signing Sasa Kalajdzic suffered an ACL injury on debut.
Diego Costa has arrived on a free transfer and the 33-year-old will be tasked with providing a focal point for a team who have scored just three goals in seven Premier League games in 2022/23. It’s now just one win in 14 league fixtures for Wolves, dating back to last season.
The statistics make for grim reading, with Wolves ranked 17 out of the 17 teams who survived in the Premier League last season for shots, shots on target and goals per game since the start of the 2021/22 campaign.
Steve Cooper – 5/1
Steve Cooper’s spending has increased the pressure at Nottingham Forest, with the club having embarked on a record-breaking window of recruitment.
Forest spent £160m on 21 transfers, more than clubs including Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain. Cooper has plenty of credit in the bank after a surprise promotion, taking over a Forest team who were bottom of the Championship before steering them back into the Premier League after a 23-year absence.
Steve Cooper:
“That is the only thing on my mind, the job I am doing here on a daily basis. It is consuming enough as it is.
“But I love my time here. I love working with the players, I love the staff, I love the city, so that is the only thing on my mind.”#NFFC pic.twitter.com/3egG6EGbxI
— Callum Castel (@callumcasteln) September 15, 2022
However, owner Evangelos Marinakis will want more from his investment than has been seen so far, with Forest having earned just four points from their seven Premier League games.
Four consecutive defeats – including back-to-back home losses to fellow promoted sides Bournemouth and Fulham, both when leading at half-time – is the type of sequence that could cause panic at the City Ground.
Brendan Rodgers – 3/10
Brendan Rodgers is the 3/10 favourite to be the next manager to leave his current post, following a dismal start to the season at Leicester.
The Foxes are bottom of the Premier League and have lost six consecutive games, including successive humblings at Brighton (5-2) and Tottenham (6-2). Rodgers’ hands were tied during a summer without investment, but there’s no doubt that a manager of his calibre should be getting more from the talent at his disposal.
❌ 6-2 vs. Tottenham
❌ 5-2 vs. Brighton
❌ 0-1 vs. Manchester United
❌ 2-1 vs. Chelsea
❌ 1-2 vs. Southampton
❌ 4-2 vs. ArsenalBrendan Rodgers says the pressure is fully on him following six straight league defeats. 📉 pic.twitter.com/NmljWBA6vk
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) September 17, 2022
No side has ever conceded more goals (22) at this stage of a Premier League season, with the Foxes vulnerability at set-pieces an all too long running joke.
Rodgers himself has admitted his own future is uncertain and said he would respect any decision the board make.
“I don’t know, to be honest,” Rodgers said on his future following the loss at Spurs. “Whatever their [the owners’] decision is, I will always respect it.”
He reiterated his confidence that Leicester can turn around their form but conceded the statistics don’t make for ‘great reading’.
“I’m not daft, I know football, and the last six games don’t make great reading. But I have every confidence the team can push on and climb the table if they play like they did in large parts and cut out mistakes.”
