Sport
THE RACE NOBODY WANTS TO WIN
It is the race no one wants to win, but who will be the first Premier League manager to win the sack race?
We are six games and nearly two months into the new season and pressure is starting to grow on some owners to make changes to try and get their teams back on track.
With the latest international break just around the corner at the start of October we can almost be sure of managerial departures as the price of crashing out of the Premier League could have disastrous affects for a number of clubs.
Swansea boss Francesco Guidolin is clinging on to his job despite reports that he is ‘a dead man walking at the Liberty Stadium’. The Italian who took over on an interim basis last January and guided the club to safety is finding his job being linked with other managers and when that happens it seems inevitable he will lose his job.
One manager who has been thrust into the spotlight for all the wrong reasons is West Ham’s Slaven Bilic following their faltering start to the new campaign.
Bilic guided West Ham to a superb seventh place finish last term in his debut season in charge, but that now seems a long time ago for the West Ham faithful.
The Hammers, who were talking of being top four contenders before a ball was kicked this season, have won just one of their opening six Premier League games and losing the other five and they have not taken to the surroundings of their new home – the London Stadium.
West Ham have the second worst defensive record in the league and it has been suggested that the club’s owners have postponed new contract talks with Bilic which will only raise alarm bells for the Croatian.
Former Everton and Manchester United boss Moyes took over from Sam Allardyce in the summer after England came calling for Big Sam, but the Scot has yet to oversee a win in the league for Sunderland.
Sunderland are rock bottom without a win and last weekend’s capitulation in throwing away a 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 to Palace has confirmed Sunderland are facing another anxious battle against relegation this season.
Amazingly it is four years since Sunderland last won a Premier League game in August or September and they will be desperate for their season to start in October, but whether Moyes is still there by the New Year to try and lead that survival battle is anyone’s guess.
Stoke chief Mark Hughes has yet to record a victory so far this season to find his position come under scrutiny as raised expectations have increased the pressure on the manager.
The biggest problem Stoke have faced has been their defensive issues and their failure to keep clean sheets has people fearing they face a relegation battle this season.
Stoke’s poor form dates back to the end of last season, with the club on an alarming run of eight defeats in 12 matches – six of which have seen them concede four goals.
In Hughes’ favour he has one of the most supportive owners in the Premier League in Peter Coates, but the Stoke supremo’s patience will only last so long if Stoke do not start climbing up the table.
Stoke’s former manager Tony Pulis may have denied Hughes his first win last weekend with West Brom’s last-gasp equaliser, but his own future is on far than less steady ground.
Pulis was unhappy after enduring a frustrating transfer window this summer, while it has been rumoured the Welshman could be ousted in the wake of the takeover by Chinese group Yunyi Guokai Sports Development.
However, Pulis has picked up good results in the last couple of games to ease any pressure on him and having reached the landmark of 1,000 games as a manager Pulis is determined to stay in the job.
All managers say they hate the international break and we know that true for more than one reason as it invariably means somebody will be out a job.
