Football

Who Will Win This Season’s Sack Race?

Published

3 weeks ago

10th June 2024

Drew Potter

Who will be the first football manager sacked this season?

Who Will Win This Season’s Sack Race?

Who will win this season’s sack race this season? With attention reverting back to our domestic leagues, we take a look at which managers are currently the bookies favourites to get sacked first. All odds used in this article have been provided by BetVictor.

Xisco Munoz – Watford (4/1 Favourite)

Munoz is the clear favourite to receive the chop and for numerous, valid reasons. Watford are notorious for having an extremely high turnover of managers, with their owners, the Pozzo family, hiring 14 managers in just 9 years. Munoz did well to get Watford promoted, but he is untested at this level and question marks remain over his ability to coach at the highest level. Finally, promoted clubs traditionally struggle to adapt to life in the Premier League and looking at their current squad, the Hornets will be no different. Munoz will need his team to get off a good start if he still wants to be in the job at Christmas.

Watford boss Xisco Munoz getting the bumps following Watford promotion back to the Premier League! ? pic.twitter.com/KfAo06oaEl

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 24, 2021

Ralph Hasenhuttl – Southampton (6/1)

Southampton’s erratic form last season, coupled with an unsettled star striker, could be a recipe for disaster for the Austrian. Club owners have voiced their support for Hasenhuttl, despite some poor runs of form. One key issue that needs resolving is the future of Danny Ings. Recently the forward has been linked to a number of clubs, including Manchester City, Tottenham and Manchester United. If Ings is sold, which looks highly likely, then Saints will need to reinvest that money wisely to find another strike partner for Che Adams. Adding to all of these problems are the recent transfer rumours surrounding their defensive leader, Jannik Vestergaard, who has also been linked with a move to Spurs. Resolving all of these issues quickly will be key for the safety of Hasenhuttl’s job at St Mary’s.

Steve Bruce – Newcastle United (8/1)

When discussing managers who will win this season’s sack race, a number of Newcastle fans would like to see Steve Bruce receive his marching orders. Bruce did well in the latter part of last season to guide the Magpies to safety, but fans will again be quick to voice their displeasure if they make a slow start. Questions over the ownership of the club remain, as do frustrations around their transfer activity. If Bruce can make a couple of key signings, like Joe Willock from Arsenal, and hit the ground running, he might still be in charge at the end of the season.

Steve Bruce "delighted" as five Newcastle stars sign new contracts ahead of Premier League seasonhttps://t.co/02Ia6jF1rn pic.twitter.com/uR5CL3AMPS

— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) July 7, 2021

Sean Dyche – Burnley (10/1)

Dyche is currently the longest-serving manager in the Premier League, having been at Turf Moor since October 2012. Traditionally, the Clarets have the smallest budget in the division and every year is a struggle to keep the team away from relegation trouble. Key defensive stalwart, James Tarkowski, is out of contract next summer and the club look destined to cash in on the player, rather than letting him leave for free. Burnley’s current squad is not one of their strongest and unless Dyche receives funds to re-invest in the team, they will once again struggle to be competitive.

Daniel Farke – Norwich (10/1)

The Norwich board showed their belief in Farke two seasons ago by keeping him in charge after their relegation to the Championship. During their last Premier League campaign the Canaries were buoyed by the goals of Teemu Pukki and midfield talents of Todd Cantwell and Emi Buendia. However, the Argentinian was recently sold to Aston Villa for £35 million and Cantwell has been linked with a move to Tottenham, which must be a worry to Norwich fans. The loan signing of Scottish whiz-kid, Billy Gilmour, from Chelsea will be an exciting addition to the squad, but will it be enough to keep Farke’s job secure?

After leading us to his second Championship promotion, Daniel Farke has been named Manager of the Season! ? pic.twitter.com/5O5j38Mthe

— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) April 29, 2021

Mikel Arteta – Arsenal (12/1)

The final (and probably the most intriguing) name involved in this season’s Sack Race is Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta. After a disappointing season, in which Arsenal failed to secure European football, the board will be closely watching how Arteta’s team start the season. Without the attraction of being involved in a European competition, Arsenal are a hard sell to potential signings. Recent links to quality players, such as James Maddison of Leicester and Sassuolo’s Manuel Locatelli, are encouraging signs of strengthening the squad. By financing these moves, as well as the rumoured £50 million plus signing of Ben White from Brighton, the board are showing that they still have faith in Arteta. However, as fans return to full capacity stadiums, it will be interesting to see how long Arsenal fans will tolerate another season of mediocrity.

We hope you enjoyed the article ‘Who will be the first football manager sacked this season?.’ Who do think will win this season’s sack race? Have we missed any managers who should be on this list? When will the first manager be fired? Let us know what you think!