The Premier League sack race is intensifying, with nearly half of the top-flight managers facing scrutiny as the season enters its winter months. Tottenham, Manchester United, Newcastle, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth are all sitting in the bottom half of the table after seven games, leaving their coaches vulnerable.
Express Sport's contributors have assessed which managers are most at risk, with Crystal Palace's Pierre Sage and Nottingham Forest's Oliver Glasner emerging as the leading candidates for the first dismissal of the campaign.
Sage tipped for early exit at Crystal Palace
Archie Griggs believes Pierre Sage could be the first to fall after overseeing a dismal start to the season for Crystal Palace. The Frenchman replaced Oliver Glasner, but questioning his own future after just seven games is hardly a promising sign.
Palace's recent success has been built on defensive solidity, yet this season they have already conceded 17 league goals, more than any other team. Five of those came in the heavy defeat at Brighton over the weekend, a result that will be remembered for years for all the wrong reasons.
Griggs suspects Sage will be gone unless he embarks on a winning run, which looks unlikely given Palace's current form. With coaches like Thomas Frank, Arne Slot and Kieran McKenna out of work, the temptation to make a change could prove overwhelming.
Costly sackings at Manchester United and Tottenham
Amos Murphy also backs Sage to be the first manager axed, noting that sacking Michael Carrick at Manchester United or Roberto De Zerbi at Tottenham would be costly. Both clubs have issues that run deeper than the head coach, and in an age of budget-cutting, particularly at Old Trafford, they may be reluctant to pay compensation.
Murphy acknowledged that Sage did well during his stint with Lens in France, but the move to Palace always felt like an odd fit. Based on the Frenchman's weekend comments, it sounds like he is already resigned to his fate.
Glasner facing make-or-break run at Nottingham Forest
Jack McEachen believes Oliver Glasner could be the first to go, despite his previous success at Crystal Palace. Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is not known for his patience, and defeat to Arsenal saw Forest drop into the relegation zone.
Glasner faces a tough run of fixtures, with matches against Ipswich and Brentford followed by trips to Bournemouth, Manchester City and Chelsea. By the time Forest travel to Hull in early December, a new name could be in charge. Marinakis has shown he has no problem paying to bring in a new manager.
