Premier League managers will be one of the first positions brought up if you ask sports betting fans which coaching positions have the weakest job stability. Struggling gaffers get as great—if not more intense—abuse as the praise Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola regularly get.
This season already saw some turnover on the sidelines. Several Premier League clubs have pulled the plug on some coaches this season. Some of these firings are more surprising than others, but everyone can agree that these firings can rapidly change how a team performs on the pitch.
This OKBET Sports piece will look into which sideline figures have been replaced in the league this season. We’ll also look at what they’re doing now after they were shown the door by their former bosses.
Scott Parker, Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth fans will always have a special place in their heart for Scott Parker. The former Fulham boss proved his mettle as a Premier League-quality coach after leading the Cottagers and the Cherries to the English top flight during his spells there.
Cherries fans knew the 2022/23 season would be tough. There weren’t many summer transfers compared to fellow promoted clubs Nottingham Forest and Fulham. While the club wanted to compete to extend its second stint in the Premier League, former team owner Maxim Demin wanted to be frugal.
Heated exchanges were exchanged, and Scott Parker even went as far as criticizing the team in public after their 9-0 meltdown against Liverpool. After this game, Bournemouth’s bigwigs decided to cut Parker loose after four Premier League games.
Both sides have since moved on after the split. Denim sold his stake in the club to American owners, while Parker became the man in charge of Club Brugge, preparing for a Champions League debut against Benfica.
Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea
It’s unimaginable for a tactician who won a Champions League trophy for his team to be let go less than two years into his reign. However, that’s precisely what happened when Todd Boehly’s Chelsea fired him less than ten games into the season.
The former Borussia Dortmund and PSG boss was let go for reasons not disclosed by Boehly. They only referred to the timing sacking as the “right time” to establish a new direction for two-time Champions League winners.
However, things have been less than rosy for the Blues. They are far from Champions League qualification as things are tough under new head coach Graham Potter, who left Brighton in the process. Even the most ardent Chelsea supporter is openly wondering why the Blues are struggling when they spent more than £300 million in the summer window.
Meanwhile, Tuchel is back in Germany and is carefully considering his options. Chelsea fans didn’t hesitate to express their love for him during the club’s horrible FA Cup exit to Manchester City.
Bruno Lage, Wolves
The season has been rough for Wolves this season. A club that has become familiar with competing for European spots now finds itself at the bottom of the Premier League table. The horrible start to the season cost Bruno Lage his job in October.
The man was only sixteen months in charge of the club and continued to insist that time and a proper striker would have changed his fortunes at the Molineux. However, one win in eight matches didn’t give him any favors in lengthening his stay with the club.
The club hasn’t made any improvements since Lage’s departure. Julen Lopetegui was brought in as his replacement. While his tenure as Wolves’ chief tactician started well, the team is still far from safe in the league.
Meanwhile, Lage is still without a job. He was linked with managing Portugal before the Portuguese Football Federation selected Roberto Martinez.
Steven Gerrard, Aston Villa
Premier League fans remember Steven Gerrard as a brilliant midfielder who made his mark for England and Liverpool. His managerial career also got off to a promising start with Rangers. Unfortunately, his stint with Aston Villa was anything but rosy.
The Liverpool legend only had eleven months in charge at Villa Park before the team’s poor league form cost him his job. By the time he was fired, Villa was 17th in the league and at risk of relegation.
Like Wolves, they replaced their manager with a Spaniard. Former Arsenal head coach Unai Emery took over the reins for the Lions. While Arsenal fans raised an eyebrow at the decision, he’s managed to pull the back to the comforts of being a mid-table club.
Meanwhile, Gerrard is surprisingly in line to become the manager of Poland. It could be surprising to some that the White-Reds are considering him after his Villa tenure. However, his solid track record for Rangers makes him a viable addition.
Ralph Hassenhuttl, Southampton
The latest entry in this list of Premier League managers who got the boot is Southampton boss Ralph Hassenhuttl. The former RB Leipzig boss departed the Saints after leading the club for almost four years.
Hassenhuttl left the club after losing 4-0 to Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United. Southamptons’ horrible league form sealed his departure from Saint Mary’s Stadium. Like the other clubs discussed in this list, they hoped Nathan Jones would be able to lift them out of the relegation zone.
However, things haven’t been great for the Saints. They are currently bottom of the league, only winning three of their 18 league matches. Unless things improve, it will be a matter of time before they return to the Championship.
Meanwhile, Hassenhuttl still needs a job. But given his CV and tactical brain, it’s only a matter of time until another club offers him a spot.
Why Premier League Managers Get Fired
There are plenty of reasons why managers get fired. The Premier League managers above showcase two of the most common reasons.
Poor league performance is the most common reason managers get axed. They’re brought in to maximize the players on the squad, and their failure to turn those games into wins gives clubs enough reason to sack them.
Another common cause of termination for Premier League managers is internal strife. Parker is the best example of this. His defiance and open criticism of the team’s transfer policy can lead the team to fire the manager. Bournemouth was the player paying for his wages, after all.
The lack of player support is also another probable cause. Managers who lose the locker room won’t be able to get them to play how he wants them to. This poor form results in terrible results, which in turn causes the termination of a manager’s contract.
Will More Premier League Managers Join This List?
Every Premier League team wants to stay up. The money and media exposure top-flight teams get is enough reason to do everything they can to stay there. Players are more challenging to acquire, so Premier League managers usually get the blame when a team performs poorly.
However, only time will tell if the sack was the right call. The call may have been premature, given how Chelsea, Bournemouth, and Southampton are performing in the league.
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