Premier League sack race: Erik ten Hag on the brink but four rivals feeling the heat too

Erik ten Hag, the troubled head coach of Manchester United, is the favorite to become the first Premier League manager to lose their job this year, but a number of other opponents are not taking this lightly.

Erik ten Hag is still under a lot of pressure heading into the October international break following Sunday afternoon’s boring scoreless draw away to Aston Villa.

The management of Manchester United will have urgent discussions on Tuesday to determine whether to continue with the Dutchman, who agreed to a contract extension in the summer, or to make a change in a campaign that is already headed for more setbacks.

However, a number of other head coaches are in hot water after struggling starts to the season, and Premier League teams will have some time to collect their thoughts over the coming days.

And while Ten Hag is still the favorite according to the bookies to be the first top flight coach fired, three competitors in particular had to be feeling the heat.

Southampton’s Russell Martin

With just one win from their first seven games, an inexperienced side that is committed to playing in the high-risk manner that saw them advance through the play-offs the previous season now appears to be headed for immediate relegation.

Martin continues to adhere to his possession-based strategy, but it is already generally agreed that survival requires a little more pragmatism.

He may be safe for the time being, but Saints have a crucial match against Leicester at home just after the break. If you lose it prior to your trip to Manchester City, the spotlight will be shining extremely brightly.

O’Neil, Gary – Wolves

won a lot of praise for taking over a shambles from the previous season and managing to keep the squad afloat somewhat comfortably. However, they are currently bottom with one draw and six losses, suggesting that everything is not going according to plan.

The team’s performance against Brentford on Saturday was the most concerning of all, as O’Neil acknowledged that it didn’t look like the one he had in mind for them.

The Wolves’ owners are mostly to blame for the team O’Neil is dealing with, but this is starting to look like an unsalvageable partnership.

Henry Clay – Crystal Palace

When Palace concluded the previous season like a train, the Austrian gained a lot of supporters. They still haven’t won a game, though, following a challenging summer that saw the departure of Michael Olise and Joachim Andersen, among others.

Although Palace is not losing easily, they are having a terrible time scoring goals; only Southampton has scored fewer than Palace thus far.

Although Glasner is not under immediate pressure, he may soon find himself on borrowed time if outcomes don’t improve between now and the November break.

Everton’s Sean Dyche

With five points from the last three games—including a victory against Palace—it appears that Everton’s situation is improving.

But Dyche can’t be totally at ease given the potential takeover of the team in the future.

Following the restart, the Toffees play a pair of games that are reasonably friendly. Dyche may require a few points to demonstrate that the dugout change is not necessary.