5 managers whose jobs could be under threat after the international break | Premier League 2020-21
It’s no secret that thus far, the 2020-21 Premier League season has been pretty unusual. We’ve seen a ridiculous amount of goals, VAR awarding frankly bizarre penalties, and the reigning Premier League champions getting hammered 7-2 by a team who avoided relegation on the final day of 2019-20.
Sides like Southampton, Everton, and Aston Villa have been pushing towards the top of the table, while the likes of Manchester United and even Manchester City have struggled at times. And to add to all of this, we’re now in November, and not a single Premier League manager has been sacked.
Admittedly, the majority of sides have only played eight games due to the season’s delayed start. But 2019-20 saw Watford fire Javi Gracia after just four games. And after that, another six bosses followed him in being sacked by their clubs.
So could the current international break be a harbinger of doom for at least one current Premier League boss? As the 2020-21 campaign reaches towards the crucial Christmas period, it could be time for a change at more than one club.
Here are five Premier League bosses who could leave their clubs after the international break.
#1 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
The most obvious candidate to be forced out of his club right now would have to be Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The Norwegian claimed his job wasn’t at threat going into last weekend’s game against Everton – a game the Red Devils ended up winning. But it’s still hard to see him surviving unless his side improve dramatically soon.
And can we really expect that to happen? Outside of his initial period as caretaker boss in 2018-19, Solskjaer’s United have always been wildly inconsistent – lurching from being brilliant to woeful often across a small handful of games.
However, this season they’ve definitely edged more towards the latter. United currently sit in 14th in the Premier League table, although they do have a game in hand on most of their rivals. But they’ve only won three Premier League matches so far and have failed to pick up a win at Old Trafford in three attempts.
Meanwhile, in European competition, the Red Devils impressed in wins over Paris St. Germain and RB Leipzig. But they then slumped to a shameful defeat to Turkish minnows Istanbul Basaksehir.
Some United fans persist with the theory that Solskjaer hasn’t been backed in the transfer market. But is that really true? He spent the best part of £200m on new stars before the 2019-20 Premier League season. And this summer saw him sign Donny van de Beek, Edinson Cavani, and Alex Telles, but thus far, none of the trio have started a Premier League game.
Essentially, it’s looking more and more like Solskjaer is simply a man out of his depth. And with highly rated bosses like Mauricio Pochettino and Max Allegri still available, it wouldn’t be a surprise if United were to pull the trigger and fire the Norwegian in the next few weeks.
#2 Sean Dyche
One of the biggest surprises of the Premier League campaign thus far has been the struggles of Burnley. The Clarets are one of only three Premier League sides yet to pick up a win, and they currently sit just one place above the bottom spot in the table. Considering they finished 10th last season, their poor form has been alarming.
Boss Sean Dyche has been at Turf Moor now since October 2012, and not only did he guide them into the Premier League, but he’s also helped them consolidate there too. He even led them to an impressive seventh-place finish in 2017-18. So would Burnley really consider sacking him?
In all honesty, it’s doubtful. However, there does seem to be a lot of friction at Turf Moor. And with that in mind, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Dyche simply walk away from the job of his own accord.
Last summer, for instance, saw Dyche openly complaining to the media about Burnley’s lack of effort when it came to securing contract extensions for a handful of senior players. Since then, Premier League veterans Jeff Hendrick, Joe Hart, and Aaron Lennon have all departed Burnley on free transfers.
With the club only making one signing in the summer – Dale Stephens – and Dyche being forced to pick from an injury-depleted squad for more than one Premier League game, is it any wonder that Burnley’s form has plummeted?
And following the international break, the Clarets’ fixture list doesn’t let up, either. They face off with high-flying Crystal Palace and giants Manchester City in their next two Premier League games. And if results don’t go Burnley’s way in those two, it could be Dyche’s cue to step away.