6 Premier League managers under pressure this season
The English Premier league is known for a transition of managers throughout the course of a season especially in the last 3-5 years. The expectations on managers now is stronger than it has ever been as each club having different aims and goals to challenge for. However the majority of the league now looks to get to the 40-point mark to stave the risk of relegation to the championship and set their aims after that.
The financial benefit of staying in the Premier League forces the hierarchies at clubs to make a decision in terms of the position of the manager if the team is not quite producing the results needed. The top bracket of the leagues generally do not make drastic decisions over the manager position at the club, however, the last two defending champions have both felt they needed to replace their respective managers in Claudio Ranieiri at Leicester last time out and Jose Mourinho with his title winners the season before.
One of the interesting debates is who will be the first manager to leave, whether it is a sacking or to walk away? Who will be in the firing line this season?
#6 Arsene Wenger (believe it or not)
The current longest serving manager in the Premier League now splits opinion amongst the Arsenal supporters and amongst the millions who watch the game. The 67-year old Frenchman goes into every campaign with high optimism and somehow there is generally a good feeling at the club around this time of the year.
However, after the disaster of last season, that feel good feeling might not last too long at the club. The on-going discussion of whether Wenger should stay or go will no doubt carry onto this campaign following on from the uncertainty of last season that derailed their season.
No Champions League football might give the Gunners the opportunity to put all their efforts into launching a full assault towards the title this season, but whether they have the quality throughout the team to challenge is still a big question mark.
Many Arsenal fans will be baffled as to how Wenger and their club officials have allowed their two major assets enter the last year of their respective contracts in Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. Adding Alexandre Lacazette to the frontline will add goals, there is no doubt about that. However, with the club's only other signing being Sead Kolašinac, it looks the like the same old Arsene Wenger not willing to splash the cash to add real quality to this team.
The future of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Alexis Sanchez looks like it will determine whether Wenger spends further this summer. The fear for Arsenal fans is that they deserve so much more than they are getting from the club and there might not be further investment. Wenger will need to start strong and stay close to the frontrunners in the Premier League or his position might very well just be in massive jeopardy this season, the board can’t keep staying loyal to Wenger if the club is not progressing.
The opening game result against Leicester will have Gunners fans happy to start with a win, but conceding the three goals will obviously be a concern. Will be interesting to see how the atmosphere continues at the Emirates.