In one of the least surprising news stories of the week, it was revealed that Marco Silva had been fired by Everton. The Toffees endured a difficult start to the season and find themselves locked in a relegation fight; despite having hopes that they could instead challenge for a place in the top six.
Everton stated that poor recruitment and results were the reasons behind his departure, and it would seem that a familiar face could be making a return to Goodison Park. David Moyes is the heavy favourite to replace Silva, but fans are unsure whether his arrival is a step backwards.
Regardless, the season goes on, and now new manager will feel the intensity heighten on their job security, but which manager could be the next one out of the exit door?
Manuel Pellegrini
Much like Everton, West Ham had hopes of a top-six finish at the beginning of the season, but instead, their poor form has left them in the midst of a relegation fight.
Their season hopes were lifted somewhat with a big win at Stamford Bridge in mid-week, but that may not help much for the long-term prospects of Pellegrini.
They remain just two points above the relegation places, and one more defeat could mark the end of his reign. The Argentine brought with him a host of experience, but he has been unable to string together a number of results to get the club out of the danger they are in.
They have the fourth-worst goals return and fourth-worst defensive record. It does seem like his time is slowly running out, and he could feasibly be the next manager out of the door. He is currently the favourite to get sacked next, just like Alabama are favourites in the NCAAF college bowl odds.
Daniel Farke
We shouldn’t forget about the brilliant job that Farke has done at Norwich City, but the jump into the Premier League could just be a jump too high for the Canaries. They have been locked in the relegation places since the early weeks of the season and have won just once in their past five games.
They are already four points adrift from survival, and the countdown to get the new manager bounce may already be ticking.
He enjoyed big wins this season against Everton and Manchester City, but his team have come up short against the teams around them in the Premier League. Their recent 2-1 defeat against Southampton was an example of that shortcoming as the three points allowed the Saints to move further away from their relegation rivals. It followed a defeat to former Championship side Sheffield United, with the Blades doing the opposite and managing a comfortable position at the moment.
It isn’t clear who could potentially replace the German, but it may be a season-altering decision by the board to fire him.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
The Manchester United manager has been under pressure at Old Trafford ever since he took over from Jose Mourinho 12 months ago. However, the club’s recent form and struggle to get into the mix for a top-four finish has only intensified this talk.
The departure of Mauricio Pochettino from Tottenham Hotspur has also had a significant effect on the odds for Solskjaer to be the next manager fired, as United are long-term admirers of the Argentine.
Solskaer’s record at United has been contrasting between his record as a caretaker and then as the permanent boss. In his 19 games as caretaker boss, United won 14, drew two and lost three.
However, over the next 31 games, United lost eleven and drew nine. After United’s 2-2 draw against Aston Villa, his win record as manager fell to 27.3%, which was the lowest of all managers since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
It is hard to see him lasting at Old Trafford should they lose a few games over the Christmas period. However, two victories on the bounce against Tottenham and Manchester City might have boosted his chances of keeping the job a slight further.
