Premier League sack race: Five managers feeling major heat in bid to avoid joining Erik ten Hag

Erik ten Hag became the first Premier League manager to lose his job on Monday and several others managers will be fearing the chop as the pressure ramps up at several clubs

Erik ten Hag became the first managerial casualty of the Premier League season on Monday.

His exit from Manchester United was hardly a surprise and many were shocked it took so long for the Old Trafford hierarchy to pull the trigger with the team languishing in the bottom half of the table. Several others managers will also be looking nervously over their shoulder.

Whether it be big clubs underperforming or those near the bottom who may benefit from a change of voice. It is about now that some club owners and chairman consider pulling the trigger.

With winter about to set it those in and around the relegation may feel increasingly gloomy. Last season only three managers lost their jobs during the course of the campaign. The year before that saw a staggering 14 managers receive their marching orders.

This weekend will see the season hit double figures for the amount of games and we'll be over a quarter of the way through proceedings. As a result we could see more changes sooner rather than later if results don't improve for some managers. Mirror Football takes a look at the men who could face the chop

Gary O'Neil

The Wolves boss is one of three managers still looking for his first win of the season. O'Neil enjoyed a promising first season at the helm but has now built on that so far this term. Wolves have shown enough to suggest they can still be competitive, recently giving Manchester City a run for their money. Only a controversial late goal cost them a point with O'Neil questioning whether referees are biased towards the league's top clubs.

The Wolves hierarchy will be fearful of the threat of relegation and have yet to even pick up a point at home. They now face a run of games against teams in the bottom half where they'll hope to pick up their first win. If they don't, change could be coming.

Russell Martin

Southampton's manager will have credit in the bank after guiding them to promotion at the first time of asking. The Saints rose to the top flight via the play-offs but have struggled with their playing style, which was so successful in the Championship, doing little to aid their survival hopes.

The Saints are rooted to the root of the table having lost eight of their nine games. Their only point came against Ipswich, who too have just been promoted. Southampton play Wolves in just over a week. The loser of that game could well be looking for a job.

Oliver Glasner

Tipped to make a European charge this season, Crystal Palace have done anything but threaten the top six. Glasner had such an impressive impact last term as the Eagles finished with a bang, playing some sensational football as their forward players let rip.

The loss of Michael Olise in the summer was a blow, but they retained the core of their squad. A win over Tottenham at the weekend has massively eased the pressure on the manager with the hierarchy seeking a period of stability having only hired him earlier in 2024. A loss this weekend at Wolves though could see the question marks return though.

Julen Lopetegui

Another manager of whom much was expected. Lopetegui has a Europa League victory on his CV having excelled with Sevilla. He highlighted his credentials at Wolves before walking away last summer after clashing with the board. West Ham felt they'd landed a big fish when they hired him to replace David Moyes.

Some big signings were made but the Hammers find themselves in the bottom half. Two wins in their last three games have steered them away from the bottom three but there's no doubt more was expected from Lopetegui, who is still not getting the performances levels many expected.

Kieran McKenna

Sounds strange to say but the Northern Irishman is one of the Premier League's safest managers - but he's not untouchable. The former Old Trafford assistant has excelled since stepping out on his own and has guided Ipswich to successive promotions.

The Tractor Boys are punching above their weight and have already landed some notable results - coming back to draw with Aston Villa several weeks ago. Despite that they remain without a win and McKenna will know he cannot simply coast back to the Championship without the pressure coming on. He does though have a huge amount of credit and faith from the club's decision makers.

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