Erik ten Hag, Gary O'Neil, Russell Martin - Who will win Premier League sack race?

The latest Premier League news and opinion as our football.london writers predict who the first manager to lose their job in the Premier League this season will be.

The international break is usually prime time for clubs to part ways with managers, with the lack of Premier League games giving sides time to potentially find a replacement before returning to action.

In the midst of the second break of the season there has so far been no casualties in the Premier League. There is however speculation over a few bosses who are under pressure.

A slow start to the season can easily see a club make a quick decision. In the 2022/23 season, Chelsea sacked Thomas Tuchel after just six Premier League games, but he wasn’t first to go that season with Scott Parker leaving Bournemouth after just four league games.

Last season there was a bit of a longer wait. Paul Heckingbottom was sacked from Sheffield United in early December, with the Blades fighting against relegation.

We are now seven games into the league season and there has been talks over the future of managers over the last few weeks. Manchester United’s Erik ten Hag is dominating the headlines with the club 14th in the league.

At the bottom of the table, there are still four teams without a win on the board. Wolves, Southampton and Crystal Palace are in the relegation zone, putting pressure on their bosses. Newly promoted Ipswich Town are just outside of it.

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As we take a break from Premier League action, football.london writers have given their thoughts on who could be the first manager to be shown the door this season. Here’s their predictions.

Amie Wilson

While all the speculation over the international break has been on Erik ten Hag, I think that one of the clubs without a win will pull the trigger first. Wolves currently sit at the bottom of the table, having picked up just one win in their first seven games under Gary O’Neil.

If you look at the team’s record going back into last season, they have just one win in their last 17 Premier League games, and that came against relegated Luton Town back in April. Last week’s 5-3 loss against Brentford would have been damaging for the Wolves boss, with the defending criticised by pundits and fans in attendance.

The manager’s substitutes were greeted with chants of “you don’t know what you’re doing” from the travelling fans. Usually once the fans turn, it’s hard to turn it back around.

Wolves face Man City after the international break, and if they defend like they did against Brentford, then it could be a bloodbath. With crucial games against Crystal Palace and Southampton on the horizon, Wolves could opt to make a change to try and get new manager bounce for those fixtures.

Kieran King

For me, Gary O'Neil is the man under the most pressure right now. Wolves have won one of their last 17 Premier League matches dating back to the end of last season and have picked up just one point from a possible 21 so far this term, with that coming against Nottingham Forest in August.

Yes, Wolves have had a rotten start regarding fixture difficulty, but last weekend's trip to Brentford would have been one that they must have been targeting to get at least a point, if not more. But the West Midlands side were abysmal, especially from a defensive point of view, and shipped five to lose 5-3.

That was not a performance, for me, which would have convinced me that the players are fighting and scrapping for the manager and I am worried for O'Neil that he could be the first manager axed. However, I do think the blame for Wolves' poor start can be as much on O'Neil as it is on the board - such as owner Jeff Shi - for selling two of their best players in Max Kilman and Pedro Neto and not really replacing them.

Others I consider to be facing the axe is Manchester United's Erik ten Hag, Southampton's Russell Martin and Crystal Palace's Oliver Glasner. Leicester's Steve Cooper would have been in that conversation hadn't he secured a much-needed win before the international break, while the same can be said for West Ham's Julen Lopetegui.

Matthew Abbott

United's decision to grant Ten Hag a stay of execution and Wolves seemingly backing Gary O'Neil suggests Russell Martin will receive the unwanted honour this season. Another defeat at home to Leicester this weekend could do it for the Saints boss, especially with that match happening the day before O'Neil's side host Manchester City.

If that is not enough, they play the reigning champions next weekend and they will also play matches against Everton and Wolves in early November. Losing to their relegation rivals, especially with a fortnight without a fixture following the latter, could spell the end for Martin.

Tom Coley

The fact that there are still four winless teams after two months of the season (albeit only seven games due to international breaks) and nobody has lost their job is quite a shock. Manchester United in 14th are clinging onto Erik ten Hag, and there are some big underperformers so far.

Had this been the 2022/23 season then at least six managers probably would have been sacked. Following on from the relative stability of last year - founded on the bottom three being by far and away the worst teams in the division - it is good for narratives to build if we don't have clubs chopping and changing every few weeks.

However, something is going to have to give quite soon. Ten Hag is lucky to escape at United. Their incompetence over the summer is probably the only reason he's still around. If things don't turn before the next international break then it will be game over. That might not be the first sacking though.

Wolves have the quality to stay up so can stick with Gary O'Neil for a bit longer but the run of games coming up might be his last if they go wrong. The same is true for Russell Martin. He has a defined style of play but not the calibre of footballer to make it work against the best.

Ipswich will (and should) trust Kieran McKenna as he is still ahead of schedule even being in the Premier League. Steve Cooper has a win under his belt but will need much more if he is to appease the demanding fans at Leicester.

It's hard to look past Ten Hag and Martin though. They are under the most pressure and it is showing.

Isaac Johnson

I predicted it would be Southampton boss Russell Martin before the season - I think he will still get dismissed but Wolves Gary O'Neil might pip him to the post of being the first manager to be sacked. I actually don't think Wolves have played awful but they just can't score and their defence can only hold out for so long.

I think Southampton are more in danger the longer they go without sacking their manager. Martin talks a good game but the Saints have lost matches solely due to passing out from the back erroneously, and he is refusing to alter his style of play. Burnley did the same last season and were relegated.

Mind you - Vincent Kompany then went on to be appointed by Bayern Munich! Martin to replace Pep Guardiola at Manchester City? But as for Wolves, no wins in seven games - and probably eight with Man City next - denotes almost a quarter of the season without a league victory. That would leave any top-flight manager, like Martin, in an untenable position.

Jake Stokes

I think it'll be either Erik ten Hag or Gary O'Neil. Manchester United have continued to struggle under the Dutchman this season, meanwhile, the Wolves sit bottom of the Premier League – and I expect Manchester City to rub salt into their wounds.

I wouldn't be surprised if a heavy defeat to the reigning champions is the final nail in the coffin. While Southampton are in as much danger as Wolves, also with just one point to their name, they seem to have fully committed themselves to the Russel Martin-brand of football – for now, anyway...