Premier League 2024/25: Who leads the sack race after the opening five games?

New Delhi: The first five games of the Premier League season are in the history books now and we are starting to see how the Premier League table shapes up. As expected, Manchester City are at the top of the table in the early stages of the tournament, with Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal rounding out the top four. Interestingly, these were the four teams that comprised the top four at the end of the last campaign as well.

However, things seem more interesting towards the foot end of the table, and that’s what we’ll be getting into in this article. Following the end of Matchday 5, there are six teams that sit without a win to their name, three of which only have a solitary point to show for their efforts. The pressure is on for all of these teams and one of these six managers could be the first one to face the sack this season.

Let’s dive in to see how these six managers rank in order of likeliness of being the first one to be sacked from the 2024/25 Premier League season.

6) Kieran McKenna- Ipswich Town

Out of all the managers that are winless in the season till now, Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna is probably the furthest away from the sack. Not only amongst these six, McKenna probably has the safest job in the league currently. He will most likely still keep his job even if Ipswich Town go straight back down to the Championship next season. He has done a terrific job for the Tractor Boys since joining them in 2021. He just signed a new contract in the summer which lasts till 2028 following back-to-back promotions that got them to the Premier League.

Ipswich were baptized by fire in the Premier League as they faced Liverpool and Manchester City in their first two games of the season. Even though they expectedly lost both games, we saw glimpses of what the newly promoted side is capable of. Since Matchday two ended though, they managed to draw all of their games including a tricky fixture away to Brighton. Kieran McKenna knows the club well and has what it takes to guide them to safety and even if he’s unable to do so, he has all the know-how and the tools to get them back up to the Premier League.

Likeliness rating: 2/10

5) Oliver Glasner- Crystal Palace

It’s surprising to see Oliver Glasner on this list considering the kind of start he had to his Crystal Palace career at the fag end of last season. His Palace side had a remarkable end to last season, winning six of their last seven games and that filled the Palace faithful with a lot of confidence heading into the new season. However, it has been a rude awakening for them this season. Having lost Michael Olise in the summer, the club seems devoid of attacking flair.

The club are currently 16th in the table but they are working towards getting better and the improvement is visible on the pitch. They’ve drawn their last three games which has given them some sense of stability. Glasner as a manager has always had slow starts at a club before going on to achieve big things with them. The club fended off interest from Bayern Munich in the summer for him so it doesn’t seem like they’ll part ways with him so early in the season.

Likeliness rating: 4/10

4) Steve Cooper- Leicester City

Steve Cooper’s Leicester are placed highest amongst the teams on this list as they sit 15th in the table with three draws and two losses. Similarly to Glasner, Cooper has also only recently been appointed Leicester City manager which automatically gives him more time at the club. Everyone expected the Foxes to go straight back down to the Championship but they’re proving the doubters wrong.

They were seconds away from their first win in the game against Palace, lost narrowly to Aston Villa and Fulham and held their own in a draw with Spurs, so the signs are there. The club brought in Steve Cooper because of his experience of navigating relegation battles after his time at Nottingham Forest and Cooper seems to be doing that well till now. While he hasn’t yet gotten a win, it only seems a matter of time before he does get it and relieve the pressure off himself.

Likeliness rating: 4/10

3) Sean Dyche- Everton

Everton have been struggling this season and it is evident for anyone to see. The Toffees are going through a period of uncertainty at the club and that has been affecting the teams results. For the third consecutive week, Sean Dyche’s men threw their lead away but at least this time, they managed to hold on to a point. While Everton’s performances haven’t been anything to write home about, they have shown enough quality for long periods of time to show that they can get that finishing touch.

Dyche can get some leeway because of the uncertainty the club had faced but now that seems to be behind them with the Friedkin group striking a deal to complete the takeover of the Merseyside club. When a new owner comes in, that is the most tricky time for a manager as the new owners can go either way. They can either stick with the manager appointed by the old regime or they can get someone of their own in and that’s the spot Dyche is in now with rumors of Gareth Southgate circling.

Likeliness rating: 5/10

2) Russell Martin- Southampton

Russell Martin seems to be on thin ice after the start his team has made to the season. Sitting on 18th in the table, the club have made a woeful start to this season and seem to be heading into a relegation dogfight this season. While it was always going to be tough for a newly promoted to start the season well, the most shocking factor from Southampton’s season has been their inability to score goals.

The Saints have only scored two goals from their first five games and even missed a penalty against Manchester United. A report from Football Insider earlier in the month revealed that the manager could face the sack if results don’t change by the end of September. We’re almost at the end of the month and results haven’t really changed for the club and pressure is mounting on him. He could very well be the first manager to be sacked this season.

Likeliness rating: 7/10

1) Gary O’Neil- Wolverhampton Wanderers

Coming to the man who I believe will be the first manager to lose his job this season, Wolves boss Gary O’Neil. The midlands club have had the worst start to the season along with Everton as they’ve also just drawn one and lost four, conceding 14 goals in all. They recently lost a derby game to Aston Villa this past weekend despite going ahead first and that would’ve increased the pressure on the manager.

If that wasn’t enough, reports are circulating online that the Wolves’ management could sack him if results don’t improve soon. This will be a huge challenge for the Englishman considering two of his next three games are against Liverpool and Manchester City. If he fails to add more points in the next three to four games, that could be the final nail in the coffin for him. With Yerson Mosquera now set to miss the rest of the season, all signs currently point towards O’Neil being the first to be sacked.

Likeliness rating: 9/10

 There are six managers that are yet to register their first win of the campaign. Dive in to see who might be the first one to be given his marching orders this season.  Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today