Premier League sack race: Ten Hag favourite for axe after Champions League setback
Published:
Heckingbottom 2/1 in Premier League sack race odds
Erik ten Hag is now the 6/4 favourite to become the next Premier League manager to leave his job after Manchester United’s 4-3 defeat in Copenhagen left them bottom of their Champions League group.
The Red Devils raced into a 2-0 lead but the game turned on its head with the dismissal of Marcus Rashford a few minutes before half-time.
Sheffield United’s Paul Heckingbottom remains 2/1, with Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola out to 7/2 from 9/4, as we look at the latest Premier League sack race odds.
Erik ten Hag (Manchester United)
The pressure is building on the Dutch disciplinarian after United conceded twice in the final 10 minutes in the Danish capital and slumped to a second successive 4-3 defeat on the road in the Champions League.
With a trip to Galatasaray to come followed by a home clash with leaders Bayern Munich, the Red Devils are in danger of missing out on the knockout stage and potentially the Europa League.
Ten Hag claimed Rashford’s red card was “harsh” and argued that “so many decisions are against us, so many setbacks for injuries”, but that won’t hold water with the club’s board or fans who are desperate for success.
Last week United were humiliated 3-0 by Newcastle in the Carabao Cup fourth round which came three days after they lost the Manchester derby by the same scoreline, also at Old Trafford.
A stoppage-time victory at Fulham did little to settle the anxiety at United, who are eighth in the table on the back of five defeats from 11 outings.
Saturday’s home game against Luton is a must-win, bearing in mind they have a tough run in the lead-up to Boxing Day during which they face Newcastle, Chelsea, Liverpool, West Ham and Aston Villa.
To add to United’s problems, Ten Hag is without Casemiro until the New Year, Jonny Evans went off with an injury early on in Denmark and the issue surrounding outcast Jadon Sancho is still to be resolved.
Paul Heckingbottom (Sheffield United)
Heckingbottom was 1/5 for the chop following an 8-0 mauling by Newcastle at Bramall Lane, but he is now 2/1 after the Blades ended their 10-game winless run with Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Wolves.
United had just one point heading into that game and although they remain rooted to the foot of the table, they are just two points adrift of safety.
They next travel to Brighton, but face relegation rivals Bournemouth and Burnley after the third international break, so the opportunity is there to pull clear of the bottom three.
Andoni Iraola (Bournemouth)
Iraola finally got his first win as Bournemouth manager with a controversial 2-1 victory over Burnley, but his side remain in the relegation zone following Saturday’s 6-1 drubbing by champions Manchester City.
To add to the Spaniard’s problems, midfielder Alex Scott suffered a different knee injury to the one that kept him out of action for his new club until last month.
The Cherries host Newcastle before the international break followed by a crucial trip to Sheffield United which could determine Iraola’s future.
Vincent Kompany (Burnley)
The Manchester City legend may want Burnley to play football the right way by playing out from the back, but six successive home defeats at Turf Moor suggest his tactics aren’t working.
The Clarets are now level on points with Sheffield United and with a trip to Arsenal coming at the weekend they could find themselves propping up the table if they cop a heavy defeat.
Kompany can certainly feel aggrieved by the lengthy VAR decision which ruled out an equaliser at Bournemouth, but a 2-0 home defeat by Crystal Palace set alarm bells ringing.
Best of the rest
Steve Cooper was not even mentioned at the time of our last preview, but Nottingham Forest’s 2-0 victory over in-form Aston Villa has seen his odds of getting the axe drift to 20/1. Forest face West Ham and Brighton either side of the international break, but have the chance to pick up points against Everton, Fulham and Wolves in subsequent games.
David Moyes has entered the running at 20/1 following three successive defeats which resulted in West Ham dropping into the bottom half of the table. Their next three matches against Nottingham Forest, Burnley and Crystal Palace are all winnable, so the chance is there to get back on track.
Chelsea’s Mauricio Pochettino, 12/1 towards the end of September, is now 20/1 following a dizzying 4-1 win at Premier League leaders Tottenham.
Wolves boss Gary O’Neil is 33/1 to be the next manager to go, the same price as Luton’s Rob Edwards.
Premier League sack race betting:
Erik ten Hag – 6/4
Paul Heckingbottom – 2/1
Andoni Iraola – 7/2
Vincent Kompany – 5/1
Steve Cooper – 20/1
David Moyes – 20/1
Mauricio Pochettino – 20/1
Gary O’Neil – 33/1
Rob Edwards – 33/1
Marco Silva – 33/1
Roy Hodgson – 33/1
Sean Dyche – 33/1
Ange Postecoglou – 100/1
Eddie Howe – 100/1
Jurgen Klopp – 100/1
Mikel Arteta – 100/1
No Manager To Leave – 100/1
Pep Guardiola – 100/1
Roberto De Zerbi – 100/1
Thomas Frank – 100/1
Unai Emery – 100/1
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
