Oliver Kay's debate: Are you ready to stick with your manager all season?

From a leading bookmaker comes a press release with the odds for the new season’s “Sack Race”. Who will be the first Barclays Premier League manager to lose his job?

The shortest odds accompany the names of Alan Curbishley, Gary Megson, Paul Ince, Roy Hodgson, Kevin Keegan and the newly promoted trio of Phil Brown, Tony Mowbray and Tony Pulis.

You would not really quibble with the odds, but the presence of Brown, Mowbray and Pulis is a sad reminder of how tough life is in the Premier League. All three have worked wonders in winning promotion with Hull City, West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City respectively, but come November their employment prospects may have been rosier if they were still in the Coca-Cola Championship, rather than struggling in the Premier League. One hopes that their chairmen are strong enough to see the bigger picture.

Other than Ince, newly appointed at Blackburn Rovers, the names that jump at you are those of Hodgson and Keegan; Hodgson because the harsh inference is that he got lucky in the final weeks of last season at Fulham and Keegan because odds of 10-1 look tempting, particularly when you consider that Newcastle United’s first two away games are against Manchester United and Arsenal. Curbishley at West Ham United appears a worthy joint-favourite in this race, with few signs that the London club are on course for an improvement on the mediocrity of last season.

The question to supporters of all clubs is this: given that you – and no doubt we in the media – will take only one wretched run of results to start questioning your manager’s suitability, are you happy with him right now? And would you be prepared to stick with him all season, come what may?

Should managers of promoted clubs be given more leniency and who will be first for the chop?

Have your say by e-mailing your views to the comment box below.

Comments

[Colin]

He won't be sacked, but I have serious concerns over whether Roy Keane will see out the final year of his contract at Sunderland....

[Ian]

Mark Hughes, if they sign Ronaldinho. Surely that's not his idea. I don't think he'll last long if City's main shirt-seller is left on the bench! I hope it doesn't happen, but look what happened to Sven.

[j oddens]

i donT think any of the newly promoted managers will be sacked - in the main chairman are not idiots and will see what happened to derby last year when thjey sacked the manager that got them promoted and never won another game!! i think the most likely for the chop are from the established brigade or high profile like the guy at chelsea

[Leigh Vernier]

Thought: how can Taksin Shina-whatsit sack Mark Hughes if the former is in prison in Thailand?

And:
Leicester City and Hearts will have changed their managers 9 times afore the first Premier el booto.

[Ash]

Managers already have pressure on them for the sack? And who puts the pressure on them in the first place? Yep, the newspapers.

[james brownley]

Ex-King Kev - the only thing that might save him from the sack is if he flounces out first...

[Josh Dickson]

Ince won't be sacked - Blackburn don't operate like that, do they? The best bet would be Curbishley I think. You've got to consider that most clubs changed their manager last season so you're left looking at who didn't. Then who looks like struggling to improve. He seems a nice bloke and a decent manager but Curbishley just isn't as exciting as a lot of other managers (available and not) and I think if mediocrity emerges next season, as is most likely, then I think fans and owner alike will want to try something else.

[JH]

Stoke City will not sack TP, there is a sense of unity at the Britannia that you will struggle to find at most other clubs. We are together regardless of the number of points we win. SCFC fans are not glory hunters (unlike most Premiership fans) and will not be baying for blood if results don't go our way. We are just glad we are there after 23 years of misery.

[JR]

"Not even if we [Stoke City] finish bottom, with no points."

Which is just as well, since it is a distinct possibility.

On the Rafa comment: given that for a period Oliver Kay was writing everyday day that there was no way that Rafa would still be at Anfield at the end of last season, let alone the start of this one, there seemed to be very little humble pie eaten.

[Joe]

It seems interestng that there is now no mention of Rafael Benitez. What a different a few months can make.

Personally I would plump for King Kev.

Joe - Liverpool supporter.

[Anthony]

I would have an outside punt on Mark Hughes. Factors here are, of course, nothing to do with his ability. He is, in fact, perhaps the brighest manager in the game.... No, its do with a ridiculously unrealistic and meddling chairman, the inheritance of a decent but over-expensive squad, the failure of Jo and/or Ronaldinho to shine and the requirement to find his feet in new terrain.... all seeing an average first 20 games... and the subsequent ill-deserved sack!.

[Matthew Jones]

The sadder thing is that these bookmakers don't do their homework. Tony Pulis and Peter Coates are friends. Coates paid to get Pulis back when most fans would have paid to keep him away. There is no way on this earth that Tony Pulis will be sacked next season. Not even if we [Stoke City] finish bottom, with no points.