Next Manager To Be Sacked Odds: Erik ten Hag Among Favourites

The first sacking of the season took place this week, with Sheffield United replacing Paul Heckingbottom with Chris Wilder. 

The bookies have now reopened their Sack Race betting market, with Steve Cooper and Erik ten Hag installed as the favourites. The former has done some sterling work with Nottingham Forest although the Midlands side are in something of a slump.

With regard to Ten Hag, the rumours continue that senior players in the dressing room have become disgruntled with the Dutchman and that explains his short Sack Race betting odds. The boss saw his team beaten at Newcastle after a 3-3 draw against Galatasaray. 

United could face an early exit, with Vincent Kompany next in the betting although the Burnley boss has some breathing space after a 5-0 win over Sheffield United. 

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Will Nottingham Forest Look for Cooper Alternative?

For the majority of last season, Steve Cooper was trading among the Sack Race favourites with the , with the Welshman somehow coming out on the other side and steering to safety with a game to spare.

During the campaign, Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis issued a statement backing Cooper, but some regarded it as the dreaded vote of confidence, with Forest maligned for making a splurge of summer signings in what was a scattergun approach to trying to stay in the top flight.

Now Cooper is looking to build on last season's successful survival, with the former Swansea boss having seen Forest accrue thirteen points from fourteen games. Forest are currently sliding down the table after successive home defeats against Brighton and Everton, with the manager now taking to the road with his team for clashes away to Fulham and Wolves. 

Ten Hag Prominent in Sack Race Market

A 1-0 defeat at Newcastle United didn't tell the full story last weekend, with Manchester United second best to the Magpies at St James' Park. The Red Devils continue to be inconsistent and their failure to show up in the games puts manager Erik ten Hag under the microscope, with the Dutchman struggling to repeat the success he enjoyed with the team last season. 

Despite United actually sitting top of the six-game form table before the clash against Newcastle, the continue to have Ten Hag among the favourites in their Sack Race betting market and perhaps that is down to the ownership situation at the club along with the Champions League plight.

Three defeats in four European clashes means that United are struggling to qualify for the last sixteen stage, with the north-west side having suffered losses against Bayern Munich, Galatasaray and FC Copenhagen, although there's still a chance for them to go through. 

Perhaps Ten Hag will remain in charge for the foreseeable future, although there are issues with the team despite the emergence of Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo. 

Kompany Hoping For Burnley Lift-Off After 5-0 Win

The were shortening Vincent Kompany's betting odds on the Premier League Sack Race market until a 5-0 victory against Sheffield United. The Belgian's position wasn't regarded as vulnerable at the beginning of the campaign, but a return of four points from 13 games meant the alarm bells were ringing before a 5-0 win over Sheffield United. 

Burnley had lost all seven matches played at Turf Moor before that victory, although the former Manchester City defender is right to point out that his team have been improving performance-wise and they should previously have enjoyed a positive result against West Ham at home. There are now trips to Wolves and Brighton where Kompany will hope to get some positive returns.   

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Eddie Howe Unlikely to Be Sacked at Newcastle 

Eddie Howe is widely considered to have been a massive success at since taking charge at St James' Park. He has just passed his two-year anniversary at the Tyneside club, having kept the Magpies afloat in the top-flight in his first season in charge. He was then able to build a team that finished fourth in the Premier League last season to qualify for Champions League football.

Things haven't been plain sailing in Europe this season, with Newcastle unlikely to emerge from a tricky Champions League group following successive defeats against Borussia Dortmund before a 1-1 draw at PSG. There has also been a recent defeat away to Bournemouth, where Kieran Trippier was involved in an angry altercation with a supporter. However, it's laughable to think that Howe's position is under threat at the club. 

It would certainly be a major surprise, even if the betting odds have recently shortened and some bookies go as low as 7/1 that Howe is the next top-flight managerial casualty. A 4-1 win over Chelsea was achieved despite Newcastle continuing to miss key players and they were then able to outplay Manchester United despite the slender 1-0 scoreline. 

Heckingbottom Remains Favourite in Sack Race Market

think Paul Heckingbottom is the top-flight manager who is most likely to lose his job next. The Sheffield United manager has seen his team record just five points from fourteen games played after a 5-0 thrashing at Burnley. 

The Blades were always going to find life hard in the top-flight following their promotion and they are strong favourites to be relegated. Heckingbottom appears to have the backing of the players, but the latest betting odds suggest a return to the is heavily on the cards. 

There have been persistent rumours that Chris Wilder might return to Bramall Lane to replace Heckingbottom. However, it's not exactly an attractive proposition to inherit a squad that is finding life tough going in the top flight. 

Iraola Now Has Breathing Space at Bournemouth

made Andoni Iraola the odds-on favourite in their Sack Race earlier in the season, although the Spaniard is now starting to get a tune out of the Cherries who are now up to sixteenth in the Premier League table.

Eyebrows were raised when Gary O'Neil was sacked at the Vitality Stadium before the Dorset club appointed Iraola as manager. Iraola earned rave reviews at Rayo Vallecano and have recently achieved consecutive victories over Newcastle and Sheffield United. 

Previously to his appointment, Iraola had no experience of managing in England and initially struggled to be successful in a hugely competitive league, although things are now looking up for a club who have established daylight between themselves and the bottom teams. 

Can Pochettino Last Two Years at Chelsea?

appear to be getting their act together under Mauricio Pochettino. A 3-2 win over Brighton saw the Blues bounce back from a 4-1 thrashing at Newcastle, while Chelsea had previously won 4-1 at Tottenham and drawn 4-4 with Manchester City. 

The aim will have been to land a top-four finish in the Premier League this season, although the London outfit have work on their hands to achieve this aim and might currently struggle to qualify for European competition. Pochettino slammed his team's performance at St James' Park in a game which saw Reece James sent off. 

The Argentine has asked for time to get things right at Stamford Bridge, although he will be aware that Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter were both shown the exit door last term. He hasn't been helped by a huge list of injured players, although right now it looks as though Pochettino has a long-term future at the club.