Which teams are facing relegation from the Premier League? Who is the first one to get fired?
The English Premier League, the world’s most renowned football competition, is in full swing, and with only two rounds completed, we once again peer into the crystal ball. While last week we offered player predictions, this time, our focus turns to club forecasts.
Undoubtedly, the pivotal question centers around the upcoming champion. In recent seasons, the Premier League has been under the sway of Manchester City, who have clinched five out of the last six titles, with three of them in a row. It’s Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool who stand alone as the party poopers against Pep Guardiola’s team.
There’s no need to shy away from the truth: City remains the top favorite this season as well. Given the formidable prowess of Manchester’s blue side, envisioning a challenge from Brighton, Tottenham, or any other respectable club is fanciful at best. Their emergence as titleholders would be quite astonishing.
Who is in the worst situation?
Luton, a small and financially constrained team relatively new to the league, seems destined to be relegated. Their potential survival would genuinely catch many by surprise.
As the narrative unfolds, the intrigue intensifies. While Luton faces an uphill battle, Burnley and Sheffield United, who ascended alongside them to the elite ranks this season, harbor more extensive Premier League experience. This familiarity doesn’t promise exemption from relegation, yet it certainly gives them a better chance.
Everton, having narrowly escaped relegation in the preceding season, finds themselves in dire straits. A wobbly start has seen them endure two consecutive losses, painting a grim picture. The struggles of the Liverpool club are epitomized by the unexpected vulnerability in defense under the tutelage of the typically defensively adept head coach, Sean Dyche. Everton’s mental resilience appears alarmingly compromised. It’s as if a club that has participated in 121 out of 125 Premier League seasons suddenly found themselves out of their depth.
In company with Luton and Everton, Sheffield’s prospects also appear uncertain. The season kick-off has seen them suffer defeats at the hands of Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace. While not weak adversaries, these are opponents one would need to overcome to steer clear of a Premier League survival skirmish.
Who is the first one likely to get fired?
There are two distinct directions to explore here: one involves inspecting a supposedly top-tier club struggling through the initial third of the season, prompting management to demand a change. The other perspective involves observing struggling underdogs, compelled to switch head coaches due to the looming threat of relegation.
If the first option piques your interest, a range of possibilities emerges. Over the past few years, London’s Chelsea has transformed into a confusing combination of a travel agency and a multifunctional summer retreat. Despite frenzied investments, tangible positive outcomes have remained elusive.
Chelsea’s latest hope is none other than the former Tottenham Hotspur coach, Mauricio Pochettino, renowned for his extensive experience and globally recognized coaching acumen. Given the drawn-out saga of Graham Potter’s tenure, Pochettino doesn’t appear to be the prime contender for an early exit.
Erik ten Hag, steering the ship at Manchester United for almost a year and a half, might face jeopardy if the team’s lackluster performance continues without results. Tottenham Hotspur has commenced the season on a positive note, but it’s too early to conclusively assess the effectiveness of their new coach, Ange Postecoglou.
United, under Ten Hag’s guidance, secured a third-place finish last season. Despite a recent 0:2 loss to Spurs, it’s premature to put undue pressure on the Dutchman. Nevertheless, United’s inconsistent performance requires correction. Showing an impressive display against weaker opponents while struggling against teams like Spurs, who underwent managerial changes and fell 15 points short of United last season, underlines the need for stability.
This brings us to Dyche. The Englishman has spent seven months attempting to rejuvenate Everton without substantial success, an unmistakable red flag. While Dyche does possess some experience in Premier League survival, the City of the Beatles risks plummeting if its dismal pace persists. Should Everton continue to falter, relegation becomes an inevitable outcome, leaving no room for competition in the Premier League.
