Erik Ten Hag and The Sacked EPL Managers this Season (2024/2025)
- Sacked EPL Managers explained
- EPL Managers Prone to Sack
- Why was Erik Ten Hag sacked?
- Other Sacked EPL Managers
Why Some EPL Managers Get Sacked
The Premier League is arguably the most competitive football league in the world. The league boasts of the best managers in the world. Every season, some club managers get the sack letter while new ones are recruited to salvage the club’s season.
Many factors contribute to reasons why some managers perform greatly in the league and avoid the sack letters while others perform poorly and inevitably get served the letters.
At the top of these factors are the coach’s technical and tactical ability, club budget, club dealings at the transfer market and coach’s man-management ability. These and a few other factors contribute to the success or failure of football coaches in EPL.
In light of the above, the question most football lovers ask at the start of every league season is – who are the Premier League managers likely to get sacked this season? Many club fans grow fond of their club managers and want them to stay at the club for as long as possible.
But as the popular saying goes, if wishes were horses, beggars would ride. Most fans see their favourite managers get the sack letters and they are left reeling in devastation. Football is a sport of emotions and fans are advised to know this and manage their emotions better.
EPL Managers Prone to Sack
The premier league managers prone to sacking are those managing clubs with low monetary budgets. These managers are often left with little money to recruit star players to help their clubs compete with other established clubs with star-studded squads.
As a result of a lack of quality players in their ranks, these coaches struggle to stay afloat in the league and are often caught fighting the relegation battle. Aside from coaches with low budgets, some coaches with huge budgets also suffer the sack scare.
Also read: Who would win the 2024/2025 English Premier League Season?
At the onset of the league season, some clubs invest huge amounts of money in player recruitment and expect their managers to deliver the dividend of their investment. But this is not always the case.
Because some players find it difficult to adapt to the physical demands of the premier league or adjust to the new tactics and style of play of their new coach. Such players usually underperform and ultimately fail to give returns on their investments.
Why Erik Ten Hag was sacked
Erik Ten Hag was always one of the top managers at the risk of getting sacked this season by Manchester United for obvious reasons. The Dutchman failed to live up to expectations despite a poor outing last season.
Ten Hag came in and raised lots of hope with some impressive performances at the onset of his role as a United manager. But the Dutchman ultimately failed to live up to the billing this season. His team could not find consistent form, leaving the manager with no choice but to get the letters.
Old Trafford which was once a fortress of victory and theatre of dreams for the English premier league side has been reduced to a common park where mid-table teams visit to pick up points at will in recent times.
Ten Hag performed wonders in his role as Ajax manager, winning the Dutch league and leading the team to the semifinal of the UEFA Champions League. His exploit with the Dutch team propelled him to the limelight and he was billed to become the next big thing in the world of football.
Did the Dutch tactician live up to expectations? One would hardly think so. Ten Hag enjoyed little success at United winning the FA and Carabao cups since signing for the Old Trafford outfit.
But for a team that had been the pride of England in the last three decades, winning the league cups is not enough to make the fans happy. Manchester United ought to be competing for the league title.
Erik Ten Hag Strength and Weakness
The Dutch tactician has proven over the years that he understands the game of football and the results are there to speak for him. As a young coach, Ten Hag has got some impressive pedigree and his recent poor showing doesn’t suffice to suggest otherwise.
However, the former United manager had some weaknesses which he failed to address and it ultimately proved to be his Achilles heel. One such problem is his inability to manage big players.
Ten Hag, like other young managers, prefer to work with young players who would obey and follow their instructions without much objection. They would rather invest in young players than the more experienced players who might pose a bit problem to manage.
Sadly, to compete in top football leagues like the English Premier League, a team must invest in top-quality players to give other top teams a run for their money. Investing in young players with potential has proven counterproductive over the years.
Young players need time to adjust to the demands of the EPL and they are prone to injury due to the fast-paced nature of the league. Investing in too many young players proved to be the major reason why Ten Hag failed at Manchester United.
To succeed in EPL, a manager needs to build his team around well-established players who are ambitious and self-motivated rather than investing so much in players with potential, who sometimes fail to live up to expectations.
The Dutchman needed to come out of his shell, and improve on his ability to manage top players with ego, only then would he have succeeded in England. His sack was always predictable from the start of the season.
Other EPL Managers Who Were Sacked this Season
Sean Dyche
The former Everton manager Sean Dyche was another manager prone to getting sacked. The manager was employed last season to help the team avoid relegation after a stint of poor results.
The English manager who is accustomed to the EPL, having managed a handful of English teams in the past, turned in some wonderful performances to salvage the toffee’s season and help them stay afloat in the league.
But this season didn’t go as planned for the former Toffees manager with his team suffering so many losses early in the season. Everton’s record of being among the teams that has never been relegated is a big deal and any manager who takes over the mantle at the club is expected to live up to expectations.
Unfortunately, this was not the case for Sean Dyche who inevitably got the much-dreaded letter of sack after a series of poor results.
He was replaced with David Moyes who happens to know the club inside-out. Moyes is proving to be the right choice for the Mersey Side team as his second coming for the club has taken off on a positive note.
Steve Cooper
The Welsh tactician has a handful of experience managing in the EPL. He took over as the coach of the newly promoted Leicester City last summer but was sacked after only 12 rounds of league games. His poor showing saw him make the list of the sacked EPL managers. He was replaced by Ruud Van Nistelroy.
However, Leicester have failed to see any turnaround in fortune and are currently battling relegation.
Roy Hodgson
The 77-year-old manager began the season as Crystal Palace coach. Hodgson has managed the club in the past and thought he still has what it takes to help the club achieve success.
But a series of results in the first half of the season proved otherwise and the English man thought it was best to step down as the coach of a club he holds dear in his heart. He was replaced with Oliver Glasner, 49, who has managed to turn the fortune of the club.
Russell Martin
The former Southampton coach Russell Martin, 39, makes the list of the sacked EPL managers this season after guiding the team to the last position on the log. The newly promoted team appear to be on their way back to the championship.
Julen Lopetegui
The Spanish manager hasn’t enjoyed major success in his managerial career despite managing teams like Real Madrid and Sevilla. He was sacked by West Ham a few weeks ago after a series of poor display
