It’s virtually certain that we will see Premier League managerial casualties over the course of the 2023/24 season, with a number of bookmakers having now assembled a Sack Race betting market which focuses on the first boss to get the chop once battle has commenced.
While all top-flight managers will feel fairly secure in their positions right now, things can quickly go awry and we recently saw Marco Silva go odds-on in this market after being linked with a move to Saudi Arabia. However, it’s now Julen Lopetegui who is trading at one of the shortest prices.
The Spaniard did a strong job at Wolves last season when replacing Bruno Lage, although William Hill now make him the 11/8 favourite on this market. It’s hardly a surprise when you consider the financial problems at Molineux which could see the former Real Madrid and Spain manager walk away.
Sheffield United are one of the Premier League new boys and it will be interesting to see how they cope in the top flight, with Paul Heckingbottom trading at 8/1 with Boylesports when it comes to the Sack Race betting market. However, expectation levels won’t be too high and the manager might be given time like Steve Cooper was at Nottingham Forest.
Cooper regularly traded as the favourite on this betting market last season, with the Welshman bidding to keep the Tricky Trees afloat for the second season running. Ladbrokes have 15/2 that the Forest boss is the first one to go for the current campaign, although it might be worth considering alternatives.
Marco Silva might decide to step down at Fulham if he’s not backed in the transfer market and there are rumours that star striker Aleksandr Mitrovic will leave Craven Cottage and sign for a Saudi Arabian club instead. The Portuguese is trading at 10/1 on William Hill’s Sack Race market and it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if he failed to last the season.
Andoni Iraola is clearly an unknown quantity at Bournemouth and has a difficult act to follow after Gary O’Neil performed so well with the Cherries last season, with Boylesports offering 10/1 that the Spaniard only has a short stint at the Vitality Stadium and it’s clear that a scrap against survival could be on the cards.
We are also seeing Rob Edwards among the favourites despite the manager having steered Luton Town into the Premier League last season through the play-offs. It’s unlikely that the Hatters would look at making a change too quickly, with Ladbrokes having 10/1 that the former Forest Green and Watford manager makes way first.
Sean Dyche managed to keep Everton afloat last season although the Merseyside outfit continue to be cash-strapped and the former Burnley manager might lose patience with the lack of financial backing at Goodison Park, with William Hill having 12/1 that he is the “winner” in the Sack Race market.
Next in the betting come a couple of experienced bosses, with David Moyes staying put at West Ham for now. Boylesports go 14/1 that the Scot is given his P45 before his other nineteen peers in the top flight, with Roy Hodgson available at 16/1 with the same bookmaker although he’s always done well at Crystal Palace.
