Two coaches in two days in the New Year, the Premier League has become a "purgatory" for coaches

The reporter reported coldly On January 8, West Ham United's Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui stepped down; On 9 January, Everton sacked Dyche, who became the sixth permanent manager to be sacked from the Premier League this season. The Premier League and Serie A are tied for the most changes in the top five leagues (six), and if the interim manager and Everton's upcoming new manager are included, the total number of manager changes in the six teams in the Premier League this season has reached 10, more than Serie A (five). During the same period, 4 teams in La Liga changed coaches, and there were only 3 teams in the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 each. Of the bottom five teams in the Premier League, only Ipswich has not yet changed their manager, plus Manchester United and West Ham United, this season's Premier League can be called a coach's "purgatory".

Last season, only three managers were sacked in the Premier League for the entire season, with only Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest changing managers compared to the same period this season. In the 2022/23 season, there were also 6 teams in the Premier League that changed coaches in the same period, but Brighton and Aston Villa were poached by Chelsea and Dammam that year, and only 4 teams took the initiative to change managers. The last time there were more changes in the Premier League at the same time than this season was in 2017/18, when there were seven changes in the Premier League by the start of January, including Leicester City, Everton and West Ham United, who also changed managers early this season.

In the top five leagues, Serie A and La Liga usually change managers more frequently, but this season, Premier League owners are clearly less patient. The first to be fired was Manchester United's Ten Hag, and after Wolves and Southampton changed managers at the same time on December 15 last year, the Premier League manager change entered the fast lane. In just 25 days, 4 teams have changed coaches due to dismal results. Everton, the latest manager, have changed managers midway through January three times in the last four seasons. In the seven seasons so far in 2018/19, only Carlo Ancelotti and Dyche have managed a full season. But this time, Dyche couldn't escape the fate of leaving class halfway through.

Everton's new American boss Friedkin has pinned his hopes on former coach David Moyes, a Scottish coach who managed Everton for 11 seasons and has twice successfully saved West Ham from relegation. In 2022/23, he led West Ham United to the UEFA Europa League title, and the 14th place in the Premier League is the lowest of any team that has won the European Cup. Moyes fell apart with West Ham last season and will return to the Toffees for the first time in 11 years.

The Premier League, the "purgatory" of coaches, has not suspended the replacement because almost all the relegation teams have changed coaches. After a 2-1 defeat at home to Newcastle on Saturday, Tottenham's Postecoglou odds soared to first place. After a 4-0 win away to Manchester City on 23 November last year, Tottenham seemed to have run out of luck, picking up just four points from their last seven Premier League games, conceding a total of 16 goals and dropping from sixth to 12th in the top half of the table. Serious injuries are the main reason for Tottenham's sharp turnaround, with goalkeeper Vicario, centre-back Sergio Romero, Van der Veen, Ben Davies, left-back Udogie, striker Richarlison all unavailable, and a new injury to midfielder Bentancur.

Leicester City and Southampton, whose results have not improved after the change of coach, still have high odds for the new coach to leave class. Ruud van Nistelrooy, who has been in charge of Leicester City for 6 weeks, has lost as a temporary coach at Manchester United, losing 5 consecutive Premier League games, only 2 points away from the relegation zone, and no hope of relegation; Southampton's Juric has just left Roma to fight fires in the Premier League. Unfortunately, Southampton's strength is limited, and he has basically locked in a relegation place, and he is as powerless as his predecessor.

McKenna, who finished second from bottom in the Premier League with Ipswich, was the only lucky one in the cutthroat competition. Ipswich have rebounded recently, starting with a 2-0 home win at Chelsea and a draw away at Fulham in mid-December, picking up seven points from their last five games. Ipswich is only 1 point away from the relegation zone, and finally sees the hope of relegation, so the boss will naturally not rashly change the coach.

It is worth mentioning that defending champion Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola's odds to leave are currently in fifth place. While it is unlikely that he will be sacked midway through, it highlights the brutality of the Premier League's managerial environment.

Manchester United's new coach Amorim, who spent 11 million euros to recruit before drawing with leaders Liverpool, has the odds of leaving the class on par with new managers of relegation teams such as Juric and Pereira. In today's Premier League, more than half of the coaches may be sacked at any time, which can be called a real "purgatory" for coaches.