As we approach the final few matches of the Premier League season, we have seen a record number of managerial changes. With so much on the line at both ends of the table, points are the currency of success in England’s top flight, and if managers aren’t delivering them then they are given their marching orders with little hesitation.
Indeed, 13 different clubs changed manager at least once this season, but which have been the most important, either in terms of ensuring a team’s survival with the Premier League relegation odds, or resulting in a poor campaign? Read on, as we take a look at some of the league’s most important appointments this season.
Scott Parker – Bournemouth
In a strange way, the 9-0 defeat at Anfield was the best thing to happen for Bournemouth. While embarrassing at the time, the humiliation at the hands of Liverpool, which came just four games into the campaign, was the end of Scott Parker’s time as Cherries boss.
Despite earning promotion from the Championship, the former Fulham manager had criticised the Bournemouth board for a lack of transfer activity throughout the summer, and after a winless start, his time at Bournemouth was up. Gary O’Neil was appointed initially as caretaker boss, but he steadied the ship and ensured his side were consistently picking up points, culminating with one of their best points returns in the Premier League and survival in their first season back.
Thomas Tuchel – Chelsea
Another relatively early dismissal, Thomas Tuchel had spent the summer building a Chelsea side capable of competing for the title, but was given his marching orders in September. Todd Boehly had clearly never got on with the German since taking over the club, and at the first sign of weakness, he sacked Tuchel and appointed Graham Potter, who has also since lost his job at Stamford Bridge.
The likes of Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were signed specifically to work with Tuchel, who won the Champions League and Club World Cup in west London as well as reaching two domestic cup finals last season. However, his sacking resulted in an atrocious season, as the Blues float around mid-table.
Ralph Hasenhüttl – Southampton
If there was ever a final nail in the coffin for Southampton’s survival hopes, it was when they sacked Ralph Hasenhüttl. As premature as it seems, sacking the Austrian, who had consistently kept the Saints up despite losing his best players most seasons, meant that results were hard to come by. While in the drop zone, there was still time to salvage things, but the appointment of former Luton Town boss Nathan Jones, just one game before the World Cup break, was the beginning of the end. While at the time of writing Southampton aren’t officially relegated under their third boss of the season, Ruben Selles, it’s hard to see a way back rooted bottom of the table.
It will be interesting to see if the Spaniard sticks around on the South Coast for the Championship campaign, with the likes of James Ward-Prowse and Carlos Alcaraz likely having a number of suitors come the summer with a rebuild needed.
