The sack-happy culture of the Premier League has been more relaxed this season with only two bosses getting the boot so far at Sunderland and QPR. What is behind this new-found patience?
In the past three seasons a total of 19 managers have been given the chop by their clubs. This season only two have been sacked.
It has not been for the want of trying. Blackburn Rovers fans have been campaigning since September that Steve Kean is axed, and Aston Villa fans will this weekend will launch protests against Alex McLeish.
But so far the only unfortunate men to lose their jobs are Sunderland’s Steve Bruce and QPR’s Neil Warnock.
So what has caused this sudden wave of loyalty in the Premier League? The lowest number of sackings in the past 10 years was in 2005-06 when three were sacked. If appointments stay as the status quo, this season could beat that.
Each season brings a unique set of on and off pitch challenges, with differing personalities and fan expectations.
Chairmen, owners, and board executives have been criticised by the LMA in previous seasons for being so trigger-happy, it seems this year they are simply determined to be proven right.
Look at the Venky’s at Blackburn. They sacked Sam Allardyce a year ago and appointed Steve Kean. Kean is the man they appointed, so to get rid of him would be an admission they were wrong, and would place more pressure on them. Kean is little more than a convenient scapegoat.
At QPR it was the opposite. New manager Tony Fernandes sacked Warnock bring in Mark Hughes. Now he has his own man at the helm, look for him to remain loyal.
Over at Bolton, chairman Phil Gartside was under pressure at one stage to get rid of Owen Coyle. But Bolton have bounced back in recent weeks to an extent, even though they face a close battle to survive.
One reason why Coyle has remained is that Bolton are so strapped for cash. It would cost them money to sack Coyle, and any new manager would need a contract, plus expect money to be available to make new signings of his own. It isn’t. So Bolton were left with little option.
Even if the McLeish detractors gain momentum, Aston Villa manager Randy Lerner, will be unwilling to sack the Scot. Similar to the Venky’s he stuck his own neck on the line in appointing the former Birmingham boss, he would only place himself under more pressure by sacking him at this stage.
Villa did want Roberto Martinez, but he turned them down to stay loyal to Wigan. As a result Dave Whelan has guaranteed Martinez the job until the end of the season and beyond, even if they are relegated.
There are questions at Chelsea how long Andre Villas-Boas will last, but he is likely to be given another season, especially given the huge sum of money Chelsea paid to bring him in. However the temptation to bring in Mourinho if he is available will be hard to resist, but this is one for after the season is over, we are talking about mid-season changes.
Martin O’Neill’s instant success at Sunderland has to have got a few managers looking over their shoulders. His impact has shown the value of bringing a man in with fresh ideas mid-season to recharge the squad, but how many are there out there like O’Neill? Not many for sure.
Last year’s high-profile January transfer window sales also placed a fascinating spotlight on mid-season transfers. Fernando Torres and Andy Carroll’s inability to settle, or score even, has placed a question mark over the value of mid-season changes, despite O’Neill’s success at Sunderland.
There was also a lack of available quality players this January, making it harder for even cash-rich QPR to bring in the players they wanted.
As a result, owners have been sceptical of the value of making the changes, so we have reached February with only two managers displaced.
Can it last? It’s possible. For an owner to sack a manager a month or two after the transfer window has closed is a schoolboy error and sign of desperation. They made the decision to stand by their man, now they must continue to trust their judgement.
Manager sackings by the season the past 10 years:
2002-03: Four
2003-04: Five
2004-05: Seven
2005-06: Three
2006-07: Seven
2007-08: Seven
2008-09: Eight
2009-10: Five
2010-11: Six
2011-12: Two – so far…
Why do you think less managers have been sacked this year than in previous years?
image: © illarterate
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
