Football management is renowned for being a precarious profession, particularly in the hurly burly of the English Premier League.
Seven top flight clubs sacked their manager during the 2024/25, while Ange Postecoglou was dismissed by Tottenham Hotspur at the end of the campaign.
Postecoglou has not been on the sidelines too long, with Nottingham Forest turning to him after sacking Nuno Espirito Santo earlier this month.
With that in mind, read on as we look at five Premier League managers who are under the most pressure this season, starting with one who desperately needs to win a trophy.
Mikel Arteta – Arsenal
Arsenal’s decision to appoint Mikel Arteta as their manager in December 2019 looked inspired after he guided them to success in the FA Cup final the following May.
However, Arteta has failed to add to the club’s silverware tally since then is undoubtedly under significant pressure to end the drought this season.
The Gunners have invested heavily in new players this summer, giving Arteta everything he needs to have the team challenging on all fronts.
Arsenal have made a solid start in the Premier League, winning three of their opening four games. They also kicked off their Champions League campaign with a victory.
Arteta needs to build on those foundations and guide Arsenal to at least one major trophy this term. If he fails, questions will be asked about his future with the club.
Ruben Amorim – Manchester United
Ruben Amorim arrived at Manchester United last November with a big reputation after a successful spell with Sporting CP. Things have not gone well for him since then.
The Red Devils finished 15th in the Premier League last season. They were also defeated by Tottenham in the final of the Europa League in Bilbao.
The club kept faith with Amorim this summer, spending more than £200 million on new players. Despite this, the club is in turmoil just a few weeks into the new season.
Man United are 14th in the league after winning just one of their first four matches. League Two side Grimsby Town eliminated them from the League Cup.
Amorim’s refusal to deviate from his favoured 3-4-2-1 system looks increasingly questionable with each passing week. If things don’t improve soon, the club will be forced to act.
Eddie Howe – Newcastle United
Having guided Newcastle United into the Champions League at the end of last season, Eddie Howe undoubtedly has plenty of credit in the bank.
However, the Magpies failed to progress out of the group in 2023/24, and Howe needs to demonstrate that he can cut it at this level.
Newcastle’s Saudi Arabian owners set some ambitious targets when they acquired the club including becoming competitive with the big guns in Europe.
Howe ended the club’s lengthy trophy drought by guiding them to success in the League Cup last term, but the owners will want to see a greater return on their investment.
Newcastle are yet to become a household name outside of the Premier League, and the global success and acclaim (and boost in online soccer streaming demand) that Manchester City (and Chelsea before them) have garnered has so far eluded them.
The acclaim will come with trophies – and keeping hold of their biggest stars. Losing Isak has been a bitter blow, but if Newcastle finish this season without a trophy, the powerbrokers at the club may decide they need to appoint a ‘bigger name’ than Howe.
Graham Potter – West Ham United
Graham Potter built a reputation as a forward-thinking coach in Sweden and he subsequently impressed when returning to the United Kingdom with Swansea City.
He was then appointed by Brighton & Hove Albion, where he benefited massively from the work done by the club’s shrewd recruitment department.
Potter’s career went downhill after he joined Chelsea in 2022. He lasted less than a season at Stamford Bridge and was out of work until West Ham United came calling in January.
The Hammers showed no signs of improvement under Potter in the second half of last season and have been woeful at the start of the current campaign.
Unless results improve soon, Potter will be lucky to make it to the end of October at the London Stadium.
Ange Postecoglou – Nottingham Forest
Postecoglou said he doesn’t have to ‘prove anything to anyone’ when he was appointed by Forest and he is justified in adopting that mindset.
The Australian’s CV is littered with silverware, including the recent Europa League success with Tottenham. That still wasn’t enough to keep him in the job.
Spurs lost 22 of their 38 games in the league last season, with injuries hindering their hopes of enjoying a more productive campaign.
Postecoglou was widely criticised for his commitment to playing attacking football, yet showed plenty of tactical acumen as Spurs won the Europa League.
Given that he is working under a high-maintenance owner at the City Ground, the affable Aussie needs to demonstrate that Tottenham were wrong to sack him.
‘This article was written by guest contributor Michael Cage’.
