'Sacked in the morning, you're getting sacked in the morning' is the familiar chant heard from football fans these days, however, this season Premier League bosses are currently enjoying the third-longest start to a campaign without a managerial casualty.
November has traditionally been the month when the first departure has taken place, in sevens seasons it is the time that the owners and club boards have decided to act, yet, this season they all seem likely to carry on through mid-December at least (Tony Pulis left Crystal Palace 48 hours before the new term got underway).Unsurprisingly, no Premier League season to date has transpired without a single manager being relieved of his duties.
On 6th December 2010 Newcastle United sacked Chris Hughton, replacing him with Alan Pardew, who despite his trials and tribulations, is currently the league’s second-longest serving manager after Arsène Wenger (who has his own problems, to say the least). Now that we have made it past that date this season it means, remarkably, this is the longest period for 18 years since a manager left his job.
On that occasion it was Bolton Wanderers who on 2nd January 1996 parted company with Roy McFarland.You have to go all the way back to the first season of the Premier League for the record which was set when Chelsea waited until 15th February 1993 before dismissing Ian Porterfield, making him the first manager to be sacked in the Premier League era. The shortest time we have had to wait for a parting of company at the start of a campaign came in the 2004/05 season when Paul Sturrock survived just two games before leaving Southampton by mutual consent on 23rd August 2004.
Chelsea and Newcastle hold the record for the most early managerial dismissals at three apiece. Ian Porterfield (1992/93), Gianluca Vialli (2000/01) and Jose Mourinho (2007/08) were all given their marching orders from Stamford Bridge. Kenny Dalglish (1998/99), Ruud Gullit (1999/00) and Chris Hughton (2010/11) all happened to be the first Premier League managers to leave their jobs when they were shown the St James’ Park door.
As it stands this season Leicester City's Nigel Pearson looks to be the favourite to go first, while Alan Irvine (West Brom), Brendan Rodgers (Liverpool) and Steve Bruce (Hull City) also look vulnerable.
At some point soon a chairman will get nervy, it is not just Santa who will be getting the sack ready as Christmas nears...
First Premier League managerial departure in each season:
1992/93 - Ian Porterfield (Chelsea) 15/02/93
1993/94 - Peter Reid (Manchester City) 28/08/94
1994/95 - Osvaldo Ardiles (Tottenham Hotspur) 1/11/94
1995/96 - Roy McFarland (Bolton Wanderers) 02/01/96
1996/97 - Ray Harford (Blackburn Rovers) 25/10/96
1997/98 - David Pleat (Sheffield Wednesday) 03/11/97
1998/99 - Kenny Dalgish (Newcastle united) 27/08/98
1999/00 - Ruud Gullit (Newcastle United) 28/08/99
2000/01 - Gianluca Vialli (Chelsea) 12/09/00
2001/02 - Peter Taylor (Leicester City) 30/09/01
2002/03 - Peter Reid (Sunderland) 07/10/02
2003/04 - Glenn Hoddle (Tottenham Hotspur) 21/09/03
2004/05 - Paul Sturrock (Southampton) 23/08/04
2005/06 - Alain Perrin (Portsmouth) 24/11/05
2006/07 - Iain Dowie (Charlton Athletic) 13/11/06
2007/08 - Jose Mourinho (Chelsea) 19/09/07
2008/09 - Alan Curbishley (West Ham United) 03/09/08
2009/10 - Paul Hart (Portsmouth) 24/11/09
2010/11 - Chris Hughton (Newcastle United) 06/12/10
2011/12 - Steve Bruce (Sunderland) 30/11/11
2012/13 - Roberto Di Matteo (Chelsea) 21/11/12
2013/14 - Paulo Di Canio (Sunderland) 22/09/13
Source: DSG
