Tracking English Premier League managers sacked in 2022-23

Tracking EPL managers sacked in 2022-23 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Becoming a manager in the English Premier League is already strenuous enough, but keeping the role is on another level.

The intensity and stakes of every game are immense and any spell of bad form could cost a manager their job and the team a spot in the feared relegation zone.

Through just 11 games, four managers had already been sacked following starts not aligning with preseason expectations. Then past the halfway point, more joined the list.

Here’s a look at who they are and who could be next:

Which EPL managers have been sacked in 2022-23?

Javi Gracia became the 13th manager to get sacked this season when Leeds announced the news on May 3.

Let’s take a look at the EPL managers who have been let go thus far in 2022-23:

Scott Parker, Bournemouth: Bournemouth sacked Parker on Aug. 30, shortly after they had been drubbed 9-0 by Liverpool on the road. As one of the newly promoted teams from the EFL Championship into England’s top flight, Parker had been adamant to have the board release more funds to sign more quality players to survive the league, but that didn’t happen. Gary O’Neil took over as interim coach.

Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea: An educated guess would have led you to this result if you saw their preseason form. After guiding Chelsea to the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League title, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup in one season, Tuchel got sacked on Sept. 7 after their 1-0 loss to Dinamo Zagreb in the UEFA Champions League. After spending $310 million this past summer on transfers, Tuchel’s tactics just didn’t have the same effect. His midfield lacked control, his attackers couldn’t break down low blocks and his defenders were leaky too often despite running three central defenders and two wingbacks. Chelsea hired Brighton & Hove Albion’s Graham Potter as the full-time replacement, but backing a manager with that amount of funds only to move on within a week was an inauspicious decision at best.

Bruno Lage, Wolverhampton Wanderers: About a month later came Lage of Wolves, who was sacked on Oct. 2 after a 2-0 road loss to West Ham. Wolves were expected to be fighting for another top-10 spot in the table, but their lack of a quality ball-striking No. 9 and clinical wingers had – and still has – them battling to stay above the red zone. Julen Lopetegui, a former Sevilla and Real Madrid manager, came in to replace Lage.

Steven Gerrard, Aston Villa: Like Wolves, Aston Villa were expected to push for a top-10 finish following their recruitment in the last few transfer windows. However, Gerrard’s uninspiring tactics, player positioning and captain decisions have seen a team comprising Philippe Coutinho, Emiliano Buendia, Boubacar Kamara, Jacob Ramsey, Leon Bailey and more also fight to stay floating in the Prem. Next for the Villans is building under new head coach Unai Emery, who formerly managed Arsenal from 2018-2019 and catapulted his new club into the top six with less than a month to go in the PL campaign.

Ralph Hasenhüttl, Southampton: Southampton parted ways with Hasenhüttl on Nov. 6 and appointed Nathan Jones a few days after. Hasenhüttl came into the job in 2018 but never finished higher than 11th, which occurred in the 2019-20 campaign.

Frank Lampard, Everton: The Toffees started the season with solid defensive numbers and hovered around the middle of the park in the standings, but it eventually proved unsustainable. Everton lacked cohesiveness, chemistry and balance, and now the club is in a tough relegation fight for the second season running. After 20 games, Lampard’s team mustered a 3-6-11 win-draw-loss record and were in 19th place after his sacking. Sean Dyche took over and led the team to a tight 1-0 home win against Arsenal in his first game.

Jesse Marsch, Leeds: Leeds United of America lost its leader. After the club fell to Nottingham Forest 1-0, the club confirmed the sacking of Marsch a day later. They accumulated 18 points in 20 games on a 4-6-10 win-draw-loss record and are in the relegation fight for the second straight season. Spaniard Javi Gracia was tapped as the replacement on Feb. 21.

Nathan Jones, Southampton: There are now two sacked managers in one season for the Saints. Jones’ position had come under review following complaints from senior members of the Southampton squad, and the Saints’ 2-1 loss to Wolverhampton despite leading 1-0 with Wolves having 10 men sealed the deal. Southampton are at the bottom of the PL table with just six matches remaining.

Patrick Vieira, Crystal Palace: The Eagles moved on from Vieira just two days before a 4-1 loss to Arsenal, his former club as a player. Entering that fixture, Palace had failed to win a single game in 2023, with Paddy McCarthy serving as the caretaker manager against the Gunners. The poor run of form this year has pitted the team in a tight relegation scrap, and Roy Hodgson, who managed the team from 2017-2021, is returning to help. Vieira joined the team in 2021 after managing Ligue 1’s Nice for two years.

Antonio Conte, Tottenham: Conte did not last a full season in north London. After Tottenham tapped the Italian in November of 2021, the club cracked the top four late in the season over Arsenal to claim a spot in the Champions League. But despite having accumulated more points at this stage of the season compared to last, Conte’s side lacked inspiration, marquee signings thus far have failed expectations and were eliminated from every competition, extending the 15-year-trophyless drought. Cristian Stellini, who was the interim in February after Conte underwent gallbladder surgery, took over for Spurs.

Brendan Rodgers, Leicester City: Rodgers delivered a good stretch for Leicester City -- leading them to a first-ever FA Cup win and four top-10 league finishes -- but his fifth year was lacking inspiration. Expected by many to contend for a spot in a European championship, the Foxes now find themselves in serious jeopardy of relegation. Coming out of the international break and losing 2-1 to Crystal Palace -- who are less than a month off of firing Vieira -- proved to be the nail in the coffin for Rodgers. Long-time club coaches Adam Sadler and Mike Stowell have been charged with leading the team going forward.

Graham Potter, Chelsea: Potter's departure -- while not entirely surprising -- is the latest costly change for Chelsea in a period of transition and upheaval. After firing Thomas Tuchel back in September, new club owner American Todd Boehly reportedly doled out £21.5 million to buy out the contracts for Potter and his staff from Brighton. The club confirmed Bruno Saltor will take over as interim manager.

Cristian Stellini, Tottenham: Turns out Stellini will not be Tottenham’s manager the rest of the season. Spurs sacked Stellini following a 6-1 loss at Newcastle in which they trailed 5-0 within 20 minutes. The club announced that Ryan Mason will take over for the remainder of the season.

Javi Gracia, Leeds: Desperate to stay out of the relegation zone, Leeds made another managerial change in the final month of the Premier League season. The club hired former England manager Sam Allardyce to take the reins from Gracia with four games remaining.

Which EPL managers could be sacked next in 2022-23?

These managers are facing a spell on the hot seat if results don’t start heading in their favor:

David Moyes, West Ham: Moyes and West Ham spent over $200 million on new signings over the summer but only managed three wins in 11 to show for it, and they are in a similar boat as Leicester. A non-top-six board splashing that much cash will be expecting results, not a bottom-10 finish, putting Moyes at risk.

Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool: Liverpool couldn’t, could they? But that’s also what we thought about Tuchel and Chelsea – until it happened. The Reds haven’t looked their best all season and it’s also Year 7 of the infamous “Klopp Curse,” where Klopp’s team largely struggles in his seventh season at the helm and ends up leaving.