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Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo
Some of these managers are lucky to still keep their jobs after enduring some underwhelming results.
Changing managers might sound like the easiest thing to do if you go by how callously the idea is thrown around on social media by angry and frustrated football fans.
There are several complications that come with managerial changes and unless things have deteriorated to a level from where redemption seems unattainable, managers usually end up keeping their jobs.
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Different managers come with different philosophies and styles of play and the players will take time to adapt to new systems especially when a managerial change happens in the middle of a season.
Sometimes, even though the results are underwhelming, clubs stay committed to a particular manager because of their belief in his philosophy and vision. We're guessing that is what has worked out in the case of these managers that we talk about in this article.
Let's take a look at five managers who are lucky not to have been sacked this season.
#5 Paulo Fonseca - AS Roma
Paulo Fonseca was appointed manager of AS Roma in the summer of 2019 and he guided them to a fifth-placed finish in what was arguably the most competitive Serie A season in recent times.
However, Fonseca has hardly covered himself in glory this season and was reportedly really close to getting sacked in January after using an extra substitute in AS Roma's Coppa Italia fixture against Spezia.
AS Roma won the match in normal time but were eliminated from the tournament for using an illegal substitute. This caused unrest in the AS Roma dressing room as well, with Edin Dzeko and Lorenzo Pellegrini reportedly raising their voices against the manager.
However, it was reported that Roma’s owners, Dan and Ryan Friedkin, decided to stick with Fonseca after deliberating on the issue for fifteen hours. Fonseca's Roma are currently sixth in the Serie A table with 50 points. They could fall further down quite soon as Lazio are just a point behind them and have a game in hand as well.
Reports have suggested that AS Roma are looking at replacing Fonseca as early as this summer with either Maurizio Sarri or Max Allegri. One thing is for certain and that's that Fonseca is lucky to be keeping his job right now.
#4 Steve Bruce - Newcastle United
Large sections of the Newcastle United fanbase are in agreement that the time to let Steve Bruce leave has arrived. After their most recent 3-0 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion, fans protested outside St. James' Park as the Magpies fell precariously close to the drop zone.
Newcastle United have endured a slew of bad results this term. They are 17th on the Premier League table and have won just one of their last eight league matches. Fans have protested thrice already this season but club owner Mike Ashley has reportedly decided to stick with Steve Bruce.
Reports claim that Bruce is loyal to the owners and they are convinced by his passion for the club. The Magpies are now just two points clear of 18th placed Fulham. If they can't turn their form around then Steve Bruce will be shown the exit door soon.
#3 Jorge Jesus - Benfica
Jorge Jesus took over at Benfica in August 2020 and was immediately backed by the biggest investment in the history of Portuguese football. Jesus was able to recruit for €105 million. However, their season got off to a poor start as they were eliminated in the third round of UEFA Champions League qualifiers.
They subsequently crashed out of the Super Cup and then subsequently the League Cup as well. Benfica are currently third in the Primeira Liga table but are 13 points behind league leaders Sporting CP.
The enthusiasm that surrounded Jesus' return to Benfica has now fizzled out as the promises look hollow and the vision blurry. The fact that Porto are once again poised to finish above Benfica is another problem.
Benfica have recovered some of their flair over the past couple of months and that is perhaps why Jesus still has his job but in January, huge sections of fans had gotten resigned to the fact that things wouldn't work out under him.
#2 Andrea Pirlo (Juventus)
Juventus are chasing a tenth consecutive Serie A title this season. But it looks like they will run out of gas before it draws to a close. Juventus are the kind of team that sacked Maurizio Sarri after his debut season even though he won the Serie A title.
Andrea Pirlo is a rookie manager and though there have been signs of promise, Juventus have not looked like a well-rounded unit. It's perhaps Juventus' decision to stick it out and give Pirlo time to help the team secure a new identity that's keeping the former player at the helm right now.
Juventus crashed out of the UEFA Champions League in the Round of 16 and are third in the Serie A table, 10 points behind league leaders Inter Milan. There is serious pressure on Pirlo at this point even though his side have made it to the Coppa Italia final.
These are just the levels that you have to keep up with when you're managing one of the most storied clubs in Europe. Managers have been sacked for less and as such, Pirlo is hanging by a thread right now.
#1 Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur)
Mauricio Pochettino was given the sack halfway through the 2019-20 season as Spurs struggled to replicate their form from the season prior where they had made it to the final of the UEFA Champions League. The difference between Pochettino's and Mourinho's system is like night and day.
While Pochettino transformed Spurs into one of the most exciting sides in Europe, Jose Mourinho decided to stick to his conservative approach. Despite having some of the most talented attackers in the Premier League on his side, Jose Mourinho's Tottenham Hotspur have played some dull and unexciting football.
They have been heavily reliant on the individual brilliance of Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min and now that their goals have dried up, they look bereft of ideas and inspiration. Recently, Spurs crashed out of the UEFA Europa League after losing to Dinamo Zagreb and lost the subsequent North London Derby against Arsenal.
Cries of Jose Mourinho to be sacked have now started getting a lot of support. Jose Mourinho will get a huge payout if Tottenham Hotspur are to sack him right now. We all know how Daniel Levy can get about spending money and that's perhaps the only thing that's keeping Mourinho in employment presently.
Harry Kane is reportedly looking to leave the club in the summer and it is high time that Spurs did something about their situation as it doesn't look like Jose Mourinho is the right man to drag them out of this rut.
