5 top-flight managers who could face the sack

With billions being pumped into football via the rising TV deals, there is quite a lot of money being thrown around in the transfer market which means immediate success is a must for a manager. The average tenure of a manager is getting shorter and shorter as demands of trigger-happy owners are at their peak.

What constitutes success is always up for debate but some decisions like Crystal Palace's to sack Frank de Boer's after just four games is borderline crazy. A seasoned manager like Carlo Ancelotti also got the sack at Bayern Munich last month just a month and a half into the season.

Let's look at some of the others who could possibly be sacked in the foreseeable future.

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#1 Michel, Malaga

Only two statistics are enough for me to prove to you that Malaga manager Michel is indeed the man most likely to be sacked next:

One, his team have not won any of their opening 7 league games and two, he was the third manager to take charge of the Albicelestes last season, after former Real Madrid, Sevilla and Tottenham boss Juande Ramos and former Uruguay star Marcelo Romero were both sacked after 4 months in charge.

Not only the results, the manner in which his side have capitulated have the fans calling for his head. With only a solitary point to show for their troubles, a 3-3 draw against Athletic Club Bilbao and a goal difference of negative 12, it'd be interesting to see if their trigger-happy Qatari owners give Michel some more time to set things right. Given their history, I wouldn't be too optimistic about it.

#2 Ronald Koeman, Everton

Ronald Koeman is under tremendous pressure after a poor start to the season

It's rather unusual that despite spending upwards of £150 million, a club's transfer dealings are termed as unsuccessful. The Toffees failed to fill the goal scoring void left behind by star striker Romelu Lukaku's transfer to Manchester United and scoring goals has been their Achilles heel this season with only 4 in the league.

An uninspiring start to the Europa League starting with a 3-0 loss away to Italian side Atalanta, playing in Europe after 26 years, and stalemate against minnows Apollon Limassol at home has their confidence shattered. Fans at Goodison Park have booed their own team and have deemed the Dutchman's position untenable.

Will Koeman still be in charge for their first game after the international break against Brighton?

#3 Slaven Bilic, West Ham

This season, much like the last, has not gone to plan for the Croatian

Slaven Bilic is in the final year of his contract at the London Stadium and there seems to be no chance of him getting a contract extension. Whilst the Hammers prospered in his first year in charge finishing an impressive 7th, last season's 11th place finish was thought to be below par by the Board and the fans.

Despite investing heavily to sharpen the attack with the big money signings of Marco Arnautovic and former Manchester United hitman Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez, the Hammers have scored just 7 goals in the league this term resulting in 4 losses in 7 games and currently occupy the 15th place after 7 games. January signing Jose Fonte and summer arrivals Joe Hart and Pablo Zabaleta haven't shored up the defence as expected.

Bilic has been under pressure since the opening day and one can't help but wonder if his luck has run out.

#4 Vincenzo Montella, AC Milan

AC Milan have spent heavily but have losses in their last two league games has put the gaffer in the line of fire

Another club that tried to buy its way out of mediocrity, AC Milan's significant spending saw them start their league campaign with two wins. However, the 4-1 loss against high flyers Lazio was a big blow to their ambitions.

Wins against Udinese and newly promoted SPAL buoyed their campaign but back-to-back losses against Sampdoria and Roma further dented their confidence and a few disgruntled fans are calling for Montella to be sacked with just 7 games played.

Should a romantic return to the club he won two Champions League with, both as a player and as a manager, seem tempting to Carlo Ancelotti, will the Board oblige?

#5 Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool

Klopp's tenure at Merseyside has been passionate but largely unsuccessful

With the club back in Europe's premier club competition, Jurgen Klopp's side garnered ambitions of putting up a real fight for the title at the beginning of the campaign but 3 draws against the so-called minnows (Watford, Burnley) and a morale-shattering 0-5 loss against table-toppers Manchester City coupled with drab draws against Sevilla and Spartak Moscow have their dented their season.

They even bowed out of the Carabao Cup, the only competition they've won in the last decade, in September. Major blame for the dismal performance lies with the German who apparently turned down the chance to sign Davinson Sanchez, now with Tottenham, and Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly.

Loses in league games against the in-form Manchester United and Tottenham in the league, with the game against Maribor sandwiched in between, would certainly make Klopp's position untenable.