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Several managers have faced the sack in recent weeks, including Nuno Espirito Santo at Tottenham Hotspur and Ronald Koeman at Barcelona. In modern football, the role of a manager is an extremely volatile one, as there is absolutely no job security.
A case in point is Dean Smith, who helped Aston Villa secure promotion for the 2019-20 Premier League. Following a dismal start to the next season, Dean Smith did not enjoy much of a grace period. After five consecutive Premier League defeats, the Englishman was sacked after spending three years at Villa Park.
On that note, here's a look at the five top managers who could be sacked in 2022.
#5 Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho got off to a flying start in Rome, winning his first six matches of the 2021-22 season. However, he has failed to carry on in that same vein, as AS Roma have only won one of their last five Serie A games.
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Following his disappointing spell with Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, the Portuguese was appointed Roma manager in the summer of 2021. That seemed to be the perfect fit for club and manager, as Mourinho had earned his reputation managing the likes of Porto and Inter Milan in his early years.
Much like the aforementioned clubs, Roma are one of the most historic clubs in European football. But their expectations and demands are far less than the likes of Spurs and United. So it was seen as the perfect opportunity for Mourinho to reignite his stellar managerial career.
Tammy Abraham was one of Mourinho's first signings after the Portuguese moved to Rome, and Abraham has enjoyed a good start to life in Rome. However, Mourinho might still be under threat of facing the sack if he fails to arrest Roma's slide down the Serie A standings.
Rumours have also suggested that Jose Mourinho might be in contention for a managerial role in the Portugal national team.
#4 Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti is one of the most successful managers of the 21st century, with 20 titles under his belt. The Italian is one of a handful of managers to have won three Champions League titles with two different clubs - AC Milan and Real Madrid.
This is Ancelotti's second spell as Real Madrid manager. The Italian abandoned a long-term project at Everton when the Madrid job came calling. He has, thus far, done a decent job with the squad. Real Madrid are currently ranked second in the 2021-22 La Liga table, with a game in hand over table-toppers Real Sociedad.
Following their 2-1 shock defeat to Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol, Los Blancos won their next three UEFA Champions League fixtures. They are currently sitting at the top of the table, and are favourites to progress to the knockout stage.
However, good performances don't necessarily secure one's job at the Santiago Bernabeu. In his first spell as Real Madrid manager, Ancelotti won four titles and the IFFHS World's Best Club Coach accolade. However, he faced the sack when a better option in Rafael Benitez became available in 2015.
The same script might unfold in 2022 if world-class managers like Mauricio Pochettino and Zinedine Zidane become available.
#3 Massimiliano Allegri
Massimiliano Allegri is undoubtedly one of Juventus' most successful managers in their history. He won five consecutive Serie A titles in his first spell at the club.
The Italian also won four consecutive Coppa Italia titles and two Supercoppa Italiana during his five-year spell between 2014 and 2019. After a two-year sabbatical, Allegri returned to management with the Bianconeri ahead of the 2021-22 season.
In the two years in between, Juventus suffered big time without their legendary star manager.
The Bianconeri failed to make it ten scudettos in a row last season. They barely managed to scrape into the top four on the final day of the 2020-21 Serie A campaign. Juventus finished a whopping 13 points adrift of table-toppers Inter Milan.
In Allegri's second spell, Juventus have placed emphasis on a solid defensive foundation and a counter-attacking approach. However, that brand of football has failed to bear fruit, as Juventus are languishing in eighth place in the 2021-22 Serie A table.
Many Juventus fans have also argued that the team reached their ceiling under Massimiliano Allegri when he was relieved of his job in 2019. Hence, it might be a real possibility that Allegri could be without a job going into the 2022-23 season.
#2 Mauricio Pochettino
Every manager in world football would give an arm and a leg to be in the shoes of Mauricio Pochettino. The former Tottenham Hotspur manager has the luxury of choosing amongst the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Angel Di Maria.
However, he has failed to get the best out of his incredibly talented attacking players. Despite being one of the most talented managers in the continent, Pochettino has a relatively deserted trophy cabinet. He won his first-ever major trophy last year - the Trophee des Champions - in just his third game in charge of the Parisians.
The Argentine also won the Coupe de France title, but failed to win the Ligue 1 and Champions League titles. That marked only the second time PSG did not won the Ligue 1 title in the last nine years.
In the ongoing season, the Parisians are ten points clear at the top of the Ligue 1 table. That has more to do with the underperformance of other teams rather than the domination of PSG. Second-placed Lens have only managed 24 points in 13 matches.
If PSG don't win the Ligue 1 title and mount a substantial charge in the Champions League, Pochettino could be out of job in 2022.
#1 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Despite being perilously close to the exit door on several occasions, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer remains the Manchester United boss.
The Norwegian has had to endure heavy criticism following dismal results against Liverpool and Leicester City in the past month. Reports claimed that he was given three matches to save his job, which were Manchester United's last three fixtures heading into the international break.
The Red Devils managed to register one win, one draw, and one loss in their last three matches, but Solskjaer's job still seems to be safe.
Moreover, Manchester United's reported managerial replacement Antonio Conte has taken over at Tottenham Hotspur. The only world-class manager available in the market currently is Zinedine Zidane, who is reluctant to make a return to management just yet.
In that scenario, the Manchester United board could persist with Solskjaer until the end of the season. The Norwegian tactician may be afforded another few months before a final decision is made on his future at the club.
