5 managers across Europe whose jobs are currently under threat

Though club football has given way to the international break, the past week or so has not kept the media away from the ongoings at clubs off the field. The two-week sabbatical has given club chairmen and chief executives plenty of time to review the first quarter of the 2015/16 season and suggest if any sort of alterations need to be made for the long-term good of the club.One such alteration is that of the person at the helm on the football pitch, i.e. the head coach or manager. Those working at the club tend to use this fortnight to decide whether the current manager is still a good fit for the future of the club, based on performances over the two months. This international break has seen key figures like Brendan Rodgers and Dick Advocaat depart Liverpool and Sunderland, replaced by Jurgen Klopp and Sam Allardyce respectively.Apart from Rodgers and Advocaat, there have been many managers who have been subject to media and fan pressure following a run of unsatisfactory results since the start of the season. We take a look at some of the people on the hot seat whose jobs are currently under scrutiny, and analyse their chances of clinging on to their jobs in the coming weeks of the season.

#1 Massimiliano Allegri - Juventus

One of the surprise entries in this list is that of 48-year-old Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri. Since leading Juventus to the domestic double and the UEFA Champions League final –where they were beaten by Barcelona – he has had to deal with a stuttering start to their new campaign, picking up a mere 8 points from their opening 7 games, including a dispiriting 1-1 draw at home to newly promoted Frosinone.

Losing important games to Udinese, Roma and Napoli will not have helped Allegri’s cause one bit in a bid to defend their Serie A title. The loss of key players like Andrea Pirlo, Arturo Vidal and Carlos Tevez all at once has definitely hampered the balance of the team.

Though Juventus have attempted to cover up for their losses by signing Argentine striker Paulo Dybala, German central midfielder Sami Khedira and Croatian forward Mario Mandzukic amongst many others, the influx of so many new faces by the defending champions means that Allegri has the job of ensuring that the players understand each other on the pitch in order to fulfill the footballing philosophy the club and the manager demands.

An ageing backline of Stephan Lichtsteiner (31), Georgio Chiellini (31), Andrea Barzagli (34) and Patrice Evra (34) also adds to their woes, as their waning defensive focus and vulnerability to injuries has to be taken into consideration by the club while dealing with their players above the age of 30. A good team is always built from its defence, and Allegri will have to consider more youthful defensive options for the long-term safety of the club.

€26m Porto recruit Alex Sandro is more than a capable replacement for Patrice Evra at left-back and 21-year-old Daniele Rugani needs to be given more playing time as it only helps his development at the Turin club.

The only saving grace for Allegri at the moment has been Juventus’ Champions League form (2 wins in 2 games), and he will have to motivate his side to improve in the league if they are to pose a serious challenge to defend their Serie A crown.

Verdict: Allegri to be given until the end of the season to see if a new-look Juventus have gelled into a cohesive unit.

#2 David Moyes - Real Sociedad

Another manager under the cosh is former Manchester United and Everton manager David Moyes. Since being sacked after just 10 months at Old Trafford, Moyes was put in charge of Real Sociedad in November 2014 following the dismissal of Jagoba Arrasate, with the team languishing in 15th position in the La Liga table.. He guided them to clear safety by the end of the season and won the respect of many of the Anoeta faithful.

Come 2015/16, and the nightmares of Manchester United seem to come back to haunt the 52-year-old. With just 6 points from 7 games (one win) and sitting above the relegation zone on goal difference, the start of the new season for the Scot has been tough.

What has been most disappointing to see is the lack of quality in Sociedad’s style of play. Though the build up, led by former Real Madrid man Asier Illaramendi has been present, it is the lack of the decisive pass in the final third that has been missing throughout the season. This has been evident from Sociedad’s failure to find the net on 4 out of 7 occasions this season.

The attacking midfield trio of Carlos Vela, Sergio Canales and David Zurutuza have struggled to supply quality balls into the penalty area for lone striker Imanol Agirretxe up front. It is his 5 goals in 5 appearances this season has kept Sociedad away from the relegation zone, but there will be a point in the season when he faces a goal drought.

Sociedad will have to be prepared for that, and thus they will have to display more purpose in their game-play going up front and find ways to open up the opposition defence.

Verdict: Moyes will be given time unless a lucrative Premier League deal brings him back to England.

#3 Tim Sherwood - Aston Villa

After an impressive stint as caretaker manager at Tottenham Hotspur, Tim Sherwood was appointed Aston Villa manager in February following the sacking of Paul Lambert. He managed to keep Villa in the Premier League and also guided them to the FA Cup final, where they were thumped 4-0 by a ruthless Arsenal side.

Since then, things have taken a turn for the worse for the 46-year-old. After beating newly promoted Bournemouth on the opening day of the season, Villa have taken just a single point from their subsequent 7 games. Their performances at home have been abysmal, the results showing three 1-0 defeats and a 2-2 draw with wooden spoon holders Sunderland.

Once again, the problem has been the lack of goals up front, with the over-reliance on the aerially threatening Rudy Gestede compensating over quality ground football to outsmart the opposition back four. Scott Sinclair – who was so impressive on loan at the club last season – has struggled to find early season form in an advanced midfield role, his key-passes rate showing 1 every 3 games (0.3 per game).

The defence has also come under scrutiny on multiple occasions this season, failing to defend leads against Leicester City and Sunderland to lose and draw respectively. Sherwood has a lot of re-building to do with this new-look side – right from defensive organisation to chance creation in the attacking third – if he has to take Aston Villa out of the relegation mess their fans are having to witness season after season since the departure of Martin O’Neill.

What’s more, since taking over at Villa, Sherwood has suffered 13 defeats in 21 Premier League games as a manager, the most by any Villa manager in his first 21 games at Villa Park in the Premier League era.

Verdict: Sherwood will be retained till the November international break. If results still do not improve, he may well be on his way out of Villa Park.

#4 Steve McClaren - Newcastle United

It has been a tough start to life in the north-east for former England manager Steve McClaren. With no wins in eight Premier League games and a shock Capital One Cup exit at home to Sheffield Wednesday, the pressure is well on the 54-year-old to deliver the goods before Mike Ashley is forced to make a serious decision regarding his future at the club. Since Alan Pardew left Newcastle to become Crystal Palace’s manager, Newcastle have won just 3 out of 27 league games, collecting 16 points out of 81 available (W3, D7).

Newcastle fans, infamous for their impatience and criticism of Ashley’s running of the club – as was evident during Alan Pardew’s turbulent tenure as the Magpies’ manager – could yet again be a pivotal factor in deciding the outcome of a man. He has already been cast as a villain in the eyes of football fans across England after the national side failed to qualify for Euro 2008 under his management.

With one of his star players, goalkeeper Tim Krul, ruled out of the rest of the season with a serious knee injury, luck is also not on McClaren’s side as he looks to motivate his team. The Magpies have been generally efficient in their passing, led by Moussa Sissoko and Vurnon Anita in defensive midfield. However, it is their lack of goals that has cost them all season.

Aleksandr Mitrovic seems to spend more time off the field than on it thanks to his lack of discipline and Ayoze Perez appears to be highly indecisive with the ball at his feet, failing to convert chances into goal scoring opportunities.

Left-winger Georginio Wijnaldum’s form has been impressive with his pace and energy down the flank, and his performances will be crucial to the Magpies’ chances of keeping themselves in the Premier League.

Verdict: McClaren could be sacked around Christmas time with Brendan Rodgers a possible replacement at St. James Park.

#5 Jose Mourinho - Chelsea

Easily the most shocking entry on this list. At the start of the season, not even the most insightful footballing pundits would have foreseen such a predicament for Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho. With Chelsea languishing in 16th place with 8 points from as many games, Mourinho has guided Chelsea to their worst start in 37 years.

He insists that he still has the backing of club owner Roman Abramovich. But knowing the Russian’s history of dismissing managers within the blink of an eye, the Portuguese manager knows deep-down that time is not on his side. Mourinho has lost 5 out of his last 10 Premier League games. He lost just 5 out of 59 games prior to that run.

Chelsea’s problems start all the way from the back. Mourinho’s decision to stick with a constantly underperforming Branislav Ivanovic has backfired. The centre-back partnership of Kurt Zouma (now replacing an out-of-favour John Terry) and Gary Cahill is still a fledgling one, and Mourinho will hope that the duo gel quickly in order to restore order to his defence, which has already conceded 17 goals.

Nemanja Matic has also seen a dip in his performances in a shielding midfield role – characterized by his lack of tackles to stop the opposition and inability to stop counter-attacks from a Chelsea set-piece. And it has fans calling for him to be replaced by 19-year-old Ruben Loftus-Cheek, whose performances in the Champions League and the League Cup have raised many eyebrows.

One of Mourinho’s biggest disappointments has been the displays of PFA Player of the Year, Eden Hazard. The Belgian has failed to create an impact on the London club’s performances this season, with his apparent box of tricks to slalom past opposition missing since the start of the campaign. His horrible penalty miss in the Champions League tie against Maccabi Tel-Aviv sums up his lack of confidence this season.

His performances in the upcoming weeks could prove to be critical in deciding Mourinho’s future at Stamford Bridge, since he claimed the Belgian to be better than Cristiano Ronaldo before the start of the season. So far, there has been absolutely no evidence to prove that.

Verdict: With this sort of form, Roman Abramovich is not going to have the patience to review Mourinho at the end of the season. He will probably give Mourinho a Christmas ultimatum to convince him that he is the right man to lead Chelsea forward. If results don’t improve by then, then Mourinho can be expected to fear the worst.