Sack Watch: The top five Premier League managers who are most likely to be fired

If the old adage that "coaches are hired to be fired" holds true, then there are some bosses in the Premier League whose seats are truly heating up and Thomas Frank's position at Tottenham Hotspur continues to hang on a knife edge.

There were notable sackings across the Christmas period, with both Enzo Maresca and Ruben Amorim shockingly leaving their posts before Marti Cifuentes was axed by former Premier League champions Leicester City on Sunday following their dismal run of form.

So who are the most likely managers on the chopping block in the top flight? DAZN News takes a look at the men whose job security is currently the lowest.

1. Thomas Frank (Tottenham Hotspur) 

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Frank's arrival in North London was meant to mark the Dane's career ascent following the fine work he did at Brentford.

But it's quickly gone all very Spursy very quickly and there is no denying he is the overwhelming favourite to win the sack race.

Fans have never really taken to Frank, where his more defensive-minded style has led to some bitterly underwhelming performances, especially at home, where they continue to struggle. 

And the pressure is ramping up on him more than ever following Saturday's dismal 2-2 draw at lowly Burnley which saw the travelling fans called for Frank's head.

Last week's impressive 2-0 Champions League home win over Borussia Dortmund ought to have given Frank a little breathing space, but the abuse he suffered at Turf Moor at the hands of his own supporters suggested he is a man on the brink. 

Verdict: When your job is hanging by the thinnest of threads, you simply have to beat the likes of Burnley. That Frank could not even manage that again made him the target of Spurs fans' ire and it feels like a bad defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday could spell the end for the Dane. 

2. Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace)

It's all going very badly wrong for the man in charge at Selhurst Park, just months after delivering the Eagles their greatest ever moment with their historic FA Cup win. 

That defence went up in flames as they were dumped out of this season's competition by National League North side Macclesfield in one of the greatest ever giant-killings, and that seems to be the least of the problems at Palace. 

Glasner is out of contract at the end of the campaign and has confirmed he will leave when his deal expires, but he might not last that long if the Eagles' slide continues for much longer.

Palace are without a win since the beginning of December, a run of 11 games, and have plummeted down the league, so do the club look to a future without the man who guided them to their greatest-ever success? Tensions behind the scenes at Selhurst Park appear to be rising and that could spell bad news for Glasner.

Verdict: Glasner's relationship with the Palace board is rocky to say the least after he recently accused the hierarchy of "abandoning" the playing group and that kind of remark, coupled with the club's dreadful form, has left the Austrian on thin ice. 

3. Nuno Espirito Santo (West Ham United) 

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Nuno has led the Hammers to two sucessive Premier League wins at Tottenham and at home to Sunderland, but he is not out of the woods just yet.

His tenure overall so far has been dreadful and he struggled to badly to make his mark after succeeding Graham Potter in September.

The club have already been active in the transfer market, bringing in two new strikers in Pablo and Taty Castellanos and fans will be hoping they can steal a classic trick from Paul Kitson and John Hartson, who saved the London club from relegation three decades ago after they were in a similar position. 

WIth 15 Premier League games remaining, West Ham are five points adrfit of safety and Nuno is battling not only to keep them up but to save his job.

Verdict: The last two performances have breathed new life into West Ham's survival bid and suggested Nuno has finally got them up and running - but they must keep winning or else he could yet be replaced ahead of the run-in. 

4. Scott Parker (Burnley) 

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Burnley are sinking fast after a run that has seen them not win a league game since the end of October. It is a sequence which has left them 10 points adrift of safety and raised question marks over how much longer Parker can remain in position.

The Clarets have actually only lost two of their last seven Premier League games.

The problem for Parker is that they have not won any of them and, despite recent impressive draws against the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal and Tottenham, Burnley cannot buy a win.

The conundrum now for the Turf Moor hierarchy is whether they stick with Parker or twist in a desperate bid to beat the drop, which already looks a mountainous task.

Verdict: Burnley appear increasingly likely to join no-hopers Wolves in getting relegated and if they don't start picking up wins, Parker could be for the chop. 

 

5. Arne Slot (Liverpool) 

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Booed off after drawing at home to Burnley and then beaten at Bournemouth, could the walls be slowly caving in on Slot at Liverpool?

At times this season it has felt that way with the Reds having struggled badly to follow up last season's title success with any kind of consistency.

They are way off the pace in the Premier League but Slot will come under more pressure if he cannot deliver Champions League football.

They are still progressing well in Europe this season and have the FA Cup to challenge for as well.

Verdict: Unless Liverpool's form falls off the edge of a cliff, Slot is likely to stay in position but at some point he will be seriously judged.

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