Keeping track of every Premier League managerial sacking this season

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Premier League managers, sacking, 2023-24

Compared to last season’s record-breaking 16 managerial sackings, 2023-24 has been quiet. However, that doesn’t mean we’ve been starved of Premier League managers losing their jobs this season.

We’re well beyond the halfway point of the 2023-24 Premier League season and yet, unlike the 2022-23 campaign, when an unprecedented 16 managers received their marching orders, just three managers have lost their jobs this campaign.

There’s a myriad of reasons for why this is the case, including a potential hangover from last season’s sacking bonanza and clubs toeing the financial line, pinching pennies wherever possible in order to remain compliant with the Premier League’s financial regulations, which have been strictly cracked down on in recent months.

Despite several clubs experiencing whirlwind beginnings to the current campaign which in bygone years would’ve seen their manager punished with losing their job, we had to wait until 2023’s final month before a Premier Club wielding the sacking axe.

Paul Heckingbottom found himself unemployed after his understrength Sheffield United did exactly what anyone with a set of eyes expected and struggled on their Premier League return; struggle. A fortnight later Steve Cooper, regarded as Nottingham Forest’s finest manager not named Brian Clough, joined Heckingbottom out of a job, while a sustained period of poor form meant Roy Hodgson joined Cooper and Heckingbottom on the unemployment list come February.

While 2023-24 isn’t shaping to be as record-breaking as its predecessor, let’s revise which managers have lost their jobs and why. While only small at present, there is no doubt this list has the potential to balloon as we enter the point end of the season.

Premier League managers sacked, season 2023-24

Paul Heckingbottom, Sheffield United

5 December

It took until early December for our first Premier League manager to be sacked when Paul Heckingbottom was removed from his post by Sheffield United.

Was anyone expecting, after 14 rounds of the Premier League season, his Sheffield United to be anywhere other than where they were; battling in the relegation zone?

Understandably results weren’t up to standard. His final match in the dugout, a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Burnley, showed Sheffield United weren’t even capable of stealing points from fellow relegating stragglers. As unceremonious as it was, few can argue Heckingbottom’s sacking was unjustified.

It’s almost a given that the gap between the newly promoted Premier League sides and those in the lower mid-table is extremely wide. That doesn’t mean there aren’t ways around it; take Luton Town for example. However, where Heckingbottom seemingly fell short was in his inability to drag Sheffield United to being somewhat competitive against teams at their level.

New manager, Chris Wilder, has seemingly done so, collecting eight points throughout his reign, accurate as of the time of writing. After only one win and two draws under Heckingbottom, new manager Chris Wilder, Heckingbottom’s replacement, has collected eight points in his reign.

premier league managers, Paul Heckingbottom
Sheffield United’s Paul Heckingbottom was the first Premier League manager sacked in 2023-24

Steve Cooper, Nottingham Forest

19 December

Steve Cooper was beloved by Forest fans. He’d done what many before him failed to do and returned the club to the Premier League. In the top flight, he was placed under stressful working conditions by the club’s ownership’s decision to seemingly sign any and every player they could get their hands on.

Such conditions would hinder the most experienced Premier League managers. Cooper managed to steady the uncertainty in the side’s first season back in the top-flight, but indifferent form in their second season at the summit resulted in his sacking, his fate secured through a 2-0 defeat to Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs.

Forest would replace Cooper with Nuno Espirito Santo. As Premier League managers go, Nuno is one of recent history’s most underrated, with his three wins as Forest manager coming against Newcastle, Manchester United and West Ham testament to that.

Roy Hodgson, Crystal Palace

20 February

Speaking of experienced Premier League managers, Roy Hodgson’s time at Crystal Palace is over. After rescuing Palace from a dip in form during 2022-23 and reigniting the club’s fortunes, Roy’s relationship with the fans has soured this campaign in light of some incredibly average performances.

Injuries, particularly to Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise, have hurt but the relationship between the manager and fans strained beyond repair, forcing Steve Parish’s hand in calling time on Roy’s second managerial spell at the club.

Replacing the 76-year-old Englishman is Oliver Glasner who, when announcing his departure from Eintracht Frankfurt at the end of the 2022-23 season, was one of European football’s most sought after managers.

A large part of his intrigue is his success at the German outfit. In 2022, Glasner guided Frankfurt to the second Europa League title in their history, as well as a DFB Pokal final the following year.

The Austrian’s deal runs until 2026, and while it would require a Herculean effort to replicate his Frankfurt success in London, Palace has the pieces for him to get excited about, particularly in Eze, Olise, Marc Guehi, Joachim Andersen and the newly recruited Adam Wharton.

Picture of Kyle Robbins
Kyle Robbins
Kyle is a senior sports writer and producer at Only Sports who lives and breathes sport, with a particular burning passion for everything soccer, rugby league, and cricket. You’ll most commonly find him getting overly hopeful about the Bulldogs and Chelsea’s prospects. Find Kyle on LinkedIn.

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