Sack Race: Mourinho odds slashed, are his methods outdated?

Matthew Briggs 21 Sep 2016 11:51 AM

Jose Mourinho: As short as 16/1 to get the boot first

Jose Mourinho: Plays down compliment from coaching rival

Mark Hughes leads the way in this season’s Premier League Sack Race, but Jose Mourinho is the big mover and we investigate if his managerial style could cost him his job.

1. Mark Hughes

Generally a 20/1 poke at the start of the season Mark Hughes is as short as evens to get the boot first this season after a poor start.

Sunday’s capitulation at Crystal Palace leaves Stoke with just a point from their first five games – a point they picked up on the opening day against Middlesbrough.

The summer arrivals of Joe Allen, Bruno Martins Indi, Wilfried Bony and Ramadan Sobhi raised hopes of an improvement in their ninth-placed finish in the Premier League, but as Hughes accepted on Sunday they are in danger of letting that get away from them already.

Hughes’ Stoke have been a model of consistency in the last three years with ninth place theirs for the last three years and Hughes has targeted a higher finish this time around. However, defensively, where Stoke were so strong under Tony Pulis’ reign, the Potters have been awful.

They have conceded four goals three times already this season – although two of those results were against highly-fancied Manchester City and Tottenham. So Stoke have had a tough start with a trip to Everton also thrown in and that will surely have been considered by chairman Peter Coates, who has backed Hughes.

However, the fact that they have conceded 14 goals this term and 50 this year cannot hide the fact that defensively Hughes had problems last season too.

2. Tony Pulis

Tony Pulis: Unhappy with Premier League fixtures

Generally a 7/2 shot Tony Pulis looks a touch of value given his history of walking away from jobs.

TP walked away from Crystal Palace after just eight months in 2014. On the eve of the season, after taking his bat and ball home over his transfer budget, he quit at Selhurst Park. And there have already been signs friction on that front with West Brom with Pulis recently suggesting the club’s incoming transfers were not his targets.

The Albion faithful are also far from happy with Pulis’ style of play, however the weekend’s win over West Ham was much needed and if he can follow that up in the next few weeks then he may buy himself some time, but if he does go it will most likely be his decision and may be at any time.

3. Francesco Guidolin

There were fears over the Swansea boss’ health last season and rumours of Brendan Rodgers’ return were rife, but that never materialised and Rodgers went to Celtic.

Guidolin penned a two-year deal, but things have not gone according to plan this term with just four points and four goals scored. A 5/1 chance Guidolin looks all set for a difficult season after an uninspiring transfer window.

4. Slaven Bilic

After a brilliant punditry display with the BBC at Euro 2016, things have gone down the pan for West Ham.

The move to the Olympic Stadium has been difficult and defeats to West Brom and Watford have piled the pressure on Bilic, who said he was embarrassed at the half-time, losing 3-0 to West Brom.

The Croatian has demanded a reaction and the end to individual mistakes and he looks capable of turning things around and BetVictor share that view with him quotes at 8/1. Paddy Power are not quite so confident and have Bilic as short as 5/1.

5. Alan Pardew

6. David Moyes

7. Aitor Karanka

8. Claude Puel

9. Walter Mazzarri

= Next permananet Hull boss

11. Sean Dyche

= Arsene Wenger

= Eddie Howe

= Jose Mourinho

Charged in from 100/1 ahead of the weekend to as short as 16/1 with Coral after Manchester United’s defeat to Watford and the ensuing fall-out.

The Portuguese boss had not dealt with things well and suggestions that his heavy-handed approach may well be outdated have some validity.

He has now lost 11 of his last 21 Premier League games and although the majority of those were with Chelsea before his ill-fated return ended in the sack, there are already similar signs emerging at Old Trafford.

Things were going swimmingly and ‘United were back’ ahead of the Manchester derby. But the manner of the defeat against their city rivals had alarm bells ringing and throwing Jesse Lingard and new boy Henrikh Mkhitaryan under the bus after hauling them off at half-time was ill-judged. And with just a month of the season gone he followed those comments up with suggestions some of his players could not deal with the pressure before hammering Luke Shaw in the aftermath of the 3-2 defeat to Watford.

Mourinho referred to Shaw as “our left-back” – hardly discreet, but hugely divisive. It’s hard to see how trust can be developed between players and manager when, at the first sign of trouble, the boss is calling you out in the press. You can only imagine what was said in the privacy of the dressing room.

But at 53 years old are his brash management style outdated?

He has already upset a number of his squad and failing to add new blood to his backroom staff and the lack of new ideas and fresh thinking may well be becoming exposed.