Erik ten Hag heads sack-race betting but pressure is mounting on Wolves boss Gary O'Neil

International breaks are a dangerous time for under-pressure managers and Manchester United's Erik ten Hag is 4-5 to be the next Premier League boss to leave his job.

Sunday's 0-0 draw at Aston Villa was a decent result in isolation but it leaves United 14th in the table, having scored only five goals in seven league matches.

In the past week, bet365 have slashed Thomas Tuchel from 10-1 to 2-1 to be United's next permanent manager. Ruud van Nistelrooy, who joined Ten Hag's coaching staff in the summer, is 7-2 to succeed his compatriot while Gareth Southgate is 5-1 and Ipswich's Kieran McKenna is a 9-1 shot.

Ten Hag is not the only Premier League manager feeling the heat and we assess the prospects of the three coaches dominating the sack-race market.

Erik ten Hag 4-5

After United's eighth-place finish last season, Ten Hag was reportedly on the brink of the sack before upsetting Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

The Red Devils continue to be hampered by familiar issues – new signings struggling to settle, a toothless attack and an unsettled defence – and 3-0 home defeats to Liverpool and Tottenham have tested the patience of the Old Trafford faithful.

Co-owner Sir Jim Radcliffe told the BBC before the Villa game that the club's management team will "take stock and make some sensible decisions" but it is hard to see Ten Hag turning things around.

Gary O'Neil 11-4

Football is a fickle business and, less than two months after signing a new four-year deal, Wolves manager Gary O'Neil is second-favourite in the sack race.

Wanderers are bottom of the standings with one point from seven games and the travelling fans were distinctly unimpressed by Saturday's 5-3 defeat at Brentford. 

O'Neil labelled his side's defensive display as "unbelievably disappointing" but Wolves have had a brutal run of fixtures, losing to Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Liverpool.

The owners will surely be reluctant to sack O'Neil so soon after handing him a contract until 2028 although the schedule does not get any easier as Wolves face Manchester City at home and Brighton away after the international break. 

Russell Martin 7-2

Southampton are above Wolves only on goal difference and their tally of four goals in seven games is the lowest in the division.

There are major doubts over whether Russell Martin has the personnel to play his possession-based football in the top flight and Saints conceded three goals in each of their last four defeats, against Brentford, Manchester United, Bournemouth and Arsenal.

Upcoming home fixtures against Leicester and Everton, as well as a trip to Wolves on November 9, will provide a clearer picture of Southampton's survival chances.

Everton's Sean Dyche and Crystal Palace's Oliver Glasner are next in the betting at 20-1 but both have credit in the bank following strong finishes to the 2023-24 campaign while West Ham's Julen Lopetegui claimed a much-needed 4-1 win over Ipswich at the weekend.

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