Which of the Premier League's 5 sacked managers merits another shot?
Tony Pulis' West Brom dismissal Monday marked the fifth Premier League manager to be handed his P45 papers this season after just six gaffers were sacked a year ago.
Considering England's perpetually spinning coaching carousel and the habit to hire tacticians who have previously failed elsewhere, it's likely that one or more of Pulis, Frank de Boer, Ronald Koeman, Craig Shakespeare, and Slaven Bilic will be offered another opportunity to manage in England's top flight. Just ask David Moyes, who was named Bilic's replacement at West Ham despite a mercurial top-flight history with Everton, Manchester United, and Sunderland.
With that in mind, here's a brief assessment of each manager's efforts this season, the reasons for their sackings, and a ranking that assesses the viability of them managing again in the Premier League. Make sure to have your say below:
1) Slaven Bilic: Statistically West Ham's most successful Premier League manager, former Irons defender and fan favourite Bilic was sacked the first week of November after a 4-1 defeat to Liverpool. With 30 wins and 26 draws amounting to 116 points - an average of 1.33 points per game - in his 86 league matches in charge, Bilic has proven his worth in England's top flight amid a catastrophic stadium switch and controversies that include Dimitri Payet's unceremonious exit. A manager who instills hard work and a tireless attitude, Bilic would be an ideal signing for a club that values effort over a discernible tactical identity.
2) Craig Shakespeare: It was never going to be easy to succeed Foxes fave and Premier League winner Claudio Ranieri at the King Power, though in just four months at the Leicester City helm, first-time manager Shakespeare has plenty to be proud of. A spell in the bottom three to start the season prompted Shakespeare's sacking, but his role in leading the East Midlands lot to the Champions League quarter-finals before bowing out on narrow terms to Atletico Madrid should not be overlooked. A tricky opening to this season with tilts against Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool would have been a challenge to navigate for any gaffer, as would the last-second departure of Danny Drinkwater and Adrien Silva's subsequent blocked move.
3) Tony Pulis: The Welsh purveyor of touchline trackies and trainers is no stranger to managing in England, and perhaps that's precisely why Pulis continues to get jobs. Two spells with Stoke City and gigs at Crystal Palace and Portsmouth preceded his move to the Hawthorns, though holes were found in his defensive approach after the Baggies yielded eight goals in their last three league outings. There were also concerns that Pulis failed to do the most with £40 million in summer signings. A specialist in avoiding relegation, his return to Premier League football is only a matter of time, and clubs lacking potency at the back may fancy the 59-year-old's service.
4) Ronald Koeman: Without knowing the intimate details of Everton's transfer policies, it's safe to presume that Koeman played a big part in a disastrous summer of blockbuster moves to Goodison Park. Sans a clear vision, the Toffees spent in excess of £140 million to sign three No. 10s, and the club is worse off because of it, lacking in equal parts pace and dynamism. Koeman also displayed a knack for banishing the wrong players. After Oumar Niasse and Kevin Mirallas spent spells in the Dutchman's doghouse, the attacking pair proved to be two of Everton's only players who can bulge the back of the net on their respective returns. Still, a gig on the continent is in the cards for the former Southampton gaffer.
5) Frank de Boer: The luster associated with Dutch managers has long since faded with the repeated gaffes of Koeman, Dick Advocaat, and Louis van Gaal, and former Crystal Palace boss De Boer has more than played his part. If you fancy a manager who barely has to open his suitcase, De Boer is your guy, after his 77-day spell with the Eagles was eight days longer than his previous appointment at Inter a season earlier. Back-three and possession-based football at Selhurst Park was never going to work without the suitable parts, leaving De Boer to lick his wounds as a quartet of noteworthy Eredivisie conquests at Ajax appear a lifetime ago.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)