Under-fire Swansea boss the sack-race outsider to keep an eye on
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Sat at the foot of the Premier League, with the division’s worst defensive record, Stoke are obvious candidates to be the first club to sack their manager.
Indeed, we make Mark Hughes our runaway favourite at 11/10 in that very market, but it may be worth keeping an eye on the temperature in Swansea’s kitchen as the heat intensifies on Francesco Guidolin in the coming weeks.
The Italian manager, who helped guide the Swans away from the threat of relegation last season following Garry Monk’s own sacking, is coming under increasing pressure to find a win.
We go 9/2 about the 60-year-old getting the boot next, which looks a juicy price considering the turmoil the Welsh outfit are in.
As well as the Liberty Stadium faithful not celebrating a league victory since outdoing Burnley in the season’s curtain raiser, they have the truly daunting prospect of playing undefeated freight-train Manchester City twice in four days.
After hosting Pep Guardiola’s juggernaut in the EFL Cup, then the top-flight, Guidolin must then do battle with Liverpool and Arsenal, really rounding off a quartet of terror that could decide his fate.
Aside from the tough-as-nails fixture gauntlet, there is talk of dressing room unrest in south Wales, with a number of players displaying their ire at Guidolin’s substitutions.
Neil Taylor was caught on camera arguing with the Italian after being hauled off four minutes before half time in the 2-2 draw with Chelsea, and just a week later Ki Sung-Yueng was displeased with being replaced against Southampton.
The Swans have grown accustomed to sacking managers midway through a campaign, having relieved Monk of his duties last December and ousting Michael Laudrup before him in February 2014.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
