End of Season Review: Manager Most Deserving of the Sack

Timi Iwayemi: This is a very tough one between Liverpool’s Brendan Rodgers and Newcastle’s John Carver but I think Rodgers edges it. Rodgers’ name was on everyone’s lips after taking Liverpool so close to their first Premier League title. Unfortunately, his side was unable to replicate that form this season and the mood around the club has gotten darker.  Liverpool lost their prolific frontman Luis Suarez after their barn-storming season and this left Brendan Rodgers with a rebuilding task. He failed. £117,000,000 was splashed out on talent simply undeserving of their price tags and this reflected in their performances. Rodgers’ constant chopping and changing was also another big problem for the Liverpool team. Liverpool capped off their season with a 6-1 loss to Stoke City and that was just one of the many embarrassing days for the side this season. I would truly be surprised seeing Rodgers in the job next season.

Oluwamayowa Idowu: It’s definitely a Merseyside affair here. Roberto Martinez took Everton to their lowest league position in 9 years after spunking the majority of his transfer budget on a young striker with the first touch of a baby elephant despite having a horribly ageing squad. I expect that Lukaku will improve next season but that money could have been spent better building a more rounded team which would have also assisted their Europa League jaunts.

Brendan Rodgers is another who could get the sack and have no complaints. His transfer record is poor. He fancies himself as a tactical genius thus leading to complication of simple things despite their inherent flaws. ie the obsession with three at the back then playing players out of position. (Sterling as a wingback, Emre Can as a centre back) Then there was that rubbish of playing a second string side against Madrid in the Champions League.

Michael Famoroti: John Carver. A decent man and quite possibly a decent coach, he is completely out of his depth at this level. Newcastle have lacked motivation, ideas and organization for the entire length of his tenure and it is doubtful that will change until he leaves.

Somto Mbah: John Carver, Newcastle. Club chairmen got it right with their sacks this season talking about Paul Lambert, Gustavo Poyet, and Harry Redknapp. Mike Ashley was the exception in letting Alan “Pardiola” Pardew go. John Carver is as terrible a manager I’ve ever seen.

No wins in his first 13 games, and he had the audacity to declare himself “The best coach in the Premier League,” and also accused Mike Williamson of deliberately getting himself sent off.

Newcastle were comfortably in mid-table when he took charge with 15 matches left and they were 2 points away from relegation on the final week of the season.

It would have been unbelievable had they been relegated.

Dami Etomi: Tough category as a lot of the managers who deserved to be sacked over the course of the season have been sacked already. I am torn between Brendan Rodgers and Steve Bruce. (For the record, I am in support of both Liverpool and Hull sticking with their respective managers). Brendan Rodgers led Liverpool to second in the table last season with an attack spearheaded by Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge. After the former was sold to Barcelona for £75m, and with the latter being out for the majority of the season, Liverpool finished 6th in the table and exited the Champion’s league in the group stages. While you cannot deny the circumstances have been tough, Liverpool have regressed massively after spending over £100m. Rodgers’ record last season and the form they showed at times this year have probably earned him another year.

After getting Hull to the FA cup final and narrowly losing out to Arsenal, Hull qualified for the first qualifying round of the Europa League. In order to build on this and prepare them for the season ahead, Steve Bruce made 15 signings, beating their record transfer fee twice in the same summer. What then happened was Hull were knocked out of the Europa League in August before making the group stages. This left Steve Bruce with the undesirable task of managing his large, expensively assembled squad in just the Premier League and domestic cup competitions. No one envisaged them being relegated. They have had tough injuries to contend with, but they have been very disappointing. Steve Bruce signed a new three year contract in March so he looks set to stay at the club.

However, I am not sure many would be against the controversial owners sacking the manager. Relegation is a costly expense for a club already under investigation for breaching financial fair play regulations.