Premier League sacking season: November and December are the danger months

Premier League managerial sackings tend to cluster in the autumn and early winter, and pressure is mounting on Manchester United manager Michael Carrick after Wednesday’s Champions League defeat in Como, BBC Sport reported. He will not be the only manager looking anxiously over his shoulder, though all 20 Premier League managers remain in post so far this campaign. The question now is when the Premier League’s ‘sacking season’ will arrive and who is at risk even at this early stage of proceedings.

When is Premier League sacking season?

The most popular months for in-season managerial departures are November and December, with almost a third of all manager exits happening in these two months alone. BBC Sport reported that club boards often opt for change around the autumn international breaks, before Christmas and, crucially, before the winter transfer window, which was introduced in England in 2003.

Who should be worried?

Last season, Premier League managers who vacated their roles had been in charge for an average of 310 days. During the course of 2025-26, 11 bosses parted company with their clubs, with only Enzo Maresca’s resignation at Chelsea happening of his own accord. So far in this campaign, all 20 remain in situ.

Why it matters

Charlton Athletic’s Les Reed was dismissed on Christmas Eve in 2006, having won only one of his seven league games in charge, amassing four points. Reed’s 40-day tenure was the shortest in Premier League history for almost two decades, until Sam Allardyce took that record in 2022-23 with a 30-day spell at Leeds United that ended in relegation. Ange Postecoglou lasted 39 days with Nottingham Forest last year.

What happens next

High-profile managers to be shown the door in November have included Chelsea’s Roberto di Matteo in 2012, Mauricio Pochettino at Spurs in 2019 and Manchester United’s Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in 2021. December has accounted for Jose Mourinho twice: in 2015 he departed reigning league champions Chelsea by mutual consent, and in 2018 he was sacked by Manchester United.

About the Premier League

The Premier League is a professional association football league in England and the highest level of the English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Football League. Seasons usually run from August to May, with each team playing 38 matches: two against each other team, one home and one away. Most games are played on weekend afternoons, with occasional weekday evening fixtures.

About Tottenham Hotspur

The 2025–26 season was the 144th season in the history of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, their 48th consecutive season in the top flight of English football, and 34th consecutive season in the Premier League. In addition to the domestic league, the club also participated in the FA Cup, the EFL Cup, the UEFA Champions League, and made a debut appearance in the UEFA Super Cup, with the latter two qualifications coming by virtue of winning the UEFA Europa League final 1–0 against Manchester United in the previous season.

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Sources

• BBC Sport

• Wikipedia: 2025–26 Tottenham Hotspur F.C. season (background)

• Wikipedia: Premier League (background)

• Wikipedia: Northern Premier League (background)

• Photo: Timmy96, CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)