In Focus: Three managers who lead the sack race after Nuno's exit

Nuno Espirito Santo’s time at Tottenham is over after the Portuguese was relieved of his duties earlier today — but which managers could follow him out of the exit door?

We take a look at the three Premier League bosses hanging on to their jobs by a thread with winter on the horizon.

Dean Smith (Aston Villa)

A 4-1 loss at home to West Ham on Sunday marked four straight top-flight defeats for Aston Villa, leaving the future of their manager Dean Smith under intense scrutiny.

Having stood on the Holte End himself as a youngster, Smith’s successful stint in the dugout at Villa Park has warmed the hearts of supporters — but football is a ruthless business at the top.

Though talisman Jack Grealish was sold for £100million to Manchester City in the summer, the reinvestment of that cash to capture Emi Buendia, Leon Bailey and Danny Ings meant that expectations remained high going into 2021-22.

For various reasons though, Villa are yet to fire on all cylinders and a lowly total of 10 points from as many games has left Smith vulnerable.

Another poor result at fellow strugglers Southampton on Friday evening could prompt the club to take action in the international window.

Daniel Farke (Norwich)

Only Newcastle and Norwich remain winless in the Premier League this season heading into November — and the Magpies have already parted ways with Steve Bruce.

Logic therefore suggests that Canaries boss Daniel Farke cannot be far away from the axe himself, even if his club have generally shown themselves to be more patient than others in the face of adversity.

Though not necessarily expected to keep his Championship-winning side up, fans expect their team to at least be competitive in the top tier and will be gutted to see their side eight points adrift of safety at this early stage. 

The 7-0 thumping at the hands of Chelsea was a particularly turgid performance, while a narrow home defeat to Leeds on Sunday delivered more promise but ultimately no points.

With a difficult-looking December on the horizon, wins have to come quickly if the German is to avoid losing his position.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (Manchester United)

Manchester United may have pulled a huge result out of the fire at Tottenham but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is not out of the woods just yet.

The under-fire Norwegian looked a certainty to lose his job after last month’s 5-0 home humiliation at the hands of bitter rivals Liverpool, yet the United board opted to stand by their man.

Looking at the league table, the Red Devils actually only sit three points behind reigning champions Manchester City but performance levels have not been anywhere near consistent enough to suggest a title challenge is likely this term.

The signings of Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane have unquestionably raised the bar at Old Trafford this term and there is an increasing feeling that change may be required on the touchline to get the best from their world-class squad.

Whether that comes mid-season or at the end of the campaign, however, remains to be seen.