Top seven managers who came back from brink of being sacked ft. Iraola & Arteta
These managers managed to save their jobs.
The management of Manchester United is giving manager Michael Carrick another opportunity to turn things around against Chelsea, so he is somehow holding on. The former midfielder’s condition is dire. But many managers have bounced back from supposedly dire circumstances.
Seven well-known instances of managers who appeared to be on the verge of being fired yet managed to survive have been mentioned below in this piece.
List of seven managers who came back from the brink of being sacked
Catch Every Update, Anytime, Anywhere
| Rank | Manager |
| 1 | Daniel Farke |
| 2 | Andoni Iraola |
| 3 | David Moyes |
| 4 | Erik ten Hag |
| 5 | Mauricio Pochettino |
| 6 | Mikel Arteta |
| 7 | Luis Enrique |
7. Daniel Farke
He was seen as the managerial equal of Dwight Gayle or Cameron Jerome during his tenure at Norwich. Not good enough for the Premier League, but too excellent for the EFL Championship.
Those worries seemed to be validated by a terrible run of six straight losses. In late November, there were numerous, reliable rumours that Farke was in danger.
However, the German showed a pragmatism that few had anticipated, moving to a back three and virtually instantly making Leeds one of the hardest teams in the league to defeat.
6. Andoni Iraola
Nine games. No wins. Four points.
When AFC Bournemouth hosted Burnley in October 2023, that was the Basque manager’s record. After maintaining composure and defeating Burnley 2-1, Bournemouth went on to win six straight games.
That season, Iraola broke the team’s Premier League points record twice, leading to qualifying for Europe. Under Iraola’s replacement, Marco Rose, they are already experiencing historic wins against teams like Real Sociedad and AC Milan.
5. David Moyes
‘David Moyes likely to be sacked if West Ham lose to Everton on Saturday’ ran a headline in The Guardian from January 2023.
David Moyes was given a reprieve when West Ham defeated Everton 2-0, even though the team was on the verge of relegation. Two days later, Lampard was fired, and the Hammers progressively got out of difficulties.
4. Erik ten Hag
Ahead of the 2024 FA Cup final, Ten Hag appeared to be out of a job, with rumours that he would be fired regardless of the outcome. Despite a disappointing eighth-place result, the management decided to give the Dutchman a new contract. All after Manchester United delivered a technical masterclass to defeat Manchester City 2-1.
3. Mauricio Pochettino
When Tottenham visited Aston Villa in November 2014, they were in the bottom half, and Pochettino’s future was already in doubt. They were down until the 84th minute, when a spectacular comeback was completed by Harry Kane’s deflected free kick.
“Always in football, when you don’t get good results, the first to be sacked is the manager. That is why that goal allowed us to carry on working and try to change the club.”
2. Mikel Arteta
To what extent did Arsenal come close to firing Mikel Arteta? Most likely, we’ll never find out.
The club’s endurance must surely have been tested after an eighth-place finish in 2020–21 left them without European football for the first time since before Arsene Wenger’s reign. There were no specific rumours that his position was in jeopardy.
He had gained some confidence after winning the FA Cup in his debut season. But when Arsenal lost their first three games of 2021–2022 without scoring, that goodwill was undoubtedly running low. The Gunners dropped to the basement of the Premier League after a 5-0 thrashing at Manchester City.
In response, Arsenal won 20 of their following eight games. They haven’t looked back. Have faith in the process and everything.
1. Luis Enrique
It’s amusing to consider that Luis Enrique may have been known as a man who failed at Barcelona, battled at Roma, and performed mediocrely at Celta Vigo. The Catalan press was apparently sharpening their knives when Lionel Messi was reportedly dissatisfied, and the results were inconsistent.
However, a victory over Atletico Madrid in the middle of the season turned things around. He went on to deliver the treble at the club.
Which big managers have managed to save their jobs?
Managers like Enrique, Arteta and Pochettino have been able to save their jobs.
Which club does Luis Enrique manage now?
He is the manager of PSG now.
For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram.