Departures of Daniel Farke and Dean Smith mean Burnley’s Sean Dyche is the only survivor in the current bottom five
As Dean Smith would no doubt testify, being a Premier League manager is a precarious business. The now former Aston Villa manager headed into the international break this time last year having racked up five victories from seven matches, including the famous 7-2 thrashing of then-champions Liverpool. Yet 12 months on and having only just guided his boyhood club to their highest finish for a decade, Smith was abruptly shown the door on Sunday afternoon following an awful start to the new campaign and a record that shows Villa have secured only 11 league wins from 35 matches in 2021.
A few hours earlier – just as Eddie Howe was taking his seat to watch Newcastle’s draw against Brighton prior to his confirmation as Steve Bruce’s replacement on Monday – it had been Daniel Farke’s turn to face the music despite leading Norwich to their long-awaited first victory of the campaign to move briefly off the bottom of the table. After a short hiatus the Premier League’s sacking season seems to be back in full swing.
