The bosses waiting in the wings with 6 PL managers on the brink of being sacked

They call it the 'sacking season'. That nail-biting time in October and November when a disappointing opening to the campaign can lead to a manager receiving a P45.

We've already seen Mauricio Pochettino given the boot at Tottenham this month and more bosses are likely to follow as trigger-happy chairman make the change before the season is a write-off.

Arsenal's Unai Emery, Manchester United's Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Everton's Marco Silva and West Ham's Manuel Pellegrini are among those managers feeling the heat at the moment.

But what about the managers who are waiting in the wings? We profile the names being mentioned as potential candidates for the top jobs at the moment.

Mauricio Pochettino

Without doubt the man most likely to cause nervousness among employed managers right now following his rather brutal sacking from the Tottenham Hotspur job last week.

After five-and-a-half years in north London, it was clear that Poch's magic had worn off and change was needed, though the timing still came as a surprise.

Pochettino will likely wish to take a sabbatical, perhaps until the end of the season, but also the appeal of taking the reins at a leading club right away could prove irresistible.

The Argentine impressed with his work at Spurs, taking them to regular top four finishes in the Premier League and the final of the Champions League last season. However, he couldn't deliver a trophy.

His excellent man management skills, emotional intelligence and tactical acumen, not to mention a demonstrable ability to improve the players at his disposal, makes him an attractive proposition for any club.

Solskjaer will be sitting less comfortably as a result of him coming onto the market, with many seeing Pochettino as a clear upgrade.

It wouldn't be surprising if United's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward did test the waters to gauge Pochettino's interest in moving to Old Trafford.

The Bayern Munich hierarchy are also set to discuss the merits of Pochettino replacing Niko Kovac, who was sacked at the start of the month. Hansi Flick is doing well as caretaker, however.

Borussia Dortmund may be another option for Poch with suggestions time is running out for their manager Lucien Favre following a sub-par start to the season.

One thing is for certain - Pochettino will have a new club once next season starts.

Where is he likely to end up?

Bayern Munich - 5/6; Man United - 7/4; Real Madrid - 6/1; Arsenal - 9/1; Barcelona - 10/1; PSG - 14/1

Odds courtesy of Betfair

Massimiliano Allegri

The manager boasting the best CV currently out there on the market. Allegri is a proven winner - in Italy at least - after leading AC Milan and Juventus to six Serie A titles over the last decade.

He also guided Juve to two Champions League finals during five highly successful seasons with the Turin club and had a highly enviable win percentage of over 70 per cent.

Allegri hasn't been in a job since last summer when he announced his decision to leave Juventus and he has since been linked with both Man United and Arsenal.

Although Allegri has no experience of managing in England, it's expected he would bring improvements through a winning mentality and his tactical flexibility to suit the strengths of his squad.

He would potentially represent a quick fix for either United or Arsenal in restoring them to the higher positions in the table and potentially succeeding in the Europa League.

He wouldn't necessarily be someone willing to take on a five-year project and promote academy players as a matter of policy.

The bookmakers, however, see him as a better fit at Real Madrid should Zinedine Zidane, for example, fail to get them far in the Champions League.

An attractive proposition for any club hunting success.

Where is he likely to end up?

Real Madrid - 3/1; Man United - 7/2; Arsenal - 5/1; Barcelona - 7/1; PSG - 14/1; Italy - 20/1

Mikel Arteta

An interesting moment for Arteta with two of his former clubs potentially about to dismiss their managers.

The Spanish midfielder, who is currently assistant manager to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, represented both Everton and Arsenal with distinction as a player.

Naturally, he has been linked to both should either Marco Silva or Unai Emery be given the boot in the coming weeks.

Guardiola said at the weekend that it is inevitable Arteta, only 37, will become a top class manager one day and that he possesses the human characteristics to prosper.

His coaching education under Guardiola since 2016 is second to none and the prospect of mimicking City's style of playing at another club would be a selling point.

He was in the frame for the Arsenal job when Arsene Wenger left but the job went to Emery. His time at the Emirates could well come sooner than he thinks.

Where is he likely to end up?

Arsenal - 7/2; Everton - 7/2; West Ham - 8/1; Man City - 12/1; Man United - 16/1; Southampton - 25/1

David Moyes

There's likely to be just the one destination for Moyes and that's back to the club where he enjoyed his greatest success as a manager.

With Marco Silva staring down the barrel following Saturday's abject 2-0 home loss to Norwich, Everton's hierarchy are considering their options.

One possibility is to appoint Moyes, who managed them with considerable progress for 11 years between 2002 and 2013, for the remainder of the season.

Moyes would surely steer them away from a relegation fight and restore some respectability to a season fast going south.

The caveat could be included that a strong performance would be rewarded with the job full-time.

Moyes has struggled to repeat the highs of his time at Goodison Park during spells with Manchester United, Real Sociedad, Sunderland and West Ham.

But in familiar surroundings back on Merseyside and a clear mission statement, he could well restore his reputation.

Where is he likely to end up?

Everton - 10/11; Southampton - 5/1; Newcastle - 8/1; Celtic - 9/1; Wolves - 12/1; Arsenal - 16/1

Eddie Howe

In an interview a few months back, Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe said it had been two years since he last received a job offer.

Given the astonishing job he's done on the south coast, it really is remarkable he continues to be overlooked for Premier League vacancies.

However, Howe's name has been thrown into the mix this week as a potential replacement for Silva at Everton.

Taking on the role at Goodison Park would represent a step up from Bournemouth in terms of club stature if not exactly in Premier League position.

Likewise with West Ham should Manuel Pellegrini be sacked.

But there are few indications that, even after seven years of his second spell with the Cherries, he has any desire to go elsewhere.

Rafa Benitez

It was certainly noticeable that Benitez did a couple of Sunday newspaper interviews over the weekend.

Amid 'sacking season' it was almost as if the Spaniard wanted to remind everyone in Europe of his existence despite raking in millions as manager of Chinese Super League club Dalian Yifang.

Benitez only moved out to China in July but you sense he would return to the Premier League if, say, the West Ham job became available.

That appears to be his most likely destination in the near future. As a former Liverpool manager, he's less likely to come to Everton. He isn't the right fit for Arsenal.

Benitez has high stock in the Premier League - he worked wonders in difficult circumstances at Newcastle United and has an excellent CV from his time with Valencia, Liverpool, Chelsea and Napoli.

We're likely to see him back on these shores sooner rather than later.

Where's he likely to end up?

West Ham - 5/2; Arsenal - 9/2; Real Madrid - 5/1; Everton - 6/1; Wolves - 12/1; Southampton - 12/1

Mark Hughes

Hughes has been mentioned as a potential replacement for Silva at Everton this week.

He's been out of the dug-out since his dismissal from the Southampton job in December last year and would no doubt welcome a Premier League return.

The Welshman would bring plenty of Premier League experience from his time at Blackburn, Manchester City, Fulham, QPR and Stoke.

That certainly brings an appreciation of life at the sharp end of the Premier League but there are certainly more obvious candidates for the Goodison job.

Alan Pardew

While not explicitly linked with any of the potential Premier League vacancies, Pardew is nonetheless a manager with a wealth of experience currently out of a job.

Since leaving West Brom in April last year, Pardew has been working as a television pundit and has been spotted in the stands at various games, including Fulham vs QPR last Friday.

The betting markets suggest a return to Southampton, whom he managed in League One a decade ago, is the most likely. West Ham, another former club, is a possibility too.

Where's he likely to end up?

Southampton - 3/1; West Ham - 5/1; Everton - 7/1; Arsenal - 10/1; Wolves - 10/1