Alex Patterson
The Premier League has now witnessed the first sackings of the season with both Liverpool and Sunderland managers leaving their respective clubs. Alex Patterson takes a look at the managers that could lose their jobs in the coming weeks and months.
Jose Mourinho
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, also known as the 'special one' is under intense pressure following Chelsea's poor start to the season.
Mourinho is contracted at the club until 2019 and Roman Abramovic remains hopeful that he will lead them out their form slump and build a successful era.
The defending champions pledged on Monday to stick by their under-pressure Portuguese manager, despite the club sitting 16th after four league defeats already this season.
Last Saturday's shock defeat at home to Southampton, however, has left the club in danger of not making the Champions League.
The club may take another look at their position should the Blues lose at home to Aston Villa after the International break.
History isn't on Chelsea's side, as no team in the Premier League has ever made it into the top four after picking up just eight points, as Chelsea have, from their first eight games.
Tim Sherwood
Poor old Tim Sherwood is in the firing line again after a poor start with Aston Villa.
The last time Villa performed so badly at the start of a top-flight season was back in 1986/87 when they were relegated into the second tier of English football.
The Clarets have picked up just four points from a possible 24 and are languishing in 18th place.
The summer arrivals are struggling to settle in and unrest is growing in Birmingham with Sherwood having to deal with most of the problems.
The club are yet to announce anything publicly so its likely that Sherwood will given more time to turn things around.
With a tough fixture on the horizon though, the former Spurs manager may be out of the job yet again.
Steve McClaren
Controversial Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley decided to bring in the experienced Steve McClaren in the summer in an attempt to turn around the club's fortunes.
However, the Magpies are currently rooted to the bottom of the league along with North-East rivals Sunderland and are just one of two teams in the entire country yet to win a league game.
McClaren repeatedly talks of 'change' and 'process' and has asked for time to turn things around, but he is also frustrated with a lack of influence over transfers - the club refused to sign QPR striker Charlie Austin, for example.
Only Newport County - bottom of League Two - have a worse goal difference in the top four divisions and Newcastle great Alan Shearer believes the club are in real danger of dropping to the Championship.
McClaren reportedly has three games to save his job with Norwich, the derby with Sunderland and Stoke City to come. The former England National Team boss has now presided over the club's worst start in 119 years.
Tony Pulis
After a cautious but effective start, three defeats in a row have raised questions marks over what had seemed like a bright opening to West Brom's campaign.
However, form has steadily declined since a 1-0 win at rivals Aston Villa. Pulis angered fans by making ten changes to the team that won comfortably at Villa Park for the Capital One Cup trip to Norwich City.
Pulis preferred to keep his first-team players fresh for the Premier League visit of Everton five days later. The plan appeared to pay dividends as Albion established a two-goal lead against Roberto Martinez's side.
But Everton fought back in the final 30 minutes to record a 3-2 victory and leave Albion without a win from their first four home games. Then came last Saturday's defeat to Crystal Palace.
Suddenly West Brom's odds to get relegated have dropped considerably and fans have begun to ponder whether there are three weaker teams in the division.
With another International break under way there is time for an internal inquest at the club's Walsall training ground as Pulis and his coaching staff aim to turn things around.
Conclusion
For me, the writing is on the wall for Newcastle manager Steve McClaren. They are likely to get relegated again unless they make a change or turn things around quickly.
They are quite a long way from being the top six side they were eight or so years ago and the club doesn't seem to have an identity.
There are suitable managers out there in the market at the moment and perhaps Newcastle could be a decent fit for recently sacked Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers.
