Ten Moments When Premier League Managers Should Have Called It a Day This Season

Arne Slot has reportedly been willing to walk away from Merseyside this season, and he is far from alone. Whilst the FA Cup loss to Manchester City hardly seems the trigger for resignation with a Champions League quarter-final still beckoning, reports suggest the Liverpool boss has seriously contemplated his position during what has been a particularly turbulent campaign for managers across the division.

The reality is that numerous coaches found themselves on sinking ships yet clung on, when stepping aside voluntarily might have preserved their reputations and spared everyone considerable anguish.

10. Thomas Frank in November

Tottenham's November was torment incarnate—a north London derby humbling at Arsenal followed by an embarrassing Chelsea defeat. Only a draw against Ruben Amorim's Manchester United offered respite. Frank's actual downfall came in February, but insiders suggested he should have been shown the door following the home defeat to Fulham, where his decision to turn on supporters after yet another goalkeeping howler proved the final straw.

9. Nuno Espirito Santo in August

Nuno looked destined for an extraordinary double-sacking at Nottingham Forest, with owner Evangelos Marinakis having already undermined him at season's end by storming the pitch to criticise his Champions League qualification failures. The appointment of Edu to a position of sweeping power only compounded matters. A disastrous pre-season yielded no wins from seven friendlies and just a single goal. When Ange Postecoglou's imminent arrival became apparent, Nuno should have departed. Instead, he lingered eight days after the 3-0 home thrashing to West Ham.

8. Vitor Pereira at Wolves

Pereira somehow signed a fresh three-year contract whilst being handed near-total transfer control at Wolves. The club proceeded to target tall players lacking Premier League experience, inexplicably rejecting Harry Wilson before watching him score the goal that precipitated Pereira's sacking. The red flag should have flown when an eight-figure outlay on Jackson Tchatchoua was sanctioned. His subsequent firefighting at Forest has conveniently obscured those chaotic months.

7. Oliver Glasler in October

Glasler revealed in January that he had already decided against a new Selhurst Park contract back in October. Palace supporters endured months of uncertainty whilst their manager remained a lame duck. His departure triggered Roy Hodgson's accidental Championship promotion push with Bristol City, hardly the dignified exit Glasler's stock deserved.

6. Scott Parker in June

Parker declared Bournemouth "ill-equipped at this level" following their 9-0 Liverpool demolition, demanding the hierarchy take action. They did—by sacking him and promoting his own assistant, who steered the club to comfortable safety. Parker should have recognised the writing on the wall the moment promotion was confirmed for Burnley.

5. Enzo Maresca in November

Before his "worst 48 hours" arrived in December, Maresca enjoyed a purple patch: victory over Barcelona in the Champions League followed by a draw against Arsenal. That moment represented peak delusion for his Chelsea tenure. A manager willing to make a statement could have walked then, rather than endure the inevitable implosion between his stubbornness and the club's meddling.

4. Eddie Howe in March

Newcastle's March saw Champions League heartbreak against Barcelona (8-3 aggregate), an FA Cup exit to Sunderland at home, and earlier wins over Manchester United and Chelsea that proved ultimately hollow. Howe should have channelled his spiritual predecessor Kevin Keegan and fallen on his sword.

3. Arne Slot in November

Liverpool's descent proved stark following their Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain. The Reds accumulated fewer Premier League points than Brentford in the subsequent period, matched only Manchester United's tally (achieved whilst sacking their manager), and barely outpaced Everton. Three consecutive three-goal defeats in November—to Manchester City, Nottingham Forest, and PSV—proved especially damaging. The month concluded with Mo Salah being thrown under the bus and Slot reaching dangerous levels of composure loss from which neither recovered.

2. Ruben Amorim in December

Amorim's headspace around his eventual Manchester United exit was one of calculated destruction. A Telegraph insider and various observers noted the manager had been seeking his opportunity to leave. During a meeting with Jason Wilcox following a goalless home draw to Wolves, Amorim allegedly responded to diplomatic criticism by expressing his desire to depart and signalling his intention to contact his agent. He was talked down, but departed anyway following a Leeds draw and a memorable press conference. He could have simply resigned at that juncture.

1. Thomas Frank in January

Frank's final opportunity came following what may prove Tottenham's sole Arsenal trophy this season.