The Great Sacking Audit: Frank Finally Gets His Morning After All

Thomas Frank has achieved what many before him merely dreamed of: he got properly sacked in the morning, just as the Spurs supporters promised.

The irony is delicious. After serenading him with that particular chorus following yet another Tottenham collapse—one that left them languishing 16th and just three points clear of the drop—the board actually followed through by dismissing him the next day. How refreshingly literal.

We're living through quite the managerial bloodbath. Six bosses have already walked the plank since last season began, and mid-February brings us to a curious inflection point in what's become Premier League football's most predictable ritual: the morning sacking chant followed by the actual morning sacking.

Take Brighton's Hurzeler, currently under siege from his own supporters, who've been treating him to the same dawn-dismissal soundtrack over recent weekends. The pressure cooker is hissing all over English football.

So who actually got sacked in the morning?

Ruben Amorim – Yes, genuinely

The Manchester United hierarchy informed Amorim of his removal during the morning of January 5, with the official announcement landing at 10:08am. The decision had likely crystallised during a tense Friday meeting with Jason Wilcox, itself a consequence of that damaging home draw with Wolves. By the time his press conference concluded and the afternoon unfolded, nobody needed to sing about his impending dismissal—the morning had already arrived.

Erik ten Hag – Yes, technically

Ten Hag's exit was confirmed by 11:50am on October 29, 2024, after a cordial if conclusive meeting with Omar Berrada and Dan Ashworth. Manchester United managed to get this one right, at least procedurally, even if they'd bungled everything else about his final months.

Graham Potter – Yes, it happened

West Ham's travelling support joined Crystal Palace fans in delivering the Sacked In The Morning verdict after a 2-1 home defeat on September 20. Potter claimed not to have heard the chanting, though he "understood the frustrations." Nine days without a match gave the Hammers time to ponder, but they acted on it at 10:35am that Saturday.

Nuno Espirito Santo – Yes, technically the most literal interpretation

If there's a winner in the category of "most Sacked In The Morning," it's Nuno. Forest officially relieved him of his duties at approximately 12:15am on September 9. The whole thing had been an open secret for weeks, with Nuno seemingly determined to force his own exit rather than resign, actively clashing with Marinakis and Edu in what felt like a carefully choreographed departure.

Those who got away with it – The Afternoon Sackings

Enzo Maresca managed to survive until just after lunchtime on New Year's Day 2026—making him the first Premier League manager ever sacked on that particular date. His three weeks of cryptic comments and medical staff antagonism finally caught up with him at Chelsea.

Vitor Pereira's dismissal arrived at 12:24pm, despite Wolves supporters having warned him during the two matches preceding his final game. The 3-0 thrashing at Fulham in November sealed it, though the confirmation came well into the afternoon.

Ange Postecoglou experienced the humiliation twice. First time around at Nottingham Forest, the call came at 2:42pm following a 3-0 Chelsea defeat. Then, having somehow lifted the Europa League trophy in May, he was sacked at 5:05pm on a random Friday just over a fortnight later because Spurs cannot have nice things.

Ivan Juric lasted until 12:15pm after presiding over the earliest Premier League relegation in history at Southampton. Sean Dyche got his marching orders at 4:34pm from Everton, having overseen a morning training session before the axe fell—at least there was time for Leighton Baines to compose himself before the evening's FA Cup tie against Peterborough.

Julen Lopetegui sensed trouble when his pre-match press conference was cancelled, though he took training that morning. The Spaniard was "furious" about his 3:15pm departure, though perhaps winning just six of his 20 Premier League games and splashing £40m on Max Kilman warranted some introspection.

Russell Martin got the late-night treatment, dismissed around 10:15pm after Southampton's 5-0 mauling at home to Postecoglou's Spurs in December 2024. Postecoglou later quipped that Martin hadn't even received the traditional morning sacking—"You've got to change your song mate!" Gary O'Neil departed around 12:55pm after Wolves' home defeat to Ipswich, having previously declared that "the negative noise is always loudest" following a 4-0 embarrassment at Goodison Park.

Steve Cooper's Leicester exit arrived at 3:50pm the day after a 2-1 Chelsea defeat made it five without a win. The club promptly cycled through van Nistelrooy and Cifuentes before Leicester began their slide toward a Championship relegation battle—the very thing Cooper might have prevented.

The pattern's clear enough: promise the morning sacking, and most boards will disappoint you with an afternoon departure. Frank's actually getting sacked in the morning remains the exception that proves the rule.