The International break is done and dusted, meaning Premier League managers can get back out on to the training ground with their full squad and prepare for the next month. So far the only managers to be sacked in England this season are Andy Thorn, previously of Coventry City,  John Sheridan, previously of Chesterfield Town and Richie Barker, previously of Bury. Meaning no Premier League mangers have got the axe, but for how much longer will owners up and down the country persevere with their under performing gaffers?

20. There’s disagreement between the bookies over the first EPL manager to be sacked but there is no arguing as to who is least likely to be made unemployed; Fergie. Sir Alex has managed Manchester United since 1986 and has never shown any signs of retiring despite being 70 years old. 12 EPL titles, 5 FA cups and 2 Champions League victories with the club mean that the Scot is least likely through my eyes to face the chop.

19.The second longest serving manager to his club in the EPL is the second least likely manager to be given the boot by his club. Arsene Wenger, has faced criticism from his own fans and players in recent years as well as still enduring an 88 month silverware drought with the club. But the Frenchman is part of the furniture at Arsenal and I will eat my hat if he is sacked this season.

18. The manager with the least but two chance of being shoved out the door this season is the evergreen David Moyes (Notice a pattern emerging here?). Everton’s manager has been at the club since 2002 and will celebrate his 50th birthday this season. Working on a small budget at the club Moyes has consistently proven himself and is as unlikely to be sacked by Bill Kenwright as the Spice Girls are to sing in tune.

17. Martin O’Neill completely turned around Sunderland’s fortune’s last season and has performed well in the transfer season this year, the highlight of the summer being the capture of Adam Johnson. I predicted that the black cats would do well long before the season started and going by what I’ve seen of them so far I’m sticking by that prediction.

16. Also very unlikely to leave his club is Alan Pardew. The 51 year old had a terrific season last year and is rewarded with Europa league football. The danger is that European football may prove a distraction to Newcastle, but nevertheless I still believe that they will do well this season and Graham Carr working alongside Pardew is a must for The Magpies.

15. It would seem strange that the EPL defending Champion is at 15 on this list but the fashion of late has been to get them out if they can’t emulate the success of the previous year, especially with the super-rich clubs. Mancini has a lot of characters to deal with in his dressing room and I would say that he found that difficult in the 2011/12 campaign, but if he gets the points on the board, one can’t complain.

14. Steve Clarke managed Newcastle for one game in the EPL in 1998 but lost 5-1 to Manchester United, since then he has been Assistant to José Mourinho, Gianfranco Zola and Kenny Dalgleish among others. Returning to the EPL management this August with West Brom the Scotsman picked up maximum points against previous side Liverpool and looks like he’ll be with the Baggies for a while to come yet.

13. I’ve got to admit that I was slightly skeptical of Michael Laudrup’s appointment at Swansea at first. Fearing their attractive style would be destroyed, I have taken great pleasure in seeing effective and attractive football from the Welsh side. Laudrup deals with the press honestly and has signed a great player in Michu. I just hope that the Swansea board share my view on the Dane.

12. I must send out great respect to Dave Whelan, in sticking by Roberto Martinez he attracted some criticism but his perseverance has payed off with Wigan playing good football and becoming the new EPL giant killers. Martinez lost Victor Moses in the transfer window and Wigan will suffer as a result, but the Spaniard has it in him to bring out the best in his players and hopefully they will step up to the mark.

11. Martin Jol has signed a good player in Dimitar Berbatov but has lost his core line up. Moussa Dembele, Clint Dempsey, Bobby Zamora, Danny Murphy and Andy Johnson have all left Craven Cottage at roughly the same time, and although some of them aren’t getting any younger – they would still be more than handy around the ground. If Jol is to survive the season Berbatov must hit the ground running.

10. Stoke are a ‘stable’ Premier League team now. That is all down to Tony Pulis and he deserves all the credit he can get, but he must be wary. If he fails to take them to a top half of the table the board may be stray to the idea of bringing in a fresh face to take over the reigns and elevate them in the league. Having said this, I’m sure Pulis will do a good job this season.

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