As we move the calendar to October, there's plenty at stake in the European season, but there could be some movement soon, and it won't have anything to do with the standings. Slow starts to the campaign can result in the early departure of coaches, and in the Premier League there are several contenders for the coach most likely to be sacked first. Let's take a look at the three managers with the hottest seat under them right now:
Jose Mourinho: The Manchester United boss may have gotten a little lifeline with the comeback win over Newcastle on Saturday, but for most of the season, the play has been very poor. The team crashed out of the League Cup after losing to Derby, continues to struggle at home in Premier League matches and is on pace to more than triple the number of league losses it had last season. It almost feels as if the time is against Mourinho's side. It's safe to say the next six games will determine his future, and this team may not be good enough to win most of those games. After the international break, the Red Devils play the following teams in order: Chelsea, Juventus, Everton, Bournemouth, Juventus again and Manchester City. It's sink or swim time. Don't be shocked if Mourinho is out by the end of the month.
Neil Warnock: You have to feel bad for him just because he didn't get to bring in a lot of quality in the offseason to Cardiff City's roster, and this always seemed like the team most likely to finish last. You can only do so much in the Premier League with Championship talent, but this team is on pace for nine points this season. Nine! The teams that were relegated the past season finished with 33, 33 and 31 points. His time is running out.
Mark Hughes: Southampton is another team that has started slowly with just five points earned through eight games. Now, they are two points above the relegation zone, but the vibes are just bad. Six goals scored in eight games with 14 conceded, it's hard to see how this team will get out of this, especially with more talented teams behind them like Fulham and Newcastle. Hughes has the experience and the tools to get his team out of it, but Southampton has been flirting with relegation, finishing 16th this past season.
And with that, here are our latest power rankings:
World Club Soccer Power Rankings
Previous rankings: Oct. 3 | Sept. 26 | Sept. 17 | Sept. 4 | Aug. 28 | Aug. 23 | Aug. 15 | Preseason rankings
| RK | TEAM | CHG | ANALYSIS |
|---|---|---|---|
1. | Juventus (ITA) | -- | Undefeated and another Cristiano Ronaldo goal in the scoresheet. Consistent as can be and once again in the top spot. |
2. | PSG (FRA) | +1 | Kylian Mbappe scored four goals on Sunday ... in 13 minutes. There's not a better young player in the world. |
| 3. | Liverpool (ENG) | -1 | Not a great week for this team, but they'll be fine. Going to Napoli and hosting Manchester City isn't easy. It's the first time they've gone two games without scoring since January of 2017. |
4. | Manchester City (ENG) | +1 | Bounced back in UCL and had the chance to beat Liverpool. Solid draw outside of the missed penalty kick. Didn't create a whole lot of chances at Anfield. |
5. | Barcelona (ESP) | +1 | Four straight league games without a win but they move up after taking care of Tottenham. Big tests coming up with Sevilla, Inter Milan and Real Madrid. |
6. | Bayern Munich (GER) | -3 | Back-to-back Bundesliga defeats and winless in their past four. It's just a little funk they are trying to get out of. |
7. | Chelsea (ENG) | +1 | Nobody in the world is playing better than Eden Hazard. A $200 million offer from Real Madrid is coming at some point, right? |
8. | Arsenal (ENG) | +2 | Nine wins in a row and flying high. Time to give Aaron Ramsey that contract. His goal on Sunday was ridiculous. |
9. | Atletico Madrid (ESP) | -- | Consistent, strong and still under the radar. Another Cholo Simeone team nobody wants to play. |
10. | Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) | -3 | Dominated by Barcelona. A long way to go till this team can keep up with the big boys in Europe. |
11. | Napoli (ITA) | +1 | Great week for the Italian club with two wins and one over Liverpool. A threat to make it out of such a tough UCL group. |
12. | Borussia Dortmund (GER) | +1 | The Paco Alcacer revival continues. The former Valencia and Barcelona striker has six goals, best in the league, without even starting a match, playing a total of 81 minutes. |
13. | Inter Milan (ITA) | +1 | Six wins in a row and flying high, with Mauro Icardi leading the way. Impressive run. |
14. | Boca Juniors (ARG) | +3 | Two big draws this week at Cruzeiro and Racing. Into the final four of the Copa Libertadores and kept Racing within striking distance despite being down 2-0. |
15. | Roma (ITA) | -- | Eden Dzeko has saved this team time and time again, and it remains consistently good but not great. |
16. | Sevilla (ESP) | -- | First in La Liga, but that won't likely last. They did just lose to Krasnodar in the Europa League, and that's not good. |
17. | Real Madrid (ESP) | -6 | Goodness, the scoring touch is gone. And it's not just on Ronaldo's departure. The ball just won't go in, and it's frustrating. |
18. | PSV (NED) | -- | With how good he has played, you have to figure this is Hirving Lozano's final season in the Netherlands. A big club will come calling. |
19. | Racing (ARG) | -- | Still in first place in the league, but giving up a 2-0 lead late to Boca is concerning. |
20. | Palmeiras (BRA) | -- | Copa Libertadores semifinalist and first place in the league. This team is rolling. |
21. | Santos Laguna (MEX) | -- | Julio Furch is killing it and this team is now third in the league. |
22. | Cruz Azul (MEX) | +1 | Big win over Monterrey to stay in first, and that's just nine goals allowed in 12 games. Impressive. |
23. | Gremio (BRA) | -1 | Took care of Atletico Tucuman to advance to the Copa Libertadores semifinals but really should have beaten 10-men Bahia on Saturday. |
24. | River Plate (ARG) | -- | This team keeps on winning. Into the final four of the Copa Libertadores and looking really sharp, especially in attack after a rough patch. |
25. | Zenit (RUS) | NR | Good run of form and now holds a six-point lead atop the table in Russia. So much quality in this team. Leandro Paredes continues to impress. |
Biggest movers: Real Madrid and Boca Juniors
Teams knocked out of the top 25 this week: Watford
Honorable mentions: Bournemouth (ENG), Schalke (GER), Internacional (BRA), Atlanta United (MLS), Lille (FRA), RB Leipzig (GER)
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