It was all thought that Julen Lopetegui would be the next Premier League manager sacked, but Southampton FC, in firing Russell Martin, beat West Ham United to the punch.
That makes perfect sense for Saints, who are falling into a hole that they may not be able to climb out of. They look destined for the drop.
West Ham United at AFC Bournemouth FYIs
Kick off: 8pm, Monday Dec 16, Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth, UK
West Ham Preview Content: Team News Starting XI Prediction
PL Position: West Ham 14th, 18 pts Bournemouth 7th, 24 pts
Form Guide: West Ham DWLLW Bournemouth LLWWW
Google Result Probability: West Ham 22% FC Bournemouth 56% Draw 22%
Team News for Both Sides
As for Lopetegui, he will have at least one more match in charge, and almost certainly two more, should he pick up a win tomorrow night. On the flip side, an L on the south coast may just seal his fate.
Lopetegui only has two confirmed absentees here, striker Michail Antonio who was in a serious car accident last weekend.
Antonio is now out of the hospital, and he’s recovering from a lower limb fracture. There is no timeline for his return.
The other confirmed absentee is Emerson Palmieri, who is suspended here. Shifting gears to Bournemouth, they have two new fitness concerns to contend with in Marcos Senesi (who will undergo thigh surgery, and now be out until late in the season) and Marcus Tavernier who has suffered a hamstring injury that will keep him out for a few weeks.
Elsewhere Luis Sinisterra and Julian Araujo (both have a hamstring) as well as Alex Scott (knee) are all ruled out.
However, there is good news with Young American (apologies to David Bowie) midfielder Tyler Adams, who will be in the mix here.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.