Here's something wild: Nottingham Forest just sacked Sean Dyche, and he was literally nominated for Manager of the Month in January. Yeah, you read that right. He grabbed seven points from four games and still got the boot.
Why? Because Forest drew with Wolves and now sit just three points above the relegation zone. Panic stations are well and truly activated at the City Ground.
This season has been absolutely bonkers for Forest. They started with Nuno Espírito Santo, who'd got them into the Europa League last year. But after just three games, he had a public falling out with owner Evangelos Marinakis and was gone.
Next up was Ange Postecoglou in September. That went spectacularly badly - eight games without a win. Forest were in 18th place when they pulled the trigger again and brought in Dyche in October.
Now Forest are hunting for manager number four. According to ESPN sources, former Wolves boss Vitor Pereira is the top target. If he gets appointed, Forest will set a Premier League record for most permanent managers in a single season. That's not exactly the kind of record you want to hold.
Does This Strategy Ever Actually Work?
Here's the million-dollar question: can constantly changing managers save your season? The short answer is sometimes, but not usually.
Looking at the 21 times Premier League teams have gone through three managers in one season, the results aren't pretty. Most of those clubs went down. Southampton, Fulham, Watford (twice), Leeds, and others all tried the managerial merry-go-round and still got relegated.
There are a few success stories though. Crystal Palace did it in 2014-15 when Alan Pardew came in during January and steered them to safety. Swansea pulled it off in 2016-17 with Paul Clement arriving mid-season and keeping them up by seven points.
But those are the exceptions, not the rule. When things are bad enough that you're firing multiple managers in one season, the problems usually run deeper than just the person in the dugout.
For bettors looking at Forest's situation, the stats aren't encouraging. They're 17th with just 12 games left. Even with a new manager bounce - which isn't guaranteed when you're on your fourth coach - that's a tight margin for error.
The pattern is pretty clear: Southampton in 2022-23 went through three managers and got relegated after just 31 games. Aston Villa, Charlton, and Sunderland all suffered the same fate despite their managerial changes.
What History Tells Us About Forest's Chances
Some of the most chaotic examples make Forest's situation look almost normal. Portsmouth in 2004-05 had three managers but stayed up. However, they were never really in serious danger despite the upheaval.
Newcastle in 2008-09 might be the most extreme case. They went through five different people in charge (including interims) and still got relegated. Alan Shearer came in as a club legend to save them with eight games left. It didn't work.
Watford has made multiple managerial changes something of a specialty, trying it in both 2019-20 and 2021-22. Both times they went down. When it becomes your club's strategy, you've got serious structural problems.
The Leeds situation from last season mirrors Forest's current mess pretty closely. They sacked Jesse Marsch in February while outside the drop zone on goal difference. Two more managers later - including Big Sam Allardyce - they were relegated anyway.
For Forest fans and anyone with money on their survival, the pressure is massive now. With Dyche getting sacked despite decent recent form, it shows the board is in full-blown panic mode. That rarely leads to good decision-making.
The reality is simple: if your season is so bad that you need four managers to fix it, you're probably going down. Forest need either an incredible new manager bounce or for the teams below them to completely fall apart. Neither is something you'd want to bet your house on.
