Welcome back to another edition of firing squad, where we take our weekly look at the most under-pressure managers in
each of Europe's top five leagues.
We've got two non-movers from our last round-up, but new entrants from both Italy's Serie A and Germany's Bundesliga find their names in the spotlight.
Unsurprisingly, the top two places remain unchanged after further defeats for their respective clubs last time out. Here's our top five for this week.
guardian.co.uk
A new entrant is in at No. 5, with Robin Dutt facing up to a tough start this season at Werder Bremen.
The Bundesliga club have endured a tough few seasons. Last year, the team finished 14th in the table, three points above the relegation playoff spot. As a result, the Weserstadion outfit moved to appoint the former Bayer Leverkusen boss in the summer.
So far, though, he has tasted victory just twice in six matches, leaving Bremen in 14th place once more early on in the campaign. After early optimism with two opening victories, Bremen have suffered three consecutive defeats in the league—the latest a disheartening 3-0 home defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt.
An away trip to similarly struggling Stuttgart is next up, with both bosses needing to pick up points.
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The Bundesliga club have endured a tough few seasons. Last year, the team finished 14th in the table, three points above the relegation playoff spot. As a result, the Weserstadion outfit moved to appoint the former Bayer Leverkusen boss in the summer.
So far, though, he has tasted victory just twice in six matches, leaving Bremen in 14th place once more early on in the campaign. After early optimism with two opening victories, Bremen have suffered three consecutive defeats in the league—the latest a disheartening 3-0 home defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt.
An away trip to similarly struggling Stuttgart is next up, with both bosses needing to pick up points.
Gareth Copley/Getty Images
Dropping one place from the last rankings is Francis Gillot, whose Girondins de Bordeaux side continue to struggle in Ligue 1.
Bordeaux have managed a solitary victory in France so far this term, with another home defeat coming at the weekend against PSG. While most sides will likely lose to the reigning champions this term, Bordeaux will be disappointed after taking just three points from three home matches. They have now suffered back-to-back defeats.
Bordeaux are currently 16th in Ligue 1. That is, one point outside the bottom three. A trip to Lorient at the weekend will be no easy task to start turning things around.
Gillot has work to do.
Marco Luzzani/Getty Images
Bordeaux have managed a solitary victory in France so far this term, with another home defeat coming at the weekend against PSG. While most sides will likely lose to the reigning champions this term, Bordeaux will be disappointed after taking just three points from three home matches. They have now suffered back-to-back defeats.
Bordeaux are currently 16th in Ligue 1. That is, one point outside the bottom three. A trip to Lorient at the weekend will be no easy task to start turning things around.
Gillot has work to do.
Marco Luzzani/Getty Images
Over to Italy now and our second new entrant, where AC Milan
boss Max Allegri is sure to be coming under heavy fire if things don't
improve soon.
Three games into the season, Milan have won just once so far in Serie A and were extremely lucky to even manage a draw at the weekend at Torino. The team were 2-0 down with two minutes left on the clock, but somehow scraped a point courtesy of Mario Balotelli's late, late penalty, following a Sulley Muntari strike on 88 minutes.
Add in the unconvincing late win over Celtic in the Champions League, defeat to newly promoted Hellas Verona on the opening day and some odd choices in personnel—Valter Birsa, Muntari over Andrea Poli—and the pressure is quickly going to mount if Milan don't get results fast.
Not to worry, though. A nice home game against league leaders Napoli is next up for Allegri, who deservedly takes Davide Ballardini's place on this list after Genoa secured a commanding 3-0 win at Sampdoria at the weekend.
David Ramos/Getty Images
Three games into the season, Milan have won just once so far in Serie A and were extremely lucky to even manage a draw at the weekend at Torino. The team were 2-0 down with two minutes left on the clock, but somehow scraped a point courtesy of Mario Balotelli's late, late penalty, following a Sulley Muntari strike on 88 minutes.
Add in the unconvincing late win over Celtic in the Champions League, defeat to newly promoted Hellas Verona on the opening day and some odd choices in personnel—Valter Birsa, Muntari over Andrea Poli—and the pressure is quickly going to mount if Milan don't get results fast.
Not to worry, though. A nice home game against league leaders Napoli is next up for Allegri, who deservedly takes Davide Ballardini's place on this list after Genoa secured a commanding 3-0 win at Sampdoria at the weekend.
David Ramos/Getty Images
Still in second place on our list is Sevilla boss Unai Emery.
Sevilla's tough start to the campaign hasn't gotten any easier, with a tough 3-2 defeat against Barcelona last time out coming in the final minutes after it looked as though Emery's side had done enough for a point.
As it is, Sevilla remain marooned one place off the foot of the table—only pointless Osasuna are below them—and are without a win in all four games.
They face another tough match on Sunday, with a trip to equally distraught Valencia on the age
Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
Sevilla's tough start to the campaign hasn't gotten any easier, with a tough 3-2 defeat against Barcelona last time out coming in the final minutes after it looked as though Emery's side had done enough for a point.
As it is, Sevilla remain marooned one place off the foot of the table—only pointless Osasuna are below them—and are without a win in all four games.
They face another tough match on Sunday, with a trip to equally distraught Valencia on the age
Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images
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