Grant, Hodgson and Hughton Head Our Premier League Sack Race 1-2-3

Can you really see Sir Alex Ferguson, Carlo Ancelotti or Arsene Wenger getting the boot any time soon?

The respective managers of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal are surely the envy of their Premier League counterparts in being able to choose the timing of their own departures rather than waiting for that fateful call from their chairman: "It's time to clear your desk Alex... Eric Cantona's film career has failed, again!"

These guys are simply too powerful, too successful and too much a part of the 'establishment' to be kicked out, even if their team fail to deliver.

West Ham boss Avram Grant needs to turn things round quickly if he's to keep his job

Then we have other managers like Harry Redknapp (Spurs), Tony Pulis (Stoke City), David Moyes (Everton) and Alex McLeish (Birmingham City). Bosses who have put in so much effort that they can afford a bad season without facing the chop.

Owen Coyle (Bolton Wanderers) and Roberto Martinez (Wigan Athletic) and, to a degree, Sam Allardyce (Blackburn Rovers) and Steve Bruce (Sunderland) are in the category of 'could their Chairman hope to appoint a better manager'. Probably not.

Sentimental attachments, and a realisation in the boardroom that without their efforts the team wouldn't be in the top flight, account for managers like Mick McCarthy (Wolves), Ian Holloway (Blackpool) and Roberto Di Matteo (WBA).

The Dirty Half Dozen...

That leaves us with a field of half a dozen. Mark Hughes (Fulham) has just got his job so surely has a few months grace, same goes for Gerard Houllier (Aston Villa). Likewise Roberto Mancini (Manchester City) will have just long enough for his chairman to realise City aren't going to win anything before he gets his P45.

As a result, our betting tip for the 1-2-3 is Avram Grant at West Ham (9/2 Paddy Power), Roy Hodgson at Liverpool (5/1 Hills) and Chris Hughton (14/1 Ladbrokes).

Grant has ambitious owners, a poor track record and a team at the foot of the table. Not a recipe for success. Hodgson has got an impossible job at Anfield but given recent poor results even he could match the club's owners in terms of popularity (or lack of it) amongst the fans ... how long before King Kenny returns? Hughton deserves great credit for getting Newcastle up but a big club, with high expectations, will ditch an unfashionable manager like a shot if results begin to tail off.