Coral the bookmakers are giving odds this weekend on the next premier league manager to lose his job with Fulham boss Martin Jol at 6/5 and Norwich’s Chris Hughton 6/4.

Football managers are paid huge sums of money (compared to most of us) to tell millionaire footballers how to play the beautiful game, but are the games top coaches paid too much or are they worth their pay.

Jol’s Fulham are currently in 16^th position in the premier league, having won just three of their first ten games. In one of those games his team scores two contenders for goal of the season and yet he will if they lose to Liverpool at the weekend he will be edging even closer the exit door. The 57 was previously sacked by premier league London rivals Tottenham, during a defeat against Getafe CF in 2007. He has claimed he found out about his fate via a text from his nephew before the game had ended.

Current leaders Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger faced calls for the sack in the opening days of the season after an opening day defeat to Aston Villa. Criticised for not bringing in fresh talent, fans seemed to have lost patience after failing to win a trophy in almost a decade. Three months later and £42 million spent on highly rated German, Mesut Ozil, the gunners are 5 points clear having not lost since the Villa game.

Even the self-proclaimed special one, Jose Mourinho and new Manchester United boss David Moyes have been subjects of the sack race rumour mill.

So are managers unfairly judged too harshly or are they lucky to be in the job?

An inspirational manager can transform the fortunes of a club, given time and faith. Current Everton boss Roberto Martinez cut his teeth in management at Swansea. At the time they faced extinction narrowly escaping relegation from the football league. Martinez’s style of play and inspirational man management transformed the club into the premier league outfit they are today. Crewe legend Dario Grady has served the club for over 30 years in various capacities and is credited with discovering some of the best young talent in the game.  One could argue then that some managers, given the time by the clubs directors can justify the money they earn are arguably more important than their millionaire playboy charges. In contrast it is easy to feel for managers such as Terry Connor, who enjoyed 13 games at the helm for Wolves before being replaced or former Charlton boss Ian Dowie, who was in charge for just 12 games in 2006.

Chelsea hero Roberto Di matteo was dismissed by the Stamford Bridge outfit after just 8 months in charge despite winning two trophies including the prestigious Champions League trophy.

So while it may not look good for Messes Jol and Hughton, they should take heart from the premier league’s longest serving and most successful manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.

Sir Alex lost his first game in charge to Oxford United, followed by a dull draw at Hughton’s current club Norwich. In 1989-90 there were calls for him to be sacked by fans and journalists alike. After a run of 7 games without a win it was widely expected that his reign would be ended until Mark Robins scored the winning goal against an in form Nottingham Forest. His team went on to win the FA Cup that season, the first of 5 and 13 league titles in a 25 year spell.

Maybe 25 years from now Sir Chris Hughton will be the most distinguished manager in history, but sadly I fear a home defeat at the hands of West Ham this week end could be the final nail in his Norwich coffin.