There were fewer than half as many Premier League managerial departures this season than last despite Chris Hughton’s sacking by Brighton this week.
And a similar trend showed in the Championship as a degree of patience was seemingly restored at the top levels of the English game.
Fulham changed manager twice, sacking Slavisa Jokanovic in November and Claudio Ranieri in February before turning to Scott Parker, but it was an otherwise quiet season in the Premier League.
December saw Mark Hughes leave Southampton and also brought the end of Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United reign after months of bitterness and speculation.
David Wagner left Huddersfield by mutual consent in January and Leicester axed Claude Puel just days before Ranieri’s exit from Craven Cottage, but there was no further movement until the end of the season and Hughton’s sacking.
Defining a season as running from August 1 to May 31, seven departures is the lowest top-flight total since the 2011-12 campaign. That also saw seven, as did the previous year, so you have to go back to 2009-10 to find a lower total.
Last season saw a record 15 departures from Premier League clubs, but that striking contrast actually continues the recent trend.
There were 12 departures in 2015-16 and 13 in 2013-14, but nine and eight in the seasons in between as the number has consistently fluctuated.
Nine managerial exits in the Championship this season demonstrates uncharacteristic restraint, with figures from the League Managers’ Association showing the number of ‘dismissals’ alone – excluding resignations – had been in double figures every season since 2012-13.
Sixteen League One managers and 14 in League Two left their posts – most recently Mansfield’s David Flitcroft on Tuesday after their play-off semi-final defeat.
Those numbers are above average, though the LMA figures list 16 dismissals in 2017-18 and double-figure tallies in both divisions every season since 2014-15.
