Ranking the 7 EFL Championship managers most likely to be sacked by Christmas | OneFootball

Which second tier bosses will be under the most pressure early on in 2026-27?

The 2026/27 Championship campaign is poised to provide no shortage of drama, suspense and surprise as yet another fascinating season of second-tier football edges ever closer.

Precisely what the new term has in store is anybody's guess, but the division never fails to spring up twists and turns and once we head back underway next month, it would be a safe bet to say that managerial movement will soon follow.

Generally speaking, the position of an EFL boss has perhaps never been less secure and that tends to be particularly notable at Championship level, where the desperate pursuit of Premier League football can prompt some of the harsher and more unexpected dugout decisions you're likely to see.

Indeed, the previous campaign saw 22 managerial movements of various descriptions - ranging from resignations and departures alongside outright sackings - although 13 bosses were relieved of their duties, with Ruben Selles' swift dismissal from Sheffield United in September of last year following a run of six straight defeats representing the first casualty last time out.

Will we see a manager sacking take place that early into the upcoming campaign? Only time will tell, of course, and the Spaniard's nightmareish tenure at Bramall Lane will take some beating, but it's likely that a host of departures will be sanctioned by the time that the Festive period rolls around.

With that in mind, Football League World has looked at the seven managers who could be most likely to lose their job before Christmas heading into next season...

7 ? ? Phil Parkinson - Wrexham AFC

Getting the ball rolling is Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson, who has plenty of security over his long-held role in charge of Wrexham at this moment in time but will find himself battling to meet increased expectations as the upwardly-mobile and undoubtedly ambitious Welsh side strive to achieve promotion to the Premier League.

The 58-year-old represents the third longest-serving manager throughout the EFL pyramid as he enters his fifth year in charge of Wrexham, having led the Red Dragons' meteoric rise from the National League to English football's second-tier.

Hugely popular with all at the Stok Cae Ras, Parkinson oversaw an impressive return to the division last time out in which Wrexham only missed out on a top-six spot by two points on the final day and wound up the campaign in seventh-place - and the freshly-sanctioned expansion of the play-off positions to feature a new 'top-eight' will leave his side hopeful of further establishing their promotion credentials.

Wrexham's Hollywood owners - Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac - even told Parkinson that he has a "job for life" back in February, where it was described that the pair do not envisage ever dismissing the ex-Sunderland and Bolton Wanderers boss.

The bottom line is, however, that Wrexham will need to see bang for their buck at some stage. Never shy to spend lavishly under Reynolds and Mac, Wrexham's estimated net spend in the region of £30 million last summer ranked among Europe's elite and they will be expected flex their financial muscles once again in the coming weeks and months in an effort to intensify a real promotion pursuit ahead of the new season.

Parkinson is hardly on borrowed time at Wrexham, but a strong start to the 26/27 campaign feels integral and his side must stake a strong battle for promotion in order to avoid raising questions surrounding his future in North Wales.

Make no mistake about it, Wrexham have the deep pockets and natural glitz and glamour in equal measure to possess real pulling power. It's an extremely attractive project that promises huge financial backing, and Wrexham could have their pick of the bunch if and when they prepare for life without Parkinson.

As such, you do get the feeling that Reynolds and Mac could just look elsewhere for a big-name appointment if Parkinson fails to keep up with the club's own ambitions.

6 ? ? Paul Heckingbottom - Preston North End

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Going into their 12th consecutive season in the Championship, Preston North End are perhaps the definition of 'stable' at this level - but there could be changes on the horizon.

The £6 million record-breaking swoop for Tottenham midfielder Alfie Devine is completely out of character compared to PNE's usual frugal transfer business, and it may mean a takeover from Saudi-US businessman Amr Zedan is finally close to completion, having first been linked in January.

The prospect of new ownership of the Lilywhites is greatly exciting the fanbase, having been under the ownership of the Hemmings Family since 2010, and whilst they've funded PNE's losses over the years, outside investment or a full takeover is seemingly needed to push the Lancashire outfit into the Premier League for the very first time.

Zedan's money could potentially do that, but will Heckingbottom be in the dugout for the long haul? It appears that he's getting to work with preparing North End for the season ahead, but we've seen in the past new owners sometimes want their own manager to come in and start from afresh, and that may mean that the ex-Sheffield United boss will be under pressure to get results and hang onto his job in the first few months of the season.

5 ? ? Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw - Lincoln City

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The euphoria of Lincoln City's stunning promotion to the Championship was halted somewhat when Michael Skubala decided to leave in favour of joining new league rivals Bristol City, which has seen Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw step up to lead the Imps' shock second-tier crusade after previously serving as assistant coaches to the now-Robins boss.

The regard in which the pair are held at the LNER Stadium is shown by the fact that Lincoln decided to look internally as opposed to replacing Skubala externally, and they have already been prepared for the role by regularly overseeing training sessions and leading meetings during their predecessor's time in charge.

Both Cohen and Shaw played a vital - if not under-the-radar - role in one of the 2025/26 EFL campaign's most stunning achievements as Lincoln romped to the League One title with 103 points, gazumping hot favourites Cardiff City despite having a 17th-18th-placed wage bill in the division and not being fancied for any sort of real promotion push.

Now returning to the second-tier for the first time since 1961, there's every chance that Lincoln's call could pay off.

Cohen and Shaw have strong coaching chemistry, an acute understanding of the inner-workings of the club and skin in the game by having such a significant influence on the Imps' operations under Skubala, even if their lack of senior managerial experience counts against them and presents an undeniable risk for the Championship newcomers to be taking.

There's no getting away from the fact that Lincoln will be up against it next season, and Skubala's sudden departure has seen them surface as sure-fire relegation candidates in the eyes of many.

Lincoln relished their underdog status last time out and will have no qualms about being written off with a chance to upset the odds, but the decision to appoint Cohen and Shaw as joint head coach is extremely high-risk, high-reward and the Imps will need this call to pay off if they are to have any chance of surviving.

If Cohen and Shaw fail to pick up where Skubala left off, the duo could well be among the swiftest managerial casualties in the new season.

4 ? ? Chris Davies - Birmingham City

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After storming to the League One title in 2025 with a record-breaking 111 points, big things were expected for Birmingham City in their first season back in the Championship.

There were plenty of exciting arrivals at Blues both in the summer and the winter transfer window, and plenty of money spent, yet they finished in 10th position, some seven points short of a play-off spot.

In-fact, Wrexham - who finished behind City in the League One table the year prior - were closer to breaking into the top six, which signified that perhaps manager Chris Davies did not do his best in charge of the Midlands outfit last season.

There was pressure on Davies towards the back end of last season when their hopes of the top six faded, but Tom Wagner has stuck by his head coach, but he will need to get off to a strong start to the 2026-27 campaign.

You'd expect Birmingham to make some ambitious signings this summer, but failure to start off the new season in a positive manner could really see Davies be on the brink of being replaced at St. Andrew's, by owners that haven't been afraid to make decisions like that in the past when John Eustace was sacked in favour of appointing Wayne Rooney.

3 ? ? Nathan Jones - Charlton Athletic

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It may have been a surprise to many when Charlton Athletic splashed the cash so heavily upon their promotion from League One last year, but it was clear that Nathan Jones' squad would need strengthening to be competitive in the second tier.

Charlie Kelman, Rob Apter, Collins Sichenje, Harvey Knibbs and Tanto Olaofe all arrived for seven-figure transfer fees, but it's hard to say that many were a success in their first years at The Valley - and it's perhaps the recruitment that led to a drop off in form in the final third of the season.

Winning just three of their last 15 matches in the league, the Addicks still survived relegation, but they perhaps lack a bit of momentum going into the new season, and that will probably need to be solved by a bit more smarter thinking in the transfer market.

And due to that fall-off in form at the back end of last season, Jones may be under pressure to get some strong results early on and to make sure that Charlton aren't down near the bottom of the table in the first couple of months - should they be early strugglers, then the hierarchy at The Valley may look to make a change.

2 ? ? Mark Robins - Stoke City

Another manager potentially poised for increased scrutiny in the face of generous support in the transfer market is Mark Robins, and considering just how revolving the managerial door has been at Stoke City since the club's return to the Championship in 2018, the ex-Coventry boss is facing a race against time to match expectation and spending levels in the Potteries.

Robins' iconic spell in charge of the Sky Blues meant his appointment at Stoke in January of last year felt like a significant coup, but the 56-year-old is yet to pull up any trees and drag the Staffordshire-based side away from the mire of mid-table mediocrity.

It was the same old story last season when Stoke enjoyed an electrifying start and had been firmly in top-six contention until the turn of the year, but a drastic drop-off in form would eventually see the Potters - who have not finished higher than 14th in any of the last eight second-tier campaigns - end up in 17th place.

Stoke have overseen significant managerial turnover in recent years and Robins himself is the eighth boss to take charge at the bet365 Stadium in just seven years, meaning it's perhaps no surprise that his long-term future feels somewhat uncertain.

Back in May, FLW exclusively revealed that Stoke had been considering Robins' position before subsequent links to Portsmouth boss John Mousinho, and while the Potters have since decided to retain his services for the time being, another campaign slugging it out in the lower reaches of the division simply won't be accepted as the club continue to spend handsomely in the transfer market.

The statement signing of talented versatile midfield operator Ethan Galbraith from Swansea City for a reported fee in the region of £10 million at the start of July represents a timely reminder of Stoke's ambition, and even if it does show they still have trust in Robins' ability to arrest the rot and make the side as competitive as their spending should warrant, the margin for failure is sure to be even thinner in light of such investment.

1 ? ? Alessio Dionisi - Watford FC

Watford don't seem in a hurry to shed their reputation for hiring and firing managers after a short period of time anytime soon, having gone through another three permanent bosses in 2025-26.

Paulo Pezzolano started the season and lasted just 10 games, Javi Gracia's return was a damp squib and he resigned after just four months, and after just 15 games in charge, Edward Still's time at Vicarage Road came to an end following the conclusion of the campaign.

Now, in steps Alessio Dionisi, with Gino Pozzo opting for a fellow Italian as head coach for the first time since Claudio Ranieri was in charge for a short period during 2021-22 - how long the 46-year-old will last for though is anyones guess.

Prior to his arrival in Hertfordshire, Dionisi's last management role was at Empoli in Serie B, whom he was sacked by after just five months with a 22.73 per cent win record - he will need to do much better than that at Watford in order to keep his job beyond Christmas.

And with Giorgi Chakvetadze already gone and the likes of Nestory Irankunda and Imran Louza potentially having bigger clubs looking, it could be a bit of a struggle for Dionisi to make his mark.