Seven managers who survived near-dismissal, featuring Iraola and Arteta
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick was given another chance to turn things around against Chelsea, and a Khel Now feature published on October 30, 2026, listed seven managers who recovered from the brink of being sacked, including Andoni Iraola and Mikel Arteta. The piece notes that the former midfielder’s condition at Manchester United is dire while cataloguing examples of managers who secured reprieves.
The article argues that many coaches have bounced back from seemingly terminal situations and opens with contrasting perceptions of Daniel Farke’s early reputation: "He was seen as the managerial equal of Dwight Gayle or Cameron Jerome during his tenure at Norwich. Not good enough for the Premier League, but too excellent for the EFL Championship." The text records a run of six straight losses that fuelled late-November rumours of danger before the German switched to a back three and altered his team’s resilience; the piece adds the terse summary: "Nine games. No wins. Four points."
Khel Now recounts Andoni Iraola’s spell at AFC Bournemouth, noting that "When AFC Bournemouth hosted Burnley in October 2023, that was the Basque manager’s record." After defeating Burnley 2-1, Bournemouth embarked on a six-game winning run, and that season Iraola "broke the team’s Premier League points record twice, leading to qualifying for Europe." The article also states that under Iraola’s replacement, Marco Rose, Bournemouth have already recorded wins described as historic against Real Sociedad and AC Milan.
The feature cites a January 2023 Guardian headline — "David Moyes likely to be sacked if West Ham lose to Everton on Saturday" — and records that Moyes was given a reprieve when West Ham defeated Everton 2-0 while the team was on the verge of relegation. It adds that "Two days later, Lampard was fired, and the Hammers progressively got out of difficulties," linking the immediate survival to subsequent improvement.
Mauricio Pochettino’s survival is illustrated with Tottenham’s visit to Aston Villa in November 2014, when the club were in the bottom half and his future was uncertain. The article describes the game as turned by Harry Kane’s deflected free kick in the 84th minute that completed a dramatic comeback and quotes Pochettino directly: "Always in football, when you don’t get good results, the first to be sacked is the manager. That is why that goal allowed us to carry on working and try to change the club."
On Mikel Arteta, Khel Now records Arsenal’s low point after finishing eighth in 2020–21, which left them "without European football for the first time since before Arsene Wenger’s reign," and notes that Arteta had won the FA Cup in his debut season. The article states Arsenal lost their first three games of 2021–2022 without scoring, dropped to the basement after a 5-0 thrashing at Manchester City and then, as the piece puts it, "In response, Arsenal won 20 of their following eight games. They haven’t looked back. Have faith in the process and everything."
The feature also refers to Luis Enrique’s oscillating reputation prior to a mid-season victory over Atletico Madrid that the article says changed his fortunes; it records that "He went on to deliver the treble at the club," and concludes by grouping Enrique with Arteta and Pochettino as managers who "have been able to save their jobs." The piece finishes that line with the present-tense fact: "He is the manager of PSG now."
The report closes by returning to the immediate situation at Manchester United, noting Carrick has been handed another opportunity against Chelsea, which serves as his next test as described in the Khel Now feature.