We asked AI to predict the first EFL Championship manager to be sacked this season | OneFootball

AI has predicted that the manager of a club in the North East, who are desperate to return to the Premier League, looks the most vulnerable

FLW asked AI-bot ChatGPT who the most likely EFL Championship manager was to be sacked. The answer was the new Middlesbrough boss, Rob Edwards.

The case for Edwards being the first manager to get the boot this season is a relatively easy one to make. Having taken Luton Town down to League One with a squad that should have been challenging at the other end of the table was little short of a catastrophe.

Despite being in the Premier League in 2023/24, Edwards' points per game average has been declining in the last two seasons, and he lasted just 11 matches at Watford before taking on the Luton task.

Now, all eyes will be on how well Edwards starts with Middlesbrough, who have the finances to challenge for at least a play-off place again this season. Boro finished 10th last season, which was not enough to keep former manager Michael Carrick in a job.

What AI said about Edwards getting sacked

AI explained that Edwards is a “newcomer to the club with high expectations attached”. Owner and Chairman, Steve Gibson, will be targeting a top-six finish and early signs of an improvement on the way that last season finished will be the minimum that he is expecting.

The AI-powered chatbot strengthened its argument against Edwards by stating that Middlesbrough's “opening fixtures are among the toughest in the league”.

Middlesbrough host Swansea City on the opening day of the season before traveling to Millwall and Norwich City. Three of their next four matches are against highly fancied clubs: Sheffield United, West Brom, and Southampton. AI may have a point.

Balancing the debate, AI defended Edwards' chances: “He [Edwards] benefits from experience and a stable squad.”

The challenge facing Edwards

Edwards will need to tighten up at the back if Boro are to punch above their weight and threaten the top six this season. Promoted sides typically concede less than 40 goals per season, whereas Boro have conceded an average of 58 goals in the last three campaigns.

If Edwards can find a way to stem the tide, he has no shortage of firepower up-front. Morgan Whittaker managed 31 goal involvements in 66 Championship matches before joining Middlesbrough from Plymouth Argyle, where he returned a paltry single assist in 16 appearances. Finding a way to get Whittaker firing on all cylinders should be high on Edwards' list of priorities.

Steve Gibson, whilst usually patient with his managers, may not hesitate to wield the axe if Boro do not start well. Gibson will no doubt expect his club to be within touching distance of the top six after 10 games. Anything less could cost Edwards his job.

Whilst a poor start might put the former Luton Town boss quickly in the firing line at the Riverside, he's not the only manager who could be in trouble early in the season.

The same could be said about several managers in the Championship, such is the weight of expectation at some clubs.

Other managers who could be under early pressure

Sheffield United are one of those clubs, having narrowly missed out on promotion in the play-off final despite finishing 14 points above fourth-placed Sunderland. United will be expecting another strong season with Ruben Selles now at the helm after guiding Hull City to safety last season.

Selles is a passionate character who has the potential to light a fire under the belly of a misfiring group of players. He did well at both Reading and Hull City last year, but this is a much bigger job. A poor start could make Selles another candidate in the sack race, given how popular Chris Wilder was.

Similar arguments could be made for Will Still at Southampton and Marti Cifuentes at Leicester City. Both relegated clubs will be hoping to bounce straight back and will be expecting fast starts to the campaign. Watford, for obvious reasons, can't be ignored with Paulo Pezzolano new to the dugout there.

If AI is to be believed, Rob Edwards is the most likely candidate to be handed his P45 first. Football is never that straight-forward though and some clubs are more patient than others. Whoever is the first to go, there will be no shortage of available jobs by the end of January. The revolving door of football management will continue to spin as impatient owners demand results and that is the harsh reality of being a football manager.