Premier League club told to re-hire Steve Bruce as sack prediction made

Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic has been tipped to be the first Premier League boss to be sacked this season.

And as a replacement, the Tigers will have a few options: Kieran McKenna, Scott Parker and even Steve Bruce.

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Hull achieved promotion back to the Premier League for the first time since 2017 last term by winning the Championship Play-Off Final against Middlesbrough at Wembley.

Jakirovic was tasked with keeping the club in the second tier, but he incredibly ended up leading them to the top flight.

They are heavily predicted to be relegated this season though, and if they do struggle as expected, the Serbian could be sacked.

At least that’s what former Premier League striker Troy Deeney thinks, as he tipped Jakirovic to be an early departure.

“I feel the Hull manager may go,” Deeney stated on talkSPORT’s Premier League All Access podcast when predicting which manager will be sacked first this campaign.

“If in the first month they’re not doing well and the window’s closed, he’s the only one that can get changed, right?”

Who could potentially replace Jakirovic?

Should Deeney’s prediction of Jakirovic’s sacking come true, Hull will then have to bring a new boss into the dugout.

And host Sam Matterface began: “There are a few managers doing the rounds that could step into the breach…”

He went on to mention McKenna, who left Ipswich earlier this summer, and former Burnley boss Parker.

But Alex Crook bravely asked: “Get Steve Bruce back there?”

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Bruce was Hull manager for four years from 2012 through to 2016, taking charge of 201 games across his tenure.

He won 85 of those matches, winning promotion to the Premier League twice and leading the Tigers to the FA Cup final in 2014, which in turn secured a spot in a European competition for the first time in the club’s history the following season.

The 65-year-old, who is a regular on talkSPORT, hasn’t had a job since October 2025, when he was sacked by Blackpool.

What other Premier League managers are at risk of an early sacking?

Jakirovic wasn’t the only sacking prediction made on the Premier League All Access podcast, as another name popped up.

New Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa is also at risk of being the first let go by their club this year, according to Matterface and Crook.

Matterface explained: “He’s a rookie manager, he’s following a man who built something that absolutely worked.

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“They’ve sold their goals, there’s no goals in that team. I just can’t see it working out for him.”

Pierre Sage was also mentioned by Deeney as another potential manager who could face an early sacking this season.

Sage recently took over from Oliver Glasner at Crystal Palace.

The 2026/27 Premier League campaign gets started on Friday, with champions Arsenal facing Coventry, live on talkSPORT.

Commentary from the Emirates will be coming from Jim Proudfoot and former Palace manager Alan Pardew.

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