This season in Liga MX has been atypical in many ways. The fact that the season was crammed into just a few months has forced certain teams to play lineups that they probably never envisioned. Also, teams have proven to be more patient with their managers this season. Only Cruz Azul’s Diego Aguirre lost his job mid-season. Having only one manager sacked at this point in the season is a Liga MX first! By matchday 15 in other tournaments we’ve had half the teams change managers.
With the 12 team playoff format a ton of teams still have a chance to sneak by even after having an abysmal season. That may be another factor that has helped certain managers keep their job. We don’t expect this trend to continue though. Plenty of managers could potentially lose their job before the next season starts. We’re going to let you know who’s on the hot seat!
The Guys That Are A Lock To Lose Their Job
There are actually only two guys right now that we feel are a lock to lose their jobs. That’s Tijuana coach Ricardo Valiño, and Queretaro coach Mauro Gerk. Xolos could still make a push for the playoffs in the coming games. However, after their performance against Pachuca where they lost 6-1 it seems unlikely that they’ll rebound. Ironically both squads are technically the property of Grupo Caliente. Although Queretaro’s status is still up in the air. In any case, it would seem that the right thing to do with both squads is to bring someone new in, and try to regroup.
Gerk can’t really be blamed too much for the bad results. He’s a rookie manager with the worst roster in Liga MX who has to play home games without people in the stands. What in the world did management expect to happen? Xolos had their moments, but ultimately the team was expected to be much better this season, and that just hasn’t been the case. It’s hard to make an argument for Valiño to stay on as manager.
Situations That Could Go Either Way
There are a ton of coaches that could lose their job if they don’t manage to make it to the playoffs this season. The list includes Hernan Cristante, at Juarez, Raul Gutierrez at Cruz Azul, and Andres Dillini at Pumas, just to name a few. Gabriel Caballero’s tenure at Mazatlan could also end if he can’t find a way to hold on to the 12th spot. Juarez, on the other hand could keep Cristante around even if they don’t get into the playoffs. Just based on how bad the team was last season.
Maybe he could argue the leap they made was a positive one, but he still didn’t score enough points to evade the end of the year fee if the team ends in the last places on the relegation table. Of the team’s on the inside of the playoffs Nacho Ambriz at Toluca could be on the hot seat as well. The team has lost its early season momentum, and hasn’t looked good in its last outings. Leon’s Renato Paiva, and San Luis’ Andre Jardine were on the chopping block, but their recent wins gave them some breathing room. If they get axed at the end of the year it still wouldn’t be a huge surprise.
Potential Surprises
Ambriz getting sacked would not be a surprise in our book, but Miguel Herrera losing his job certainly would be. There are a couple of ways that this could come about. If Herrera loses in the one game wild card round as the number 5 ranked team to number 12 there’s going to be a lot of pressure on management to sack him. Also, if he meets Rayados in the playoffs and his team gets embarrassed he’s gone. From there maybe Puebla’s Nicolas Larcamon getting the ax would certainly be a surprise, but we don’t see that happening even if he misses the playoffs. The rest of the managers seem to be in decent shape.
