English Premier League: 5 Early Candidates for Manager of the Year

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Three months into the English Premier League, the talk about the managers is usually focused on who will be sacked first .

However, there are plenty of managers in the EPL that are far from the sack and working wonders at their current club.

The five managers on this list are all deserving of the Manager of the Year award if the season ended today, as they have guided their clubs to successful seasons so far.

Here is the list of the five managers who are deserving of the Manager of the Year award after 11 matches this season.

Steve Clarke

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In his first job as a manager, Steve Clarke is doing a great job at West Bromwich Albion.

The Baggies currently sit in fifth place and have played as a strong team that gets production from everyone on the pitch.

The club lead in goals is shared by four different players, including Peter Odemwingie who is the true star on the team if they had one.

Outside of the starting 11, Clarke has key players like Chris Brunt and Romelu Lukaku available to make an instant impact in matches where the club needs a boost.

The ex-Chelsea and Liverpool assistant has also been able to turn The Hawthorns into a home fortress with the Baggies winning 15 out of 18 available points at home this season, the only loss was at the hands of Manchester City.

Sam Allardyce

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Sam Allardyce has made West Ham's one-year stint in the Championship seem like a distant memory thanks to his club's impressive start.

Allardyce was put in charge of the club after they were relegated from the EPL two seasons ago, and after earning promotion through the playoffs last season, he has the club in sixth place.

Big Sam has also made some great signings since joining the club—including Kevin Nolan, Ricardo Vaz Te and Jussi Jaaskelainen—that have made the club much better than the side that was relegated after the 2010-11 season.

There is no doubt that the Hammers will finish the highest of the three promoted clubs, and they have a legitimate shot at qualifying for Europe as well.

Roberto Martinez

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Wigan may be further down the table in 14th but it seems like Roberto Martinez is finally turning Wigan Athletic into a solid EPL side.

The Latics may not be contending for an European spot this season but they have potential to be a top-10 side at the end of the season.

Martinez has implemented the 3-5-2 formation at the DW Stadium, and he has finally found the right core of players to use in the formation.

The summer signing of Arouna Kone may be the most underrated signing of the summer transfer window, as the Ivorian has played well along with Franco di Santo and Shaun Maloney up front.

The biggest key to the success of the Latics is their defense which includes an excellent keeper, Ali Al-Habsi, and experienced veterans like Maynor Figueroa and Gary Caldwell.

This could be the first season in recent memory that we are not talking about Wigan's relegation chances toward the end of the season.

David Moyes

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Once again, David Moyes is working wonders at Everton, but this season the Toffees are better than usual.

After opening the season with a win at Manchester United, the Toffees have stayed in the top four for the majority of the season.

Helping out the cause at Goodison Park is a starting 11 that is stacked with players who not only have experience at the club level but at the international level as well.

Under the management of Moyes, three regulars in the Toffees' lineup have earned call-ups to the England squad, with Leon Osman being the latest player rewarded for his play.

Currently, Everton are on an eight-match unbeaten run, which can easily turn into a 10-match unbeaten run with matches ahead against lowly clubs Reading and Norwich.

Sir Alex Ferguson

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Sir Alex Ferguson is up to his old tricks at Manchester United, as he has guided the club into first place at the table at the moment.

Ferguson made what can be considered as the move of the summer by signing Robin van Persie away from Arsenal and shipping Dimitar Berbatov off to Fulham.

United have also had to overcome numerous injuries in their defense, including the loss of captain Nemanja Vidic, for most of the season.

Even with a makeshift defense in place in front of goalkeeper David De Gea, the Red Devils have been able to steer clear of trouble for the most part.

With a favorable schedule ahead before the Manchester derby on December 9th, United should have no problem being on top of the EPL for quite some time with many thanks to Ferguson for that position at the moment.