Hot Seat Watch for World Football Players, Coaches After Weekend Jan. 31-Feb. 2
It's that time of week again where we produce the list that nobody wants to be a part of: The hot seat watch for world football, where we identify which players, managers and other individuals are under pressure or scrutiny in the game.
We're not calling for sackings or people to be dropped here; instead, simply identifying where the gaze of the world's eye has been of late and analysing whether that is because of on-field happenings, poor form or results, or some other noteworthy incident.
Here is our latest collection of names, including two refereeing incidents.
Pippo Inzaghi, Milan
1 of 8
We'll start in Italy and both Milan-based bosses feature.
AC Milan manager Pippo Inzaghi finally got his team back to winning ways this weekend—a 3-1 home victory over bottom-club Parma, so not exactly indicative of a return to form over the longer run.
It was a first win in six Serie A matches for Milan and they are still slumped down in eighth place...with league leaders Juventus their next fixture.
Roberto Mancini, Inter Milan
2 of 8
Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini is faring even worse than Inzaghi at Milan: A weekend defeat at Sassuolo leaves Inter down in 13th place, with just two wins from their last 12 league games.
New signings Xherdan Shaqiri and Lukas Podolski were both in the Inter team this weekend, with Mancini lining the team up in his preferred 4-2-3-1 with plenty of supposed top players in place, so he can't really have any comebacks about the depth or balance of his squad now.
Inter face Europa League-chasing Palermo next time out.
Willy Sagnol, Bordeaux
3 of 8
To France now and Bordeaux boss Willy Sagnol continues on our watch list, after yet another weekend where he failed to guide his side to a win.
The 1-1 draw at home to Guingamp was a particular disappointment as his side had to come from behind, finished with 10 men and were facing a side who had won just 10 points on the road all season.
It's just one win in nine now for Sagnol, and that was a cup match. In Ligue 1, his team stay in seventh.
Paul Lambert, Aston Villa
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Aston Villa boss Paul Lambert has won just two of the 19 Premier League games he has taken charge of since signing his new contract late last year.
That run, culminating in a heavy 5-0 beating by Arsenal at the weekend, has seen Villa slip from the top six or so to the edge of the relegation zone: Villa now sit in 16th, three points above the dotted line, having lost their last three in a row.
His team don't look like scoring at all, the defence is wide open and their style remains overly cautious—without really being solid at the back.
Harry Redknapp, Unemployed
5 of 8
Possibly our first-ever out-of-work manager to feature, Harry Redknapp takes his place on our hot seat watch after resigning from his post as QPR boss...because he needs surgery on his knee, per BBC Sport.
With QPR one place off the bottom of the league table, having spent a large sum in the summer transfer market, and with Redknapp or the club unable to bring in any players during January, his 5:30 a.m. resignation after deadline day speaks volumes.
QPR had not won a single point way from home this season.
Adam Lallana, Liverpool
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Liverpool's return to form has seen plenty of players pick up good press of late, with Mamadou Sakho, Emre Can and Philippe Coutinho just a few of them. One big-money summer signing who has yet to really join in with that upturn in fortunes, though, is Adam Lallana.
A £25 million buy from Southampton, Lallana has sparked at times and shown great ability in flashes—but consistency has been lacking. Now with two attacking-midfield berths to fight for, he should be pressing his claim and displaying why the club wanted him so much.
Instead, it looks very much as if he's the fourth choice, after Raheem Sterling, Coutinho and Steven Gerrard. A cup replay against Bolton might be an important chance for Lallana to get back on track...if he's selected.
AFCON Referee Rajindraparsad Seechurn
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The Africa Cup of Nations has, by and large, been an enjoyable spectacle—but there was controversy and bitterness about the quarterfinal match between Equatorial Guinea and Tunisia.
A bizarrely awarded penalty gave the hosts a last-ditch chance to save themselves and they went on to win the tie, with scenes of aggression surrounding the referee after his awarding of the spot kick.
Per BBC Sport, referee Rajindraparsad Seechurn has now been banned for six months by CAF, citing a regrettably "poor performance" and an "unacceptable failure to maintain calm and ensure proper control of the players."
Tunisia have also been asked for an apology over implications of bias, while Equatorial Guinea were fined for poor security.
Willems / Swerts / Blom
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The final slide comes from Netherlands and the Dutch Eredivisie, where PSV left-back Jetro Willems was sent-off for his team against NAC Breda in midweek...after just 29 seconds!
Willems, a full Dutch international, flew into a challenge on Gill Swerts inside the first half-minute of the game and was immediately shown a straight red by referee Kevin Blom.
However, replays showed that Willems didn't even make contact with his opponent, who managed an impressive dive—and the referee should not have issued the red.
