Liga MX coaching carousel set to spin yet again

Three on hot seat in Liga MX, after Necaxa coach pink-slipped

Reports that Guillermo Vázquez was sacked were premature and he has been given one last chance to hold onto his job at Atlético de San Luis.

The Liga MX season is just hitting the halfway point, but “Memo” and the Tuneros have seen their playoff dreams nearly dashed thanks to a four-game losing streak. The coach came close to being the fourth manager fired this season, but he was given a one-game reprieve.

The Potosinos find themselves in last place with only one win in eight games. That’s never going to be good enough. There are reports that Rubén Omar Romano is already being recruited to replace “Memo” once the front office pulls the trigger.

The Tuneros host Necaxa on Tuesday night and the Rayos would like nothing better than to point Vázquez to the door after “Memo” abandoned Necaxa to take the San Luis job last year.

The Rayos will be taking instructions from a new coach themselves after Alfonso Sosa was fired Sunday after a second consecutive listless performance. Sosa was the third Liga MX manager to be fired after Atlas coach Rafa Puente, Jr., and Chivas coach Luis Fernando Tena were axed after Matchday 3.

Necaxa looked like the worst team in Liga MX at the outset of the Guardianes 2020 but were able to fashion a four-game unbeaten streak starting with a stunning 1-1 draw against América.

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But Cruz Azul blasted the Rayos 3-0 on Matchday 7 and León manhandled the “Electricistas” last week, forcing management to make a change. Ownership knows it can ill-afford to continue in a slump because it would be difficult to scrape together the 90 million or 120 million pesos that will be asked of the two teams that finish at the bottom of the standings. Necaxa is still mid-table but they are trending in the wrong direction.

José Guadalupe “El Profe” Cruz will be in charge for Necaxa on Tuesday and the veteran coach is known for fielding compact teams. “El Profe” will be coaching his 12th team since first becoming a manager in 2004. His only notable successes came while coaching Atlante where he won a Liga MX title (Apertura 2007) as well as the Concacaf Champions League in 2009.

In addition to Vázquez, there are two other coaches on the hot seat.

Toluca’s José Manuel “Chepo” de la Torre had his Diablos in second place just two weeks ago, but after two consecutive 4-1 losses fans are calling for his head.

The “Choriceros” host struggling FC Juárez on Tuesday and “Chepo” has very little wiggle room. Management is rumored to be in contact with Gabriel Heinze to take the helm. Heinze – the former Argentina and Manchester United star – has enjoyed decent success at home (with Godoy Cruz, Argentinos Juniors and Vélez Sarsfield) since turning to coaching in 2015.

The third coach on a short leash is Francisco Palencia. On Monday, the sporting newspaper “Record” reported that Mazatlán FC has broached talks with coaching relics Ricardo La Volpe and Tomás Boy as potential replacements for “Paco” who has not gotten the best out of the Sinaloa-based club.

Not only has Mazatlán underperformed but Palencia has seen his fair share of criticism for line-up choices. Striker Camilo Sanvezzo was signed late in the transfer window but he has ignited the offense when given playing time. Fellow forward Fernando Aristeguieta has been reliably productive but has yet to be paired with the Brazilian even though the club has struggled to score.

Palencia might see his time run out Wednesday night if Mazatlán fails to defeat visiting Tijuana.

Whatever the outcomes of these three matches, management will not have much time to prepare a smooth transition as Matchday 10 kicks off Friday night.