Topics: English Premier League, Manchester United, Louis Van Gaal, La Liga, Real Madrid, Rafa Benitez
Rafa Benitez and Louis Van Gaal seem to be the top choices for under-fire coaches in line to lose their jobs. Here's a detailed analysis.

José Mourinho's second term as Chelsea's manager was cut short today, and as disappointing as it may seem, fans and experts were expecting other coaches to be sacked first.

After Mourinho's dismissal as the Blues' coach, there are some other coaches out there who's jobs are not as safe as they would like. Should we expect Real Madrid to say goodbye to Rafa Benitez before the end of the year, or is it shaky Louis Van Gaal next in line to face the axe?

Here are a few hints about why we believe these coaches may have to update their resume in the near future.

Rafa Benitez

The former Liverpool and Napoli boss has been under fire ever since he took Real Madrid's coaching job. Benitez's defensive style and lack of silverware in the recent past raised a few eyebrows among Los Blancos' supporters, and despite a magnificent start of the season, an appalling display during El Clasico back in November may have been all that Florentino Perez needed to sack him. Nevertheless, the team's president backed Benitez up despite a number of mishaps, such as the club's elimination from the Copa del Rey and their most recent loss against Villarreal.

Benitez's relationship with his players isn't as wonderful as he would like, since he constantly criticizes Carlo Ancelotti, Los Blancos' former boss and a father figure to some of the team's most relevant players, including Sergio Ramos and Cristiano Ronaldo. Last night, Real Madrid's players had their Christmas dinner, but they decided not to invite Benitez or his coaching staff.

El Clasico's defeat against Barcelona may be the only thing fans will remember about Benitez's term as Real Madrid coach.

Louis Van Gaal

The Dutch boss is currently living his second season as Manchester United's tactician, and things have not worked out well for him in the last 18 months. After a shopping spree in both summer transfer windows, Van Gaal has failed to deliver new silverware to the team's trophy case, with shocking losses in the FA Cup and in this season's return to the UEFA Champions League. The team's lackluster display in front of goal has played a key role during this season, and most fans blame Van Gaal's cautious tactics for it.

Furthermore, his relationship with United's players is not the best. Sources revealed that some of the team's senior players had a meeting with Van Gaal following their Champions League elimination, in which they asked him to ease the rhythm of the team's training sessions. With most of the squad supporting that idea, Van Gaal's tight discipline doesn't seem to be working with the Red Devils, and only time will tell if he adapted to them or if he chose to live up to his ideals and watch himself leave.

Van Gaal and Ryan Giggs, during one of last season's losses against Swansea City, something that had never happened before.