As Billy Davies became the sixth Barclays Premier League manager to leave his job this season, it was left to Arsène Wenger, the longest-serving manager in the top division after Sir Alex Ferguson, to sum up the madness of the managerial merry-go-round. In a typically compelling image, the Arsenal manager compared the speed with which some clubs dispense with their managers to the practice of burning witches at the stake.

Davies’s departure from Derby County follows the exits of José Mourinho, Sammy Lee, Martin Jol and Chris Hutchings, while Steve Bruce left Birmingham City of his own accord last week to join Wigan Athletic, a move he completed yesterday.

Although not yet matching the casualty rate of three years ago, when seven top-flight managers were out of work by Christmas, this is shaping up to be the most turbulent season in the 15-year history of the Premier League as Rafael BenÍtez, Sam Allardyce and Gareth Southgate find themselves under varying degrees of pressure.

Wenger - who has been in charge at Arsenal for 11 years compared with Ferguson’s 21 years at the Old Trafford helm – believes that the increased instability is because of the impatience of the new breed of owners, who have bought several clubs in recent years, in contrast to the independence he is given at Arsenal.

“It just looks like you are quicker burnt in the place of the village now than before,” he said. “The fire is always raging. Maybe there’s an analysis to do about that in the modern game.

“My relationship with my board is unique because they understand that there is no success without that understanding, but of course you need a bit of time. I’m not sure that everybody just coming in and buying clubs understands that.”

While emphasising the importance of having the support of his board, Wenger expressed sympathy for Davies, who was out of a job after a meeting with Adam Pearson, the Derby chairman, yesterday morning. Paul Jewell and Paul Ince are the favourites to replace the Scot, who sowed the seeds of his downfall with repeated complaints about the lack of investment in his squad.

“I had always the support of my board and I think Ferguson had that as well,” Wenger said. “We’re the longest-serving managers in the league, there is no secret in that. But what seems strange to me is that sometimes managers can pay the price for impatience or overachieving because last year Davies got them up.

“If they had not come up he would still be the manager and that is not right. What I find strange is that this guy last year put the club in a position where they did not dream to be and after three months he pays the price for it.”

As in the cases of Mourinho and Jol, Davies’s departure appears to have had as much to do with internal politics as results, a growing trend in the Premier League that could soon end BenÍtez’s 3½year stay at Anfield.

The Spaniard made a belated attempt to save his job yesterday by backing down in his public dispute with the club’s owners over transfer strategy, with friends briefing that he is happy at Liverpool and only wants the best for the supporters. But it may be a case of too little, too late.

“Certainly what’s happening at Liverpool is not down to the sport or to results, it’s down to other, internal differences,” Wenger said. “What are they really about? It’s very difficult to have a clear mind on it.”