The worst Premier League managerial tenures ever – ranked
Being a Premier League manager is one of the toughest jobs in football. Expectations are sky-high, and patience is often in short supply. Some coaches manage to thrive under that pressure, while others collapse in spectacular fashion. These ten names belong firmly in the latter category. Here’s a look back at the most infamous managerial tenures in Premier League history — starting from number ten and working our way up to the worst of the worst.
10. Les Reed – Charlton Athletic

Les Reed’s brief spell in charge of Charlton Athletic during the 2006–07 season has become a cautionary tale. After taking over from Iain Dowie, Reed managed to win just one of his eight games in charge, looking visibly out of his depth at the highest level. Charlton were an established Premier League side at the time, but Reed’s reign accelerated their slide towards relegation. His tenure was so short and unsuccessful that he never managed a top-flight club again, returning instead to behind-the-scenes roles. It remains one of the shortest and weakest managerial spells the division has seen.
9. Remi Garde – Aston Villa

There was genuine hope when Remi Garde took over Aston Villa in 2015. The Frenchman had impressed with Lyon, and Villa possessed talented players like Jack Grealish and Idrissa Gueye. But his tenure quickly turned sour as the club descended into chaos, winning just two of 20 league games. The team looked directionless, the dressing room fractured, and the fans lost faith almost immediately. Garde’s brief time in charge left Villa adrift at the bottom, and his reputation never truly recovered.
8. David Moyes – Manchester United

Succeeding Alex Ferguson at Manchester United was always going to be a near-impossible task, but David Moyes made it look worse than anyone imagined. Taking over a team that had just won the league, he managed to drain the confidence out of a squad built to dominate. United played timid, lifeless football, losing their fear factor in record time. His failure marked the end of an era at Old Trafford and set the tone for a decade of managerial instability. Though not statistically the worst, the scale of his underachievement earns him a spot on this list.
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7. Roy Hodgson – Watford

When Roy Hodgson arrived at Watford in early 2022, many expected him to steady the ship. Instead, his reign quickly turned into a strange, joyless episode. He failed to win a single home game and struggled to unite a fractured squad, looking increasingly detached as results worsened. One of the defining moments came when he applauded Crystal Palace fans after a defeat but ignored the Watford supporters, souring relations even further. It was a rare and brutal misfire for a manager with such an experienced résumé.
6. Paul Jewell – Derby County

Paul Jewell arrived at Derby County in November 2007 tasked with rescuing a doomed season. He didn’t manage a single league win. Derby finished with just 11 points — the lowest total in Premier League history — and looked out of their depth in nearly every game. Jewell, once seen as a bright young manager after good spells with Bradford and Wigan, never truly recovered his reputation. His tenure remains a symbol of just how brutal life in the Premier League can be.
5. Nathan Jones – Southampton

Nathan Jones brought plenty of personality to Southampton, but very little stability. His eight-game reign in 2022–23 was a whirlwind of bizarre quotes, poor performances, and mounting fan frustration. He claimed the pressure of having an extra player made his team worse and often invoked divine intervention to explain his tactics. Saints won just one match under him and quickly slid to the bottom of the table. His sacking was as inevitable as it was necessary.
4. Alan Shearer – Newcastle United

Club legend Alan Shearer took over Newcastle United in 2009 with the city behind him, but the timing was disastrous. With only eight games to save their season, he could manage just one win as the Magpies were relegated. Shearer’s lack of managerial experience was cruelly exposed, though most fans still blame ownership and chaos above him. It was an emotional chapter that no one at St James’ Park likes to revisit. The Geordie hero’s legendary status remained intact, but his coaching career ended before it ever really began.
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3. Felix Magath – Fulham

Felix Magath arrived at Fulham with an impressive CV, but his stint in London was surreal. His old-school methods and eccentric ideas clashed spectacularly with modern players, including the infamous moment he suggested rubbing cheese on a thigh injury. While he did win three of his 12 matches, his management left Fulham fractured and confused. The club were relegated and plunged into further turmoil, and Magath’s reputation in England never recovered. It was a strange and short-lived era that Fulham fans would rather forget.
2. Ange Postecoglou – Nottingham Forest

Ange Postecoglou’s 39-day spell at Nottingham Forest in 2025–26 was as chaotic as it was brief. Thrown into a divided club without a pre-season or proper backing, he lost four of his five Premier League games and was swiftly shown the door. His exit was confirmed just minutes after a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea, bringing a messy end to a doomed appointment. It was a situation set up to fail from the beginning, with Postecoglou caught in the crossfire of boardroom politics. A European trophy with Spurs couldn’t save his Forest nightmare.
1. Frank de Boer – Crystal Palace

At the top of this notorious list sits Frank de Boer at Crystal Palace. He was brought in to modernise the club with a possession-based style, but it imploded almost immediately. Palace lost all four of their league games under him, failing to score a single goal, and he was sacked in September 2017. De Boer’s ideas never took root, his players never looked comfortable, and the panic button was pressed before autumn had even arrived. Even José Mourinho once called him the worst manager in Premier League history — a reputation that still follows him to this day.
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