The worst ever Premier League managers

Over the years, the Premier League has seen more than its fair share of managers hired and fired.

Some have truly graced the technical area – but others have rather stunk it out, and FourFourTwo has picked out the worst of the bunch.

Let's get straight to it...

32. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Still a Manchester United legend for his exploits as a player, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's three years as manager at Old Trafford aren't remembered in such terms.

Finishing as 2020/21 Europa League runners-up was as good as got for the Norwegian in the Old Trafford dugout, really, and he was sacked in November 2021.

31. Alan Pardew

Alan Pardew's inclusion on this list might raise a few eyebrows given that he won the 2011/12 Premier League Manager of the Season award while at Newcastle – but that's part of the reason why he makes it.

After that, in spells at Crystal Palace and West Brom, Pardew's managerial stock plummeted: he endured a 14-match winless run with the former and lasted just four months in charge of the latter.

30. Luiz Felipe Scolari

Given the club's track record for hiring and firing, Chelsea managers probably don't expect to be in the Stamford Bridge dugout very long – but Luiz Felipe Scolari didn't even last a season.

A 2002 World Cup winner with Brazil and Euro 2004 runner-up with Portugal, Big Phil's international success just didn't translate to elite club level.

29. Graeme Souness

Graeme Souness guided Blackburn Rovers to 2001/02 League Cup glory, but he never quite got to grips with managing in the Premier League.

The Liverpool legend underwhelmed as Reds manager, and later fared similarly at Southampton (where he infamously signed Ali Dia) and Newcastle.

28. Scott Parker

Having steered Bournemouth back to the Premier League for the 2021/22 campaign, Scott Parker was sacked by the end of August.

The former England midfielder's dismissal came following a chastening 9-0 defeat at Liverpool (after which he seemingly criticised the Bournemouth board – which probably didn't help his case...).

27. Paul Heckingbottom

Appointed in November 2021 having previously held the reins as caretaker manager, Paul Heckingbottom was given time to guide Sheffield United back to the top flight.

Once there, though, it quickly went south for the former Leeds and Hibernian boss, and he was sacked after the Blades lost 11 and won just one of their first 14 games of the 2023/24 Premier League season.

26. Frank Lampard

It's often said that bringing a club legend back as manager will only end in tears – and so it proved for Frank Lampard at Chelsea (particularly with regards to his 11-match 2023 caretaker stint which produced one win).

In between his two spells in the Stamford Bridge dugout, Lampard spent 12 months in charge of Everton – who flirted with Premier League relegation throughout his tenure.

25. Daniel Farke

Daniel Farke was dismissed by Norwich City hours after a win over Brentford in November 2021 – but the writing was already on the wall for the German.

Norwich hadn't won all season up until then – and Farke had recently lost 15 straight top-flight games in charge of the Canaries either side of a campaign back in the second tier.

24. Dave Bassett

He'll forever be an absolute legend at Wimbledon for guiding the club from the fourth tier to the top flight between 1981 and 1986, but Dave Bassett never quite made the grade as a Premier League manager.

Sacked by Nottingham Forest in January 1999, he returned to top-flight technical areas almost three years later with Leicester – where he oversaw a four-month winless run which saw the Foxes relegated.

23. Paolo Di Canio

Paolo Di Canio spent just six months in charge of Sunderland, who dismissed the Italian icon amid allegations of "brutal and vitriolic" criticism of the squad.

The former West Ham and Sheffield Wednesday man had succeeded in saving the Black Cats from relegation at the end of the 2013/14 season – but that was arguably more to do with how poor the three sides finishing below them were.

22. Tony Adams

One of the greatest defenders in Premier League history, Tony Adams took just 10 points from 48 available during his short stint as Portsmouth boss.

It shouldn't really have been a surprise: the ex-Arsenal and England's captain's only previous managerial role had seen him relegated from the third tier with Wycombe Wanderers.

21. Slavisa Jokanovic

Having been promoted to the Premier League with Watford in 2015 but then replaced in the dugout by Quique Sanchez Flores, Slavisa Jokanovic eventually got to manage in the English top flight after guiding Fulham back there in 2018.

But the Serbian got the chop just three months into the 2018/19 season, with the Cottagers bottom of the pile.

20. Jacques Santini

Tottenham boss for barely six months in 2004, Jacques Santini surprisingly resigned after only 13 games in charge of Spurs.

The former France manager later hit out at the North London club for breaking perceived agreements – including not giving him "a big apartment on the beach" (er...).

19. Rene Meulensteen

Former Manchester United first-team coach Rene Meulensteen joined Fulham as part of manager Martin Jol's staff in November 2013 – only to become the main man himself within three weeks, after Jol was sacked.

The Dutchman lasted just four months, though, losing 10 of his 17 Premier League matches at the helm.

18. Iain Dowie

Charlton Athletic handed Iain Dowie a sizeable transfer kitty for the 2006 summer window – but the ex-Crystal Palace and Oldham Athletic manager did not make it count.

Despite bringing in the likes of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Scott Carson, Dowie was dismissed by December with Charlton languishing at the wrong end of the Premier League table. He later failed to keep Hull City in the top flight.

17. Pepe Mel

Pepe Mel arrived at West Brom in January 2014 with decent credentials, having previously guided Real Betis back to the Spanish top flight and then Europa League qualification.

But his time as Baggies boss was a major disappointment, and he left by mutual consent at the end of the season having picked up only 15 points from a possible 51.

16. Felix Magath

A notoriously firm and demanding coach, Felix Magath was named Fulham manager after Rene Meulensteen's sacking in February 2014.

However, the German failed to prevent the Cottages from being relegated from the Premier League that May, and he was sacked barely a month into the following campaign.

15. Steve Kean

Steve Kean lasted the best part of two years as Blackburn Rovers manager, having succeeded Sam Allardyce in December 2010.

The Scot oversaw Rovers' relegation from the Premier League in May 2012, and he resigned in September that year amid mounting calls for him to go – including from local MP Jack Straw.

14. Chris Hutchings

Assistant manager to Paul Jewell at Bradford City and Wigan Athletic, Chris Hutchings succeeded his superior in the dugout at both clubs.

It didn't work out for the former Chelsea defender either time: he took charge of 12 Premier League matches during each spell, winning one with Bradford and two with Wigan.

13. Egil Olsen

Egil Olsen was dismissed shortly before Wimbledon's relegation from the top flight in 2000 – but the Norwegian – who become the first person from the nation to manage in the Premier League was largely responsible for the end result.

"Olsen just didn't know how to get the best out of us," said Dons captain Robbie Earle.

12. Jan Siewert

Previously manager of Borussia Dortmund's reserve team, Jan Siewert looked like a good appointment by Huddersfield Town in January 2019.

Quite the opposite proved to be true: Huddersfield were relegated from the Premier League with six games of the season still to go, and Siewert was axed early the following campaign – having won just one out of 19 matches altogether.

11. Remi Garde

Aston Villa were already at an incredibly low ebb when Remi Garde took over as manager in November 2015 – and things only got worse.

Garde tried (and failed) to instil more discipline at Villa, dropping Jack Grealish for partying after a 4-0 thrashing by Everton – one of 12 defeats during the Frenchman's tenure of 20 Premier League games.

10. Bob Bradley

The first American to manage in the Premier League, Bob Bradley took over at Swansea City in October 2016.

He would go on to have one of the shortest reigns in the history of the competition, lasting only 85 days and 11 games – of which Swansea lost seven, shipping 29 goals in the process.

9. Steve Wigley

Prior to taking charge of Southampton in the summer of 2004, Steve Wigley's only frontline managerial role had come with non-League Aldershot Town seven years earlier.

And it showed: Wigley lasted just 14 matches – winning one (against arch-rivals Portsmouth, as it happened) – before being canned.

8. Terry Connor

Terry Connor took charge of 13 games as Wolves manager at the end of the 2011/12 Premier League season; he didn't win a single one of them.

In fact, Wolves managed just four draws under the ex-Leeds and Brighton striker – and finished rock-bottom of the table. Connor returned to his role as assistant manager that summer.

7. Paul Jewell

Paul Jewell achieved an impressive 10th-placed Premier League finish with Wigan Athletic in 2005/06 – but he was also in charge of Derby County for most of their abysmal 2007/08 top-flight campaign which yielded 11 points and a sole win.

From the 24 league fixtures between Jewell's appointment and the end of the season, Derby collected... five points out of a possible 72 (suffice to say, they finished bottom).

6. Billy Davies

Jewell's predecessor, promotion-winning boss Billy Davies oversaw Derby's only success (in any competition) – a 1-0 victory over Newcastle – that season.

However, the Scot left by mutual consent after securing a measly six points from the first 14 Premier League fixtures of the campaign (mind you, it was still one more than Jewell managed).

5. Brian Laws

Burnley were sitting quite comfortably in mid-table when manager Owen Coyle left for Bolton Wanderers midway through the 2009/10 Premier League campaign.

In came Brian Laws as his replacement – and off a cliff went the Clarets' form: they lost 15 of their final 18 league games of the season and were relegated (although Laws kept his job until December).

4. Juande Ramos

Having inherited an underperforming Tottenham team upon taking over in October 2007, Juande Ramos spent big the following summer on players like Luka Modric and Roman Pavlyuchenko.

Spurs only got worse, though, making their poorest ever start to a league campaign and propping up the Premier League table by the time Harry Redknapp was brought in to replace Ramos.

3. Les Reed

Les Reed spent all of 41 days as Charlton Athletic manager in late 2006, marking one of the shortest managerial reigns (if you can even call it that) of all time.

During his eight games at the helm – which included a League Cup exit to League Two Wycombe Wanderers – Reed gained such nicknames as Les Miserables and Santa Clueless. Ouch.

2. Nathan Jones

"Nathan Jones, you've been gone too long," sung the Supremes on their 1971 hit – but for Southampton fans during the 2022/23 season, it was a case of 'Nathan Jones, you've been here too long'.

The Saints burned through three managers in their ultimately unsuccessful bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League – and Jones was the worst of them, winning just one of eight league games before getting the boot.

1. Frank De Boer

Jose Mourinho labelled Frank de Boer "the worst manager in the history of the Premier League" – and we're going to agree with one of the best managers in the history of the Premier League.

The Ajax and Netherlands legend managed Crystal Palace for four league games at the start of the 2017/18 season, losing all four without his side scoring a single goal.