5 great players who flopped as managers

It seems that we are in an era of elite managers. Over the last decade, we have seen an ongoing battle between the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho, in an almost unprecedented battle between managers.

The pair have almost revolutionised the roles of a manager. Guardiola has bought in a brand of football at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City that is of the highest quality, and has made him one of the most valued properties in football.

As for Mourinho, he is perhaps the first manager since Brian Clough to be truly box-office. The self-proclaimed Special One gained a reputation for being an entertainer off the field, and despite his struggles at Manchester United, he is still one of football’s most recognised characters.

The two have taken different paths into the management game though. Guardiola came through the ranks at Barcelona, as a player, then as a coach. Mourinho’s playing career opened no doors however, and he made his first impression in the game as Bobby Robson’s interpreter at Sporting Lisbon and Porto.

There have been players who have had great careers but haven’t succeeded as a manager. It may have worked for the likes of Guardiola, and more recently Zinedine Zidane, but it hasn’t worked out for everyone. Here are five great players who failed as managers.

---

#1 Thierry Henry

Henry won only four games as Monaco manager

There is no doubting that Henry is one of the greatest players we have ever seen in the Premier League. The Frenchman was almost an unknown quantity when he joined Arsenal in 1999, but by the time he left North London in 2007, he was the club’s all-time top goalscorer. He produced some memorable moments, notably scoring the winner at the Bernabeu in the Gunners’ run to the Champions League Final in 2006.

Things didn’t work out for Henry when he took his first managerial post though. Having turned down the job at Aston Villa in the summer, he took over from Leonardo Jardim at Monaco in October. He signed a three-year contract with the French giants, but having won just four of the 20 games he was in charge for, he was sacked in January.

#2 Paul Scholes

Scholes lasted only 31 days as manager of Oldham Athletic

Scholes built his reputation at Manchester United as one of the finest midfielders in the world. He played 718 times for United in all competitions, scoring 155 goals, and winning a host of trophies. He won the Champions League on two occasions, as well as the Premier League title 11 times, including once after coming out of retirement to play for United in 2012.

However, things didn’t work out for Scholes in management. He took over at League Two club Oldham Athletic in February, and things started well with a 4-1 win over Yeovil Town in his first game. He was in charge for just another six games but failed to win any of them. He eventually resigned after just 31 days at the helm, blaming the board for failing to give him full control over club matters.

#3 Alan Shearer

Shearer's time in charge of Newcastle was a disaster

Not many players are associated with a club as much as Shearer was associated with Newcastle United. Having spent four years with Blackburn Rovers, where he won the Premier League in the 1994/95 season and became the first player to score 30 league goals in three consecutive seasons, Shearer turned down a move to Manchester United to join Newcastle. He became the Magpies all-time goalscorer with 206 goals, before retiring in 2006.

He wasn’t done with Newcastle and became the club’s manager in 2006 when the Magpies turned to their former striker to save them from relegation. Things didn’t work out for Shearer, and he just one of his eight games in charge. He was unable to save the club from relegation to the Championship, with a defeat to Aston Villa on the final day sealing their fate.

#4 Edgar Davids

Davids' spell in charge of Barnet was memorable for all the wrong reasons

Davids’ time in management was a bit of a strange one. The Dutchman was a bit of a journeyman during his career, playing for nine different clubs in four different countries, including the likes of AC Milan, Barcelona, and Ajax. He also appeared 74 times for the Netherlands, scoring six goals.

In 2012, he surprisingly took over League Two side Barnet. Despite making a decent start, he was unable to save them from relegation in the 2012/13 season, and they dropped into the Conference. He was sent off three times in the first eight games of the following season, and in January 2014, he resigned as manager.

#5 Gary Neville

Neville never really won the support of the Valencia faithful

Neville, like Scholes, spent his whole playing career with Manchester United, playing over 600 times, meaning he will have learnt a lot from former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. After retiring from football in 2011, Neville moved into coaching alongside his punditry career. He spent four years as Roy Hodgson’s assistant for England, working alongside Ray Lewington.

In December 2015, he was surprisingly announced as Valencia’s new manager, with brother Phil as his assistant. This shocked many of the Spanish club’s fans, with Neville’s lack of managerial experience, and the clear language barrier. He managed the club just 28 times though, winning only ten matches, before being sacked. He has since confirmed that it will likely be his only job in management.