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As another season is edging to the end, many managers have come into the job and been dismissed. Fans of various clubs are elated by the men at the helm of their clubs while others are ready to burn down buildings.
There have been some underwhelming appointments in the course of this Premier League season, especially as teams who were not expected to be in trouble got dragged into the survival dogfight. Southampton, Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion all changed managers with their second appointments being more underwhelming than the first.
Mark Hughes, Paul Lambert and Alan Pardew endured poor spells at Southampton, Stoke City and West Brom respectively, but are far away from the worst ever appointments in the Premier League in the last fifteen years.
Arguably, Mark Hughes and Alan Pardew undeservedly got jobs after leading their previous clubs to precarious situations, but their records look much better after a look at their entire careers.
This list looks at some of the worst appointments and managerial reigns in the Premier League in the last fifteen years. Some of these men were not permanent hires but were in effect, specially tasked with doing the job ably. The impact of the reign is also counted when terming a reign as particularly disastrous, so read on to find out more about the 5 worst Premier League managerial appointments in recent years:
#5 Alan Shearer (Newcastle United)
In April 2009, Newcastle United was in a bit of a managerial conundrum. Caretakers Chris Hughton and Colin Calderwood were in charge, while temporary boss Joe Kinnear was due to undergo a bypass surgery.
Newcastle United had been touted to be 'too good to go down' despite the lack of investment and complex managerial situation. Owner Mike Ashley decided to offer Alan Shearer the job with eight games remaining to keep Newcastle up.
What followed, was forgettable to say the least. Despite playing only two of the 'Top Six' teams in Chelsea and Liverpool, Shearer's side failed to put up a fight and recorded only four points including only one solitary victory. Newcastle were subsequently relegated despite teams around them like Hull City and Sunderland failing to win crucial matches as well.
This was a side that had finished 12th the previous season because of a horrid two-month spell in November-December before recovering quite comfortably. Shearer failed to motivate his team effectively and his tactical decisions were questionable according to many experts.
It may not have helped Shearer that he was only there for a few months and the problems at the club were deep-rooted. Regardless, his failure meant that he became the first manager to oversee Newcastle to relegation.
Shearer's failure was not as bad on paper considering the circumstances around the club but his appointment by Newcastle despite his earlier claims of not being interested in long-term coaching and his lack of managerial experience played a massive role in his ranking as one of the worst appointments in Premier League history.
The fact that the Newcastle United legend failed as a manager was not the most relevant aspect. The most important aspect of this appointment was Mike Ashley's incapacity to handle the club effectively for the first time, which eventually set the club on a warpath from which it is yet to recover.
Premier League Record: P8 W1 D2 L5
#4 Pepe Mel (West Brom)
West Bromwich Albion decided to sack Steve Clarke in December 2013 after the club flattered to deceive following an 8th-place finish the previous season (2012-13). Clarke had been hailed as a genius and deserving of the many accolades that came his way.
But all that was cut short in December 2013 after a run of inconsistency. He was finally replaced in January 2014 by former Real Betis Manager Pepe Mel.
Former caretaker Keith Downing and the entire coaching staff were retained and Mel was not allowed to bring any of his staff. Following a horrible start to his reign and disagreements over player selection issues, Mel's interpreter was fired. Mel's lack of sound English was touted to be a major problem by observers.
Mel's West Brom side never got going and failed to win from many good positions including a 3-0 lead vs Sunderland and the West Midlands Derby against Aston Villa away from home when they were 2-0 up.
He was constantly in the news for the wrong reasons, despite his relative popularity as an individual among the West Brom fan base. Mel was finally sacked or at least let go of by mutual consent at the end of the season according to varying sources.
Winning just 3 games of his 17, Mel had intended to replace most of the first team squad after rumours of internal dressing room fighting hit the papers. However, he was not given an opportunity to do so after a horrid record on the field.
Mel could claim to have not had the board's backing because it took them months before he could bring his staff to West Brom. His high-tempo playing style and high defensive line meant that a solid counter-attacking team like West Bromwich Albion had to switch formations and revamp their tactical approach halfway into the season.
This proved to be too much for his players and ultimately, the adjustment factor denied them points time and again, eventually costing Mel his job.
Premier League Record: P17 W3 D6 L8
#3 Tony Adams (Portsmouth)
It's safe to say that great players don't always make great managers. Portsmouth learnt that the hard way. Arsenal hero and former England International, Tony Adams, was appointed following a short shared caretaker stint at the club.
He was touted as a future managerial great who could do special things and he replaced Harry Redknapp amidst much fanfare following the latter's departure to Tottenham Hotspur midway through the season.
Adams' Portsmouth side had finished ninth the previous season(2007-08) and had been FA Cup winners as well. Despite financial pressures, relegation had seemed a distant prospect but Adams' disastrous reign changed all of that.
Winning only four of his sixteen games in charge of the club, Adams was sacked and replaced by youth team coach Paul Hart who guided Pompey to safety.
Adams was simply not good enough to have taken over the club considering the results his successor obtained with largely the same squad.
It could be argued that the UEFA Europa League campaign pressurized the squad and Adams' inexperience meant that he could not manage his players effectively.
There was a perceived lack of discipline in the dressing room as well, with players giving public interviews about the situation of the club and the many speculations surrounding a takeover.
Adams himself expressed his concern over the club's position but that can be no excuse for his inability to show some innovation on the pitch. Expectedly, his sides were accused of lacking ideas and being rigid with tactics.
Adams has not had much of a career in management since with brief stints with Gabala FK in Azerbaijan and Granada in Spain, ensuring a disappointing time as a coach after much hype around his skills as a player.
Premier League Record - P22 W4 D7 L11
#2 John Carver (Newcastle United)
John Carver figures in this list as another disastrous managerial appointment at Newcastle United. This was, again, an extended 'temporary appointment' that can be considered a full-time job as a manager.
Carver had earlier served the club as a caretaker manager and as assistant manager before he left in 2004 to coach other clubs including Leeds United, Toronto FC and Sheffield United.
In 2011, Carver moved back to Newcastle United as an assistant manager to Alan Pardew. Working under Pardew, Carver created a name for himself as a controversial character having been sent to the stands in a Premier League game for being too animated on the touchline.
When Pardew left for Crystal Palace, following a disillusionment with the fans at the end of 2014, Carver was appointed as Head Coach till the end of the season, pending review. The next few months were disastrous, as Newcastle United, who had been inconsistent but were safely placed in mid-table, tumbled down places after eight successive defeats.
Carver had earlier called for a permanent replacement but slowly began to back himself in the media. He even claimed he was 'the best coach in the league' and converted the narrative from Newcastle United to himself.
His players lacked inspiration on the pitch and the fans could do little to lift them. He accused his players in public for a lack of commitment and claimed that defender Mike Williamson got sent off on purpose during a game. Obviously, this subsequently meant that the squad could not trust him. Further, he claimed that he wanted to play attacking football but his sides failed to create chances on the pitch.
Carver's confrontational persona got him into further trouble and heightened fan discontent. In 20 games as head coach, Carver salvaged only three wins and was knocked out of the FA Cup after a thrashing from Leicester City.
By the end of the season, Carver's and coach Steve Stone's contracts were terminated as they were unceremoniously forced to leave the club.
Premier League Record - P20 W3 D4 L13
#1 Bob Bradley (Swansea City)
When Swansea City sacked Francisco Guidolin under new American ownership, many fans and critics were not too impressed. But with names such as Welsh legend Ryan Giggs being named a favourite for the job, alongside former manager Brendan Rodgers, many suspected that the next appointment would be a big name.
Imagine the surprise of the fans and critics, alike, to have seen the unveiling of former USA Manager and Le Havre head coach Bob Bradley as the new coach barely a few days after Guidolin was sacked.
Bradley had one season of top-flight experience in Europe and had a forgettable playing career. His best stints as manager were at the International level with Egypt and USA. His time at club management could be described as 'decent' at best, with him having had only two jobs in Europe prior to getting the Swansea gig.
Bradley seemed completely out of depth at his new job and chaotic scenes followed with the Swans slipping firmly to the bottom of the table. There was immense pressure from the fans and many expected him to fail, making his job twice as hard.
The players did not appear fully convinced on the pitch and pundits believed them to be unsure of Bradley as a long-term manager. He was further hampered by the fact that this Swansea squad had been weakened after sales of important players over the preceding couple of years in a bid to raise finances for the long term.
An inability to organise a defence which let in 29 goals in his short reign meant that he did not stand a chance in the long term, especially with his sides constantly changing the way they played, sometimes even employing multiple styles in the same game.
Managing in just eleven games of the 2016-17 season, Bradley was soon sacked and became the shortest serving manager in Premier League history until Frank de Boer ran away with that record earlier this season.
Premier League Record - P11 W2 D2 L7
