10 Worst Managers in Football History (Ranked)

The likes of Sir Alex Ferguson, Pep Guardiola and Arsène Wenger have all excelled in management, bringing trophies galore to their respective clubs, and in the main having a united fan base behind them to roar them onto glory. We’ve covered the best Premier League managers before and this is to look at those who have gone in the opposite direction and, unfortunately for them and their respective clubs, completely flopped in football management.

There are a variety of different circumstances in which an individual has struggled to galvanise their club. For instance, Egil Olsen during his Wimbledon days is listed. He followed a club legend in the shape of Joe Kinnear. The pressure of following someone who was once adored by the fans and had great success can be really difficult, not just in terms of winning the supporters over, but also the players. For a manager to be successful, they must be understood and accepted by the playing staff. Football management is one of the most difficult jobs to have. There’s very little time given to a manager if their team goes on a poor run of form, the players are rarely blamed, and it’s the manager who suffers.

Ranking factors

• Managers must have taken charge of 20+ games to make the list.
• Win ratio
• Points per game (PPG)

10 Egil Olsen

Wimbledon

After Joe Kinnear stood down as Wimbledon’s manager, the next person in would have huge shoes to fill. Olsen’s appointment was a bit of a left-field one which took many by surprise. With the pressure of trying to win the supporters over as well as taking over from a previously successful manager, it all got a bit too much for the former Norway manager. Although Olsen had done amazingly while in charge of Norway, guiding them to qualification for the 1994 and 1998 World Cups, there were question marks over his methods.

Wimbledon got off to a winning start that season, beating Graham Taylor’s Watford 3-2 on the opening day. But that was somewhat of a false dawn as they followed that up with nine games without a win. Olsen had completely lost the dressing room with players often speaking out of turn in the media. “It’s been publicised that we don’t get on with the manager – the way he works, his attitude or his approach,” John Hartson said of his manager at the time.

Olsen was unsurprisingly sacked, but only two games before the season finished. Wimbledon were relegated and their gamble to appoint Olsen backfired spectacularly. The Norwegian’s points per game came to 1.04 points per game. Certainly not the way the club wanted the appointment to go and many believe Olsen’s arrival sparked the end of Wimbledon as a club.

9 Steve McClaren

Newcastle United

Newcastle United supporters were apathetic by the time McClaren came to town. They had endured a rather toxic relationship with Alan Pardew before he was temporarily replaced by long-serving assistant manager and self-proclaimed best manager in the Premier League, John Carver. Sorry to bring that up again, John! The football was terrible, there appeared to be no game plan at all, and while there were some big names at the club, such as Georginio Wijnaldum and Moussa Sissoko, things never really clicked. McClaren faced a backlash from one of the local news reporters, resulting in a fiery argument during a pre-match press conference.

McClaren’s appointment wasn’t greeted with much if any, enthusiasm from Newcastle supporters. It was an underwhelming appointment, even by Mike Ashley’s standards. The former England manager had an uphill task from the very start and the way he conducted himself in interviews rubbed fans up the wrong way. The Newcastle faithful got the impression that he did not care about the club and that perhaps showed in his overall management.

McClaren managed just seven wins and was sacked after a demoralising home defeat against Bournemouth. Rafael Benitez was appointed as his replacement but could not keep the club in the Premier League. McClaren’s points per game came to 1.14 a game, even Pardew’s points per game was higher at 1.37 per game.

8 Robin Dutt

Werder Bremen

Dutt was a surprise appointment by the German outfit as he had been appointed sporting director of the German Football Federation just nine months before. His lowly win ratio of 24.44% is one of the worst recorded in the club’s history, which is not a record Dutt will want to have next to his name. Having initially made a name for himself in management with former Bundesliga side Stuttgarter Kickers, his impressive record there earned him the chance to manage FC Freiburg and Bayer Leverkusen before his appointment at Werder Bremen. Having had decent spells with both clubs, it was thought he could kick on with Bremen, though it was clear early on that the players weren’t buying into his management style as the club began to tumble down the league.

Dutt managed 11 wins in 45 games, and his sacking wasn’t a surprise, but many were shocked at how long Dutt remained in the job. He started the 2014/15 season at the helm, but would later depart having failed to win any of Bremen’s opening nine fixtures. Former player Viktor Skrypnyk stepped in and led the club to a respectable 10th-place finish. Dutt’s points per game came to a disappointing 1.02 per game, and it’s no surprise his tenure didn’t last too long.

7 Vincenzo Montella

Fiorentina

The official reason for Montella’s sacking was down to a lack of respect and a breakdown in trust with the club. That says everything needed to know about this horrible stint for Fiorentina. An appointment that tarnished his reputation with the club and supporters who once adored him, a sad turnaround to say the least.

Montella was in his second managerial spell with the club, having won over half of his 153 games during his first stint as manager. His first spell as manager led to fourth and third-placed finishes and a Europa League semi-final. Let’s just say the second spell didn’t live up to the high expectations upon his return. Montella was sacked after a seven-game winless run which left Fiorentina embroiled in a relegation scrap.

The appointment was well received when Montella arrived. Those good feelings would not last long. There’s a saying in football “Never go back.” Indicating that a player or manager should not return to a club. This is down to potentially destroying their legacy from the first stint at a club, something a player or manager works tirelessly to build. During Montella’s second spell at Fiorentina, his points per game came to 1.08 compared to 1.79 in his first stint over a longer period didn’t live up to the lofty expectations placed on him when he returned to the club. The Italian has however, since rebuilt his career as Turkey manager, guiding the country to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 where they were knocked out by the Netherlands – an indication that there is certainly a good boss in there.

6 Paul Jewell

Derby County

Derby’s infamous 11-point season, 4 of which came from Newcastle United (sorry, Newcastle fans). Their haul of 11 points made headlines for all the wrong reasons, as it was a record-low points total, which still stands to this day. We’re not sure that the record will ever be beaten either. It’s incredibly impressive, but not in a good way.

Jewell was well respected before his appointment at Derby, having worked miracles at Wigan Athletic. His arrival was greeted positively by supporters, but little did they know what was to follow. Jewell had been offered other positions before arriving at Derby, including the Republic of Ireland job. Jewell was warned against taking the job at Derby but decided against it. His troublesome time in the Midlands impacted his reputation, and he was out of work for over three years until Ipswich Town came calling.

Derby’s solitary win in the Premier League came under Jewell’s predecessor, which perhaps makes that season even worse for the former Wigan manager. We wonder if he thinks how his management career would have gone had he accepted another position instead of Derby. It’s safe to say, it wasn’t a match made in heaven and hurt both the club and the manager. Jewell’s points per game at Derby came to 1.13, and when that includes time in the Championship, it’s very disappointing, to say the least, and his nightmare time in charge of the club was unsurprisingly cut short. We’re not sure if Jewell looks back on his time at Derby with any fondness at all.

5 Terry Butcher

Hibernian

Great players don’t always turn out to be great managers, and that is true of Terry Butcher. A fantastic player but not cut out for management, as Hibs fans can attest to. After a successful spell at Inverness, Hibs decided to take a chance on Butcher after sacking Pat Fenlon. To say the gamble didn’t pay off is an understatement, a run of one win in their last 18 games of the season resulted in Hibs’ relegation and Butcher’s departure.

During a poor run of form under Butcher, Hibs’ supporters described his tactics as “Gutless” and many had already reached the end of their tether. Fenlon had left Hibs in a comfortable mid-table position upon his departure, Butcher’s management had the club going in one direction, and unfortunately for Hibs, it certainly wasn’t up.

Things had started positively for the former England player with four wins from his first seven games. It was all downhill from there though, as Hibs’ disastrous run of form began. A brief spell at Newport County followed, but it’s safe to say Butcher’s time at Hibs dented any further managerial aspirations.

Butcher’s points per game came to 1.1 compared to his predecessor, Fenlon, with 1.28 points per game and winning 31 of his 87 games in charge. It’s no wonder Hibs fans grew concerned over the direction of the club under Butcher, their questions about his tactics and overall management proved to be correct following their relegation.

4 Tony Adams

Portsmouth

Portsmouth supporters have no doubt tried to erase this troubled time from their memories. Like Butcher, there was no doubt about Adams’ ability as a player. He was a top-class defender and is rightfully lauded as an Arsenal legend. Unfortunately, his management career didn’t get anywhere near the same level as his glittering playing days.

It was slightly unfair circumstances for Adams, following Harry Redknapp’s departure, a man who had led the club to FA Cup glory. The odds were against Adams, with the club also in crippling debt and having an uncertain future. Adams managed just four wins from 21 games in charge at Fratton Park. During his time as manager, Portsmouth took 10 points from a possible 48.

Many thought Adams had blown his chance at football management. Surprisingly though, Adams would go on to manage FK Qabala in Azerbaijan, his record there wasn’t much better, and he took charge of 44 games before departing the club. Then came the rather infamous appointment at Granada.

Adams’ points per game at Portsmouth came to 1.1 compared to the man he replaced, Redknapp’s, impressive 1.5 per game, which saw him win 54 of his 128 games in charge of the club and his win ratio more than doubles Adams’ with a whopping 42.19%, which is no mean feat for a club like Portsmouth competing with the big boys in the Premier League.

3 Jaap Stam

FC Cincinnati

What is it with centre-backs and being woeful managers? Stam was another who had a fantastic playing career, but it failed to transfer to management. Stam was sacked with FC Cincinnati second bottom of the Eastern Conference, and having won four games all season. Stam looked on as his side picked up just one win in 16 games.

The club were only five years old when Stam arrived. It was a tough job to become one of the leaders in MLS football, even harder for a club with little to no history, making it incredibly hard to attract the talent needed to compete with the biggest clubs in the league. Nevertheless, Stam’s record at the club is still very poor, having only managed to pick up eight wins in 47 games.

If there was any indication that Stam’s time in the MLS wouldn’t be an enjoyable one, it came when the club announced him as manager, only… It was a picture of someone else! The Dutchman has not managed since being relieved of his duties at Cincinnati in September 2021. We’re not sure Stam will want to know if he makes it in our top 3 worst managers list!

Stam’s points per game came to 1.2. Compare that with his time at Reading, which saw him win 40 out of 98 games, and points per game of 1.5 it’s clear the Dutchman really struggled to get to grips with life in America and his reputation as a manager suffered. One that he had started building up, and gained respect throughout the game following his successful time at Reading and Feyenoord.

2 Lawrie Sanchez

Fulham

After a successful time as Northern Ireland’s manager, Fulham took a punt at Sanchez following the sacking of Chris Coleman. Sanchez took caretaker charge of the Cottagers while still in his Northern Ireland post. Perhaps, the most surprising decision was to leave his role with Northern Ireland completely, having been well respected in the job, and picked up some very impressive results along the way, including a 1-0 victory over England in a World Cup qualifying match and a 1-1 draw with Portugal, who would later reach the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup.

He maintained Fulham’s position in the Premier League, but a record of one win, one draw and three defeats in that time was hardly spectacular. Nevertheless, Fulham appointed Sanchez on a permanent contract, but the love affair didn’t last long as he was sacked in December following a defeat to Newcastle United which left Fulham in the bottom three. Spells with Barnet and the Greek side, Apollon Smyrni followed, but Sanchez has largely been in the football wilderness since he departed from Craven Cottage.

Sanchez’s points per game came to 1.2, which is certainly not enough to avoid a relegation battle in the Premier League. Whether Sanchez would take on the Fulham job again if he could go back in time is unlikely. He had built something special with Northern Ireland, and was well on his way to cementing his legacy with the National side.

1 Howard Wilkinson

Sunderland

Howard Wilkinson’s awful spell with Sunderland tops the list. By the end of his time with the Black Cats, his win ratio was a lowly 14.81%, and he had taken charge of 27 games during his time on Wearside. He was appointed in October 2002 with Sunderland already threatened with relegation. Wilkinson could not see out the season, and eventually departed in March 2003, failing to turn the club’s fortunes around.

Although Sunderland were going through a torrid time, they had the chance to announce a manager for the next few years, someone who could turn their fortunes around. Quite why they went for Wilkinson, who had been out of management of any real note for six years, is baffling. The former Leeds United manager was doomed from the very start, the club was toxic, and he needed to hit the ground running to make any real impact.

Wilkinson had fiery exchanges with local reporters which mirrored the mood on Wearside. Sunderland finished bottom of the league with a then record-low 19 points. Wilkinson has not been seen in the dugout since. His points per game at Sunderland came to 1.35 which ultimately confirmed their relegation from the Premier League.