The Worst Managers Of The Premier League Era (Part 5)

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4 years ago

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In part five of this series looking at some of the worst managers in Premier League history, we again look at four coaches who struggled to make an impact in the top flight.

As we have mentioned before, the top tier of English football is a massive step up, and the majority of the managers on this list performed well in the lower leagues before struggling at the highest level.

The Premier League isn’t for the faint-hearted and it can be the case that certain coaches simply look out of their depth, in terms of footballing knowledge and tactical acumen.

Press the next page as we look at some of the worst-performing managers over the past three decades.

Aidy Boothroyd (Watford)

After being appointed Hornets boss at the age of just 34 and with no previous experience as a manager, there was a great deal of scepticism about Boothroyd. However, he managed to guide the team to promotion to the Premier League within 14 months of his appointment.

Even so, Boothroyd’s limitations were soon exposed in the top flight where he won only five of 38 league games, finishing at the bottom of the Premier League with just 28 points. He is currently England’s Under 21 manager.

Danny Wilson (Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday)

The Northern Irishman can be credited with getting Barnsley promoted to the top tier of English football for the first time, but his record in the Premier League was poor. The Tykes were relegated after their first season in the top flight.

After taking over at Sheffield Wednesday, he did achieve a respectable 12th place finish in his first season in charge but he was sacked the following season with the Owls heading towards relegation. His win ratio at both clubs averaged around the 26% mark.

Slavisa Jokanovic (Fulham)

The Serbian brought an exciting brand of football to Craven Cottage, resulting in their promotion to the Premier League through the playoffs in 2018. The resulting summer, though, saw him spend over £100m on new signings which failed to pay off.

Jovanovic was sacked in November 2019, having managed just one win in his first twelve games, ending his time at the London club with a win ratio of just 8% in the Premier League.

Jacques Santini (Tottenham)

The Frenchman was the manager of France when they were knocked out of Euro 2004 by Greece, but he had already been appointed by Tottenham for the subsequent season and it always looked like it was going to end in failure.

Santini set up Spurs to be very defensive, leading Jose Mourinho to coin the term “parking the bus” after a 0-0 draw at Stamford Bridge. He lasted just 11 league games in charge before resigning, winning just three of them.