10 Worst Football Managers of All Time

In football, managers are hailed as tactical geniuses, motivators, and sometimes even miracle workers. But not every story ends with a league title or a statue outside the stadium. Some careers are marred by chaos, ego, delusion — or just plain bad decision-making. This list explores the 10 worst football managers of all time, based not only on their catastrophic records, but also on the bizarre, baffling, and occasionally hilarious reigns they oversaw.

1. Frank de Boer – Crystal Palace (2017)

Frank de Boer’s name often crops up in discussions about managerial flops — and with good reason. At Crystal Palace, he lasted just 77 days. The Dutchman lost his first four Premier League matches without scoring a single goal, prompting chairman Steve Parish to pull the plug. De Boer’s rigid, possession-heavy philosophy clashed badly with Palace’s more direct, counterattacking squad. It was the worst start to a Premier League season in over a century. For context: four games, zero goals, zero points, and one very quick exit.

2. Paul Jewell – Derby County (2007–08)

When Paul Jewell took over from Billy Davies in November 2007, Derby were already struggling in the Premier League. But what followed was historically bad. Jewell failed to win a single match that season. Derby finished with just 11 points — the lowest tally in Premier League history. They scored 20 goals all season and conceded 89. Under Jewell’s watch, Derby became a punchline. His failure wasn’t just bad — it was record-breaking.

3. Brian Laws – Burnley (2009–2010)

When Owen Coyle left Burnley mid-season in 2010, fans were hopeful the club could still avoid relegation. Enter Brian Laws. In 18 Premier League games, he won just four, lost 13, and ultimately sent Burnley crashing back down to the Championship. What made this appointment baffling was that Laws had just been sacked by Sheffield Wednesday, a team battling relegation in the division below. The decision to hire him felt like self-sabotage.

4. Les Reed – Charlton Athletic (2006)

Reed’s reign at Charlton was so disastrous that tabloids dubbed him “Les Misérables”. Appointed in November 2006 after Iain Dowie’s dismissal, Reed lasted only 41 days and won just one match. His players reportedly lost confidence within weeks, and there were whispers of mutiny in the dressing room. Charlton slid into relegation trouble and never recovered that season. Reed may be a competent coach — but as a manager, he was woefully out of depth.

5. Gary Neville – Valencia (2015–2016)

A great pundit, a decent right-back, but an abysmal manager. Gary Neville’s time at Valencia was defined by tactical confusion and a shocking lack of preparation. Hired with no managerial experience — and barely any Spanish — Neville oversaw 10 losses in 28 games, including a humiliating 7–0 thrashing by Barcelona in the Copa del Rey. He failed to win any of his first nine La Liga matches. It felt like an internship gone horribly wrong — only it was in La Liga, and the whole footballing world was watching.

6. Jacques Santini – Tottenham Hotspur (2004)

Santini was supposed to bring a touch of French sophistication to White Hart Lane. Instead, he brought confusion and chaos. Appointed in 2004, he resigned after just 13 games, citing personal reasons — though rumours swirled of a falling-out with sporting director Frank Arnesen. Under Santini, Spurs played dull, defensive football, managing just six goals in his last nine matches. His brief tenure left fans scratching their heads, and Spurs limped through yet another managerial reset.

7. Egil Olsen – Wimbledon (1999–2000)

The Norwegian was an odd cultural fit from the start. Known for his long-ball tactics with Norway, Olsen inherited a Wimbledon side already on the brink. His tenure included a 10-game winless streak, poor man-management, and a style of play fans couldn’t stomach. Wimbledon were relegated from the Premier League for the first time, and Olsen was shown the door with just a few matches to go. To this day, Dons supporters remember him with a mixture of disbelief and despair.

8. David Moyes – Manchester United (2013–2014)

Following Sir Alex Ferguson was always going to be a poisoned chalice, but David Moyes managed to turn the reigning Premier League champions into a mid-table outfit in record time. Despite being handpicked by Ferguson, Moyes lasted less than a season, finishing seventh and failing to qualify for the Champions League — or even the Europa League. He signed Marouane Fellaini for £27.5 million and tried to instil Everton-level ambition in a club that had just dominated English football. The result? A full-blown identity crisis.

9. Andrea Stramaccioni – Panathinaikos (2015–2016)

Stramaccioni was once considered a bright young tactician in Italy, but his time in Greece was a full-blown disaster. During his tenure at Panathinaikos, the club was knocked out of the Greek Cup by a third-division side, fans protested in the streets, and the team was described as disorganised and directionless. He was sacked after a series of humiliating results, including a 3–0 loss to arch-rivals Olympiacos. His tenure was so bad, it’s often used as a cautionary tale in Greek football circles.

10. Steve McClaren – England (2006–2007)

No list of managerial failures would be complete without the “Wally with the Brolly”. Steve McClaren’s brief stint as England manager is remembered for one thing: failing to qualify for Euro 2008. England’s 3–2 defeat to Croatia at Wembley was the final nail in the coffin. The team looked confused, underprepared, and spiritless. McClaren’s tactical choices — including dropping David Beckham and preferring Scott Carson in goal — were widely criticised. His rain-soaked image on the touchline became the enduring symbol of a national embarrassment.

Final Whistle: Failure Comes in Many Forms

It’s easy to ridicule these managers, but football management is a brutal business. For every Pep Guardiola or Carlo Ancelotti, there are dozens of others whose time in the dugout is measured in months — or even days. Whether through poor tactics, mismatched personalities, or just bad luck, these ten managers represent the dark side of football leadership.

Some failed at the elite level. Others never stood a chance. But all of them left behind legacies etched in infamy — and lessons that clubs (hopefully) won’t forget.