Dismal, shocking, dire and awful… these are just a few words we could use to describe these managerial records. Here are three of the worst Premier League managers in history…
Terry Connor – Games – 13 / Won – 0 / Drew – 4 / Lost – 9
Wolves were in the midst of an intense relegation battle. They had just suffered a 5-1 defeat at the hands of West Bromwich Albion in the Black Country derby which resulted in the sacking of Mick McCarthy and they had 13 games left to save their season. The search for McCarthy’s successor began with a number of high profile candidates being interviewed including Alan Curbishley and Brian McDermott with Wolves CEO Jez Moxey describing the role as “not for a novice”. Cue the arrival of Terry Connor, a man with limited management experience. Life under Terry Connor got off to a good start for Wolves as they picked up a point in the 2-2 draw against Champions League chasing Newcastle, but that’s as good as it got. Out of a possible 39 points up for grabs, Wolves claimed just 4 under his guidance, with the club finishing rock bottom of the Premier League. They finished the season with just 25 points, 12 adrift of safety and one of the lowest points totals in the clubs existence. It came as no surprise that he wasn’t retained as manager for the following season.
Rémi Garde – Games – 20 / Won – 2 / Drew – 6 / Lost – 12
On the 2nd November 2015 Rémi Garde was appointed manager of Aston Villa. At the time, the Villa were bottom of the league having only claimed 5 points from their opening 12 Premier League fixtures and were on a seven-match losing streak, by no means the ideal time to take over. Nonetheless, the Frenchman’s first game in charge was a home fixture against Premier League front runners Manchester City, a game in which they drew 0-0 despite being under pressure for the majority of the match. Despite the positive result in his opening game, it would take the former Lyon manager 9 more games to collect his first Premier League win, a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace. The victory over the Eagles was followed by an improvement in form, with the club losing just once in their next 4 matches. But this upturn in form didn’t last as the club went on to lose their next 6 matches costing Rémi Garde his job, with his stint being nothing short of disastrous. After his dismal spell at Villa in which he only won 2 of his 20 Premier League games, Garde took an 18-month break from football before returning to management with MLS side Montreal Impact in November 2017.
Bob Bradley – Games – 11 / Won – 2 / Drew – 2 / Lost – 7
The appointment of American Bob Bradley at Swansea City in October 2016 was met with apprehension and uneasiness by a number of fans, and rightly so. During his 11 matches in charge, the Swans won just twice conceding a staggering 29 league goals in the process. In fact, his spell in charge of Swansea is one of the shortest in Premier League history, with Frank de Boer winning that accolade after managing just 4 league games before being axed by Crystal Palace. Following on from his dismissal, the former United States head coach said the owners were swayed by a ‘negative atmosphere’ at the club, seemingly oblivious to the fact the club were slipping further into the relegation zone under his management. Fortunately for Swansea City supporters, his successor Paul Clements managed to steer the club clear of relegation with the club winning 4 of their final 5 matches.
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