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Nathan Jones will need to survive just over another two weeks if he is to avoid becoming a name among the shortest managerial reigns in the Premier League. Gary O’Neil has been in indefinite tenure for even less time.
Here are the 10 shortest reigns of Premier League bosses…
1) Les Reed: Charlton – 41 days
November 14, 2006 – December 24, 2006
Even Liz Truss has outlasted as prime minister than Reed had managed in her post at The Valley, with Iain Dowie’s former aide saying it was a mutual decision to split the night before Christmas with her team bottom of the table and seven points adrift of safety after a win in seven games under the Charlton fan’s boyhood. “My position had become untenable under circumstances not of my making and beyond my control,” Reed said of leaving his boys’ club. “I didn’t run away from this challenge, I did what’s right for Charlton. Alan Pardew is an excellent choice and a good friend.” Pardew was unable to keep the Addicks up.
2) Rene Meulensteen: Fulham – 75 days
December 1, 2013 – February 14, 2014
Fulham were bottom of the table and had not won a league game since New Year’s Day when former Man Utd manager Meulensteen received his marching orders. “Have we hit rock bottom? We probably did,” said the Dutchman just over a week before leaving after losing an FA Cup replay defeat to Sheffield United, a team languishing second bottom of League One. They then drew at the Old Trafford, raising hopes of a resurgence, but a home defeat to Fulham sealed his fate Meulensteen was replaced by Felix Magath, who failed to keep Fulham up and running tried to heal Brede Hangeland’s knee injury with cheese.
3) Frank de Boer: Crystal Palace – 77 days
June 26, 2017 – September 11, 2017
Described by Jose Mourinho as “the worst manager in the history of the Premier League” and it is difficult to argue on this occasion. De Boer arrived at Palace determined to instill a new approach to ball possession and revolutionize the entire philosophy of the club. He was dropped after losing all four of his Premier League games without scoring a goal, with pre-season accounting for a month and a half of his pitifully short reign. Roy Hodgson replaced De Boer and the former England manager steered Palace up to 11th by the end of the season.
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4) Bob Bradley: Swansea – 84 days
3 October 2016 – 27 December 2016
Managed to respect every ridiculous and unfair English stereotype of American FOOTBALL!!! types and caused massive damage that Jesse Marsch fought in vain to repair. In a tight spell between Francesco Guidolin and Paul Clement, Bradley managed just two wins in 11 games and was dropped after a Boxing Day beating of West Ham.
5) Quique Sanchez Flores: Watford – 85 days
7 September 2019 – 1 December 2019
This was the Spaniard’s second spell in charge, with Sanchez Flores tempted to return to Vicarage Road after Javi Gracia was sacked four games into the season. The returning boss struggled to make an impact, winning just one of his 10 games in charge, with the Hornets at the bottom of the table and six points adrift of safety. At least they didn’t have to show him where the door was.
6) Terry Connor: Wolves – 91 days
February 24, 2012 – June 30, 2012
Connor assisted Mick McCarthy before becoming the main man during the run-in at the end of the 2011/12 season. He had 13 games in charge, without winning any, which resulted in Wolves finishing bottom of the Premier League. Connor was allowed to stay on, however, returning to assistant work before being sacked by Stale Solbakken over ‘football differences’ just a month into the following season.
7) Colin Todd: Derby – 98 days
October 8, 2002 – January 14, 2002
Another moving up from the assistant position, Todd lasted just over three months, by the end of which Derby were second bottom of the table and out of the FA Cup after being humiliated by League Two strugglers Bristol Rovers. “Colin knew the president wasn’t happy with how things were going,” said the Rams, who wanted to let it be known that the decision had nothing to do with Fabrizio Ravanelli and the forward’s management ambitions.
8) Tony Adams: Portsmouth – 106 days
October 28, 2008 – February 8, 2009
Adams’ name earned him the chance to replace Harry Redknapp at Pompey more than his record, which up to that point consisted of a spell at Wycombe where he won 12 of 53 games in charge. At Fratton Park, he managed just two wins in 16 games, with Pompey 16th when shown the goal. “The team played well but too many points were dropped from winning positions,” the club said, amid reports that senior players, such as David James and Sol Campbell, were unconvinced by his appointment.
9) Claudio Ranieri: Fulham – 106 days
14 November 2018 – 28 February 2019
The Italian, who won the Premier League title with Leicester, lost his supporters at Fulham just three months after replacing Slavisa Jokanovic at Craven Cottage. Winning just three games out of 16 was enough to turn the tables against Ranieri too, even if, inevitably, everything was very civil: “Claudio Ranieri accepted my decision that a change was in everyone’s interest,” said Shahid Khan . “No surprise for me, Claudio was a perfect gentleman, as always. Rest assured that he is not solely responsible for the position we find ourselves in today.”
10) Steve Wigley: Southampton – 107 days
August 23, 2004 – December 10, 2004
Wildly unprepared and ill-qualified for the top seat at Southampton, Wigley was handed the reins permanently after stepping into the gap left by Paul Sturrock as caretaker. Wigley managed wins over Portsmouth, which is something, but looked hopelessly out of depth for him, with that win over Pompeo his only triumph in a 14-game reign.
