Five shortest managerial reigns in Premier League history
From former Tottenham manager Christian Gross arriving late to his first press conference waving a tube ticket and calling out the London Underground, to Joe Kinnear constantly swearing in press conferences and Frank de Boer whose team didn’t score a single Premier League goal under his management.
Following Southampton’s 2-1 defeat to a ten men Wolves, the Saints pulled the trigger and sacked Nathan Jones after just 95 days and just one win in nine league games left Southampton helpless at the bottom of the league. But who are the Premier League managers with the shortest reigns?
5) Quique Sanchez Flores: Watford – 85 days
September 7th 2019 – December 1st 2019
Quique Sanchez Flores would have been hoping to replicate his first spell as Watford manager and keep them in the Premier League as they sat rock bottom.
However, his second spell did not go to plan as he only won one in ten in the Premier League leading him to get the sacked as Watford looked to avoid the drop.
4) Bob Bradley: Swansea City – 84 days
October 3rd 2016 – December 27th 2016
Before Ted Lasso there was Bob Bradley. Bradley was the first American to manage on English shores, but it was one to forget.
Ultimately Swansea conceding 29 goals in 11 games and only picking up eight points from a possible 33 left Swansea with no other option but to sacked Bradley as they looked to preserve their Premier League status.
3) Frank de Boer: Crystal Palace – 77 days
June 26th 2017 – September 11th 2017
When Palace hired the four times Eredivisie winner de Boer. Palace fans would have been excited to see some possession base football with goals after Sam Allardyce left at the end of the last season.
But after four league games in charge and De Boer was gone failing to win and score in any of his games in charge.
2) Rene Meulensteen: Fulham – 75 days
December 1st 2013 – February 14th 2014
Martin Jol got sacked as Fulham manager and they quickly promoted his assistant Rene Meulensteen who was a respected to coach at Manchester United as first team manager.
Fulham’s quick decision to promote Meulensteen proved to be the wrong one with him only winning three of this 13 league games in charge. Leaving Fulham staring relegation right in the face.
1) Les Reed: Charlton Athletic – 41 days
November 14th 2006 – December 24th 2006
Les Reed is the infamous name with the shortest stint as a Premier League. Reed was another assistant promoted to the first team manager succeeding Iain Dowie who was sacked.
Reed only managed to win one of his seven games in charge leaving Charlton bottom of the Premier League on Christmas 2006 however the damage was already done with Charlton going down at the end of the season.
