At the highest level of soccer, patience is a rare commodity.
Managers are under constant pressure to deliver results immediately, and in the Premier League—the most-watched league in the world with vast sums of money at stake—failure simply isn’t tolerated.
Miss expectations, fail to impress the board or sometimes do nothing more than fall short of the unpredictable standards set for you, and you can be out the door before you even realize it, regardless of your reputation or whether it’s fair.
That’s exactly what happened to these managers, who lead the way for the shortest reigns in Premier League history.
12. Nathan Jones (Southampton, 94 days)
Nathan Jones forged quite the reputation at Luton Town as he helped the resource-shy Hatters compete towards the top of the second tier.
His impressive work in the EFL saw him earn a Premier League gig at Southampton, but Jones’s 95-day reign on the south coast is regarded as among the most unique in the division’s history.
The Saints boss quickly became unpalatable, with supporters finding it hard to get behind a manager seemingly incapable of taking responsibility. He’d fight back against fan and media criticism with vague references to “xG” and how the underlying numbers he oversaw at Luton rendered him one of Europe’s brightest minds.
In truth, Jones had taken charge of a sinking ship at St. Mary’s and wasn’t solely responsible for their demise, but his brief tenure was disastrous nonetheless.
11. Terry Connor (Wolves, 91 days)
Having served as Mick McCarthy’s long-time assistant at Wolves, Terry Connor was given the head coaching role in the wake of his boss’ departure in February 2012.
Wolves were languishing in 18th when Connor took over, but the lack of a fresh face meant the West Midlanders struggled to enjoy a resurgence during the second half of the season.
They lost seven straight games soon after Connor’s appointment and their relegation was confirmed in April having recorded just 25 points all season.
Connor, who did well to last the remainder of 2011–12, was not retained for the following season.
10. David Webb (Chelsea, 85 days)
Today we say happy birthday to Chelsea legend David Webb! #CFC pic.twitter.com/8z6zeMr2Zv
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) April 9, 2015
After a grim run of form under Ian Porterfield, which encompassed an 11-match winless run, Chelsea deployed that most familiar of tricks at a time of crisis: turn to a club legend.
The day after Valentines’ Day 1993, Chelsea rekindled the club’s love affair with David Webb. The popular Essex-born defender spent six year in west London during his playing career, cementing his status as a club legend with the extra-time winner against Leeds United in the 1970 FA Cup final.
Webb eventually steered Chelsea out of their slump—overseeing a satisfying 1–0 win over London rivals Arsenal—but the board were not swayed enough to hand him a permanent position at the season’s conclusion.
9. Quique Sánchez Flores (Watford, 85 days)
There’s an array of trigger-happy owners across the continent, but there may not be a group more content with churning through managers than the Pozzos.
Quique Sánchez Flores has proven to be one of the more successful Watford managers of recent times having guided the newly promoted Hornets to an impressive mid-table position during the 2015–16 Premier League campaign. Despite wildly overachieving, he left his post at the end of the season.
Nevertheless, Flores returned three years later after Javi Gracia was sacked just a month into the 2019–20 season. His stint on this occasion, though, was far less successful.
An 8–0 drubbing at the hands of Manchester City early into his brief reign set the tone. The Pozzos were never going to stick by the Spaniard for long, and Flores departed less than three months into his comeback tenure having overseen just one win.
8. Bob Bradley (Swansea, 85 days)
Bob Bradley emerged as a pioneer in 2016 when he became the first American to manage in the Premier League.
However, his appointment was met with plenty of skepticism among the Swansea fanbase, and their fears were quickly realized as Bradley struggled from the get-go in south Wales.
Swansea’s American owners initially handed Bradley their full backing, but even they couldn’t stomach too much. The Swans leaked goals at will and were able to secure just eight points from the 11 games Bradley led.
7. Frank de Boer (Crystal Palace, 77 days)
José Mourinho once called Frank de Boer the “worst manager in the history of the Premier League” during one of his press conference rants. Whether such a harsh label was warranted or not, De Boer certainly ranks among the Premier League’s most ill-fated managerial appointments.
The former outstanding defender took on the challenge of England’s top flight in an attempt to bounce back from a difficult spell at Inter, choosing Crystal Palace as his destination. But he barely had time to experience the thrills and spills of south London.
He lasted a mere 450 minutes in the Premier League, failing to score a single goal while De Boer frantically marauded the touchline. He would later claim that the squad resisted his attempts to implement a more proactive, possession-based style of play.
6. Rene Meulensteen (Fulham, 75 days)
Rene Meulensteen has spent much of his football career in coaching, although his brightest work has come as an assistant. He’s struggled in the hot seat thus far.
The Dutchman served as one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s most trusted lieutenants at Manchester United for six hugely successful years between 2007 and 2013, leaving his post upon the Scotsman’s retirement.
Meulensteen swiftly returned to the Premier League to work under Martin Jol at Fulham and was later given the full-time job, with Jol gone just three weeks after Meulensteen had joined forces with his compatriot.
The Dutchman’s reign was brief, lasting a mere 75 days before Fulham fatefully pivoted to Felix Magath. Meulensteen has since failed to make a name for himself as a manager but remains a hugely respected coach.
5. Javi Gracia (Leeds United, 69 days)
The 2022–23 Premier League season was one long battle for survival from Leeds United, who went through three different managers and still failed to avoid the drop.
Drafted in in February was Javi Gracia, who replaced Jesse Marsch for just 11 league games over 69 days. While six defeats was by no means a horrible record, it was a run of truly emphatic losses—they conceded at least four goals in four of his last seven games—which saw Leeds pivot in a different direction.
The man who replaced him? Stay tuned.
4. Igor Tudor (Tottenham, 44 days)
Igor Tudor bounded into the Tottenham post full of the sort of brash confidence and conviction of a man convinced in all his abilities. The Croatian was “100%” sure he would steer Spurs clear of relegation and predicted ahead of his debut in the north London derby: “If you ask me what we are going to see on Sunday then I believe something concrete, something good that the people will like.” It did not play out like that.
After a 4–1 drubbing in front of his new fans, Tudor had already begun to wilt. By the time he lost his second match at the helm, the new coach had soon found fault in every aspect of his team. “We are lacking when we attack,” he moaned, “we lack the quality to score the goal. We are lacking in the middle to run and we are lacking behind to stay there to suffer and not concede the goal.”
Tudor even claimed that his players were lacking “brain.”
The interim manager’s cerebral processing could also be called into question during his fleeting visit; such as the call to drop first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario for a Champions League trip to Atlético Madrid only to hook his replacement, Antonin Kinsky, after 17 calamitous minutes.
By the end of a spectacularly disastrous tenure, Tudor had taken just one point from five Premier League games.
3. Les Reed (Charlton, 40 days)
Les Reed had built a strong reputation through his work at the Football Association and as Alan Curbishley’s assistant at Charlton.
And after years in consultancy and director roles at various clubs, he joined Charlton again in 2006 as Iain Dowie’s assistant. Following Dowie’s sacking in November, Reed was promoted to head coach.
His time in charge, however, was disastrous.
Reed, who was tagged "Les Misérables" and "Santa Clueless" during his six-week stint, departed the club with his reputation shattered. He oversaw seven Premier League games and lost five before Charlton turned to Alan Pardew.
2. Ange Postecoglou (Nottingham Forest, 39 days)
Nottingham Forest had it good in 2024–25. Under Nuno Espírito Santo, they emerged as surprise contenders for a spot in the Champions League, and it spoke volumes of their form all season that their seventh-placed finish was met with real disappointment.
Behind-the-scenes tensions saw Nuno depart just three games into the following season, with former Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou parachuted in soon after. Hopes were high for the Europa League winner, but he soon came crashing down.
Postecoglou was given just eight games in charge, failing to win any of them, before being given his marching orders.
1. Sam Allardyce (Leeds United, 30 days)
In 2016, Sam Allardyce was sacked by England after just one game and 67 days, following a newspaper investigation claiming he offered advice on how to “get around” rules on player transfers.
That made him the Three Lions’ shortest-serving manager of all time.
Not content with that dubious record, he later became the Premier League’s shortest-serving manager as well.
In May 2023, Leeds United were battling relegation and, in a desperate bid to stay up, sacked Javi Gracia and appointed Allardyce. The former England boss, known for rescuing struggling teams, was given just four games to save the club.
After three defeats and a draw, Leeds were relegated, and Allardyce left with a generous payout in his pocket.
READ THE LATEST PREMIER LEAGUE NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS & GOSSIP
- ‘You Can’t Imagine’—Arne Slot ‘Nonsense’ Addressed by International Manager
- Arsenal Learn Recovery Timelines for Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke
- ‘Firm Intention’—Arsenal, Barcelona Dealt Julian Alvarez Transfer Blow
- Man Utd Star Dealt Brutal World Cup Reality Check With Premier League Rival Comparison
- Tottenham Manager Target Rules Himself Out of Race—But Preferred Option ‘Open’ to Move
This article was originally published on www.si.com as The 12 Shortest Manager Reigns in Premier League History.
