Being a soccer manager is brutal, and at the top level the level of scrutiny and pressure to do it is even greater.
Southampton’s record-breaking relegation from the Premier League recently highlighted this, with Saints Hierarchy overseeing two of the worst top flight management tenure in history this season.
Ivan Juric’s departure ends abruptly the unfortunate stint at St. Mary’s, but how does his shortcomings stack up against the worst the Premier League has ever seen?
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The Premier League has seen several dynasties, and these are the longest.
Here are the worst Premier League managers based on points earned per game: Some of these managers have proven themselves and redeemed at other top flight clubs, but they have not escaped these horror appointments.
This list only includes permanent managers who were responsible for at least four games.
Worst Premier League Manager based on points per game | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Rank | manager | club | Match | point | ppg |
1 | Frank de Boer | Crystal Palace | 4 | 0 | 0 |
2 | Paul Jewell | Derby | twenty four | 5 | 0.21 |
3 | Sam Aladis | Leeds | 4 | 1 | 0.25 |
4 | Mick McCarthy | Sunderland | 37 | 10 | 0.27 |
5 | Ivan Juric | Southampton | 14 | 4 | 0.29 |
6 | Russell Martin | Southampton | 16 | 5 | 0.31 |
7 | Terry Conner | Wolves | 13 | 4 | 0.31 |
8 | Jan Siewert | Huddersfield | 15 | 5 | 0.33 |
9 | Nathan Jones | Southampton | 8 | 3 | 0.38 |
10 | Billy Davis | Derby | 14 | 6 | 0.43 |
11 | Alain Paldew | West Brom | 18 | 8 | 0.44 |
12 | Roy Hodgson | Watford | 18 | 9 | 0.5 |
13 | Daniel Awake | Norwich | 49 | 26 | 0.53 |
13
Daniel Awake (Norwich City)
Daniel Awake (Norwich City)
0.53 points per game
Daniel Fark has yet to excel in the Premier League despite promoting Norwich City from the championship twice.
Germany oversaw six victories throughout his 49 top flight games, spanning three seasons as a result of the relegation in 2019/20.
He left the club in November 2021. Strangely soon after securing the first victory of the campaign.
12
Roy Hodgson (Watford)
Roy Hodgson (Watford)
0.50 points per game
Roy Hodgson had a sparkly business career, but his bid to save them from relegation after making an unexpected comeback to football with Watford, didn’t get too bad.
He managed only two wins in 18 games on Vicarage Road, but the Hornets ironically were kicked out after a loss to Hodgson’s ex– and Future-Club, Crystal Palace.
As one of the greats of managers, he will not reduce his height, but not many have done anything worse than the former English boss during this unforgiving spell.
11
Alain Pardieu (West Brom)
Alain Pardieu (West Brom)
0.44 points per game
Alan Pardew was a very experienced Premier League manager, so he must have come to West Brom and he must have backed himself to turn the club’s sick property.
In the end, he was back on one Premier League win and eight consecutive losses, taking just eight points off the 54.
West Brom was eventually demoted without Pardou in the dugout, and his manager’s career has been modest ever since.
10
Billy Davis (Derby)
Billy Davis (Derby)
0.43 points per game
Taking Derby County to the Premier League for the first time in five years via the playoffs, Billy Davis became a hero at Pride Park, but the beginning of their fateful 2007/08 campaign was a disaster.
The Rams’ only victory in Match Day 6 was the only highlight after the promotion, failing to repeat the trick in eight games that followed in some ways in Derby and Davis.
Scotland’s only comfort is that perhaps even his successors could not get coordination from the team by introducing them:
9
Nathan Jones (Southampton)
Nathan Jones (Southampton)
0.38 points per game
After being impressed in the town of Luton, Nathan Jones got his big break when Southampton called in November 2022 following the dismissal of Ralph Hasenftl.
But Jones and his unpredictable ways followed Premier League matches, with exactly eight tenure.
With 0.38 points per game, he comfortably holds one of the worst records in Premier League history.
8
Jan Sewered (Hisdersfield)
Jan Sewered (Hisdersfield)
0.33 points per game
When Yanceewart was drafted to save Huddersfield Town’s Premier League position, he must have been daring in the size of the mountains he had to climb.
Once you arrive with the Terriers drifting 10 points at the bottom of the table, it would have been a miracle to save the positives from the campaign.
Siewert scored one victory, losing an 8 on a spin before being kicked out, and continued his championship game just three (not won) before he was fired.
7
Terry Connor (Wolf)
Terry Connor (Wolf)
0.31 points per game
0.31 points per game
Terry Connor was handed a slightly poisoned chalice after Mick McCarthy’s spell on Molineux turned sour and fought a relegation in 2011/12, so he couldn’t put out a song from the wolves.
With an old gold staring at the barrels of relegation, Connor oversees the unfortunate, winning and losing run that entrusted his side to championship football.
Connor was not in another full-time management role until he joined the Grenadian national team in 2023. He is currently the assistant manager of Dargenham and Red Bridge on the National League side.
6
Russell Martin (Southampton)
Russell Martin (Southampton)
0.31 points per game
0.31 points per game
Russell Martin set up his food stall following Southampton promotion last season.
It turned out to be a horrifying call, and the saints lost the game after the match, scoring just five points before being finally fired in December 2024.
But if Southampton thought Martin’s average of 0.31 points per game was bad, they wanted a nasty surprise with his successor.
5
Ivan Juric (Southampton)
Ivan Juric (Southampton)
0.29 points per game
After leaving Rome, Ivan Juric joined Southampton to save Premier League skin.
However, after starting his tenure with six consecutive defeats, it was clear that Southampton would never turn the corner under the Croatians.
The Southampton hierarchy must be held responsible for losing more than three times in a 14-match spell, as the execution of the appointment on the top flight is almost completely useless.
4
Mick McCarthy (Sunderland)
Mick McCarthy (Sunderland)
0.27 points per game
During Sunderland’s tenure, Mick McCarthy recorded one relegation and two disastrous Premier League campaigns.
In 2002/03 McCarthy replaced Howard Wilkinson on the Sunderland hot seat, but endured nine consecutive wins as Wearcider recorded a record-breaking Premier League point total.
He got the Black Cat in the second time asking, but McCarthy’s second attempt at the success of a top flight in the Northeast lost all but six games he replied.
3
Sam Aladdis (Leeds)
Sam Aladdis (Leeds)
0.25 points per game
Sam Allardyce was a brilliant parachute to save Leeds United from a relegation in the Premier League, but the disastrous four-game spell left the whites losing top-flight status.
His only point he acquired during that time came from a 2-2 draw against Newcastle, but a back-to-back loss caused Leeds to sink into the second tier when another victory was enough.
The sample size may be small, but Aladys certainly regrets heading towards Elland Road.
2
Paul Jewel (Derby)
Paul Jewel (Derby)
0.21 points per game
Paul Jewell has used survival magic in the past, leading Bradford City and Wigan Athletic to rescue him from relegation.
However, after being summoned from the Derby in November 2007, that magic ran out. With zero victory, five draws and 19 losses, Jewel gave one of the worst management records with one spell.
The Rams were relegated to the lowest point in Premier League history, but at the time of writing, Southampton was still able to eclipse this.
1
Bohrfrank (Crystal Palace)
Bohrfrank (Crystal Palace)
0 points per game
The appointment of Frank de Bohr at Crystal Palace must be reduced as an absolute failure.
His horror spell at Selhurst Park had no goals, points, or 77 days of misery. It was a completely pointless effort to win Ipswich Town 2-1 in the League Cup.
The Eagles’ pursuit decision was at least proven and survived comfortably under the guidance of Roy Hodgson, but it’s not clear how much time he spent.